Blackhearted Betrayal Read Online Free

make sure Cori will be ready in time. See you at nine tomorrow morning, then?”
     
    “Sounds good. You take care, darling, and bring Cori to me safely.”
     
    “Will do, Mom. Love you.”
     
    “Love you, too.”
     
    I couldn’t help the goofy grin that spread across my face whenever she said that. Having her back in my life after more than twenty years of believing her dead was hands down the best thing to happen to me in ages. Granted, getting back together with Scott had made me ecstatic, but nothing and no one could compare to your mother—or love you quite the same. Which made Nan’s incomprehensible behavior to her own daughter all the more unbelievable.
     
    We’ll figure out
who
has screwed with her head, and we’ll make things right again.
     
    I had to believe that—any other result was simply unthinkable.
     
    TRINITY LARUE LOOKED UP FROM A BOWL OF gruel when I leaned against the doorjamb of her office next door to mine in the PD. “
How
on earth can you eat that squirrel food?” She finished chewing with what had to be pretended bliss. I refused to believe anyone could actually
enjoy
eating sugarless granola cereal with fat- and taste-free milk.
    “It’s good for you. Much better than all that sugar and caffeine
you
ingest.”
     
    “Yeah, well, I’ve got to keep my Fury metabolism fueled, thank you very much.”
     
    “You’re such a lucky bitch that you
never
gain an ounce despite all that junk you shovel into your face.”
     
    “Yes, well, that souped-up metabolism comes alongwith assassination attempts every other day and the danger of Turning Harpy whenever I channel Rage.”
     
    She wrinkled her nose sympathetically. “True, I’ll take the health food and my newfound gym-addict status over the constant death threats and uncontrollable anger.”
     
    “Don’t forget:
You’re
the one with the Spyder.” Her eyes went a little dreamy at the mention of the electric blue sports car her older brothers had rebuilt for her thirtieth birthday not that long before. It sure as hell beat the MCU’s land whale of a stakeout van that I commandeered whenever flying on my own two wings or taking the subway just wouldn’t do. “You ready for me to get you up to speed on where everything stands?”
     
    Trinity and I had worked together on the Boston police force for several years before we officially formed the MCU, with me as chief and her as deputy chief. She’d been assuming more and more responsibility as I managed to loosen up my controlling ways and conquer my fear for her safety as the lone 100 percent mortal on our team. Once she called me out on that tendency to coddle her, I’d done my best to curb the habit. She’d proven herself on every occasion, and she sure as hell deserved my respect.
     
    She spooned up the last bite of squirrel food and popped up to come around her desk. Her office was
nearly
as compact of mine—minus the conference table and chairs squeezed against the wall—so I immediately noticed the oversized vase of calla lilies when she brushed past the credenza upon which she had placed it. The extremely
expensive
vase of calla lilies, which I knew were her favorite flower.
     
    “Well,
somebody
must have gotten lucky last night.”
     
    A smile spread across her face as she gave a saucy wink. “Oh, like you
didn’t
after you and that Hound of yours got half-drunk last night.”
     
    “Me
less
than half-drunk and him
more
than half-drunk, thank you very much.” Thanks to that whole Fury metabolism I had going on, which gave me the opportunity to play designated driver with Scott’s zippy red Ferrari. “But wait, I didn’t see you leave the reception with Penn’s brother.”
     
    “That’s because I didn’t.”
     
    “You little vixen, you! So if things didn’t pan out with Tariq, who are the flowers from?”
     
    Her smile took on a mysterious edge. “That’s for me to know, and you to
maybe
find out, if things keep going as well as they have been