Title page

A L L

M I N E

(A Nicky Lyons FBI Suspense ThrillerBook One)

B L A K E P I E R C E

Blake Pierce

Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising twenty four books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising sixteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising four books; of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising nine books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and the NICKY LYONS FBI suspense thriller series, comprising three books (and counting).

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Copyright © 2022 by Blake Pierce. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If youre reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright Mr Dasenna used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

NICKY LYONS FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ALL MINE (Book #1)

ALL HIS (Book #2)

ALL HE SEES (Book #3)

CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES

UNDONE (Book #1)

UNWANTED (Book #2)

UNHINGED (Book #3)

MAY MOORE SUSPENSE THRILLER

NEVER RUN (Book #1)

NEVER TELL (Book #2)

NEVER LIVE (Book #3)

NEVER HIDE (Book #4)

NEVER FORGIVE (Book #5)

NEVER AGAIN (Book #6)

PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES

THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)

THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)

THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)

THE GIRL HE WISHED (Book #4)

THE GIRL HE CROWNED (Book #5)

THE GIRL HE WATCHED (Book #6)

VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES

NO MERCY (Book #1)

NO PITY (Book #2)

NO FEAR (Book #3)

NO SLEEP (Book #4)

NO QUARTER (Book #5)

NO CHANCE (Book #6)

NO REFUGE (Book #7)

NO GRACE (Book #8)

NO ESCAPE (Book #9)

RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES

HER LAST WISH (Book #1)

HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)

HER LAST FEAR (Book #4)

HER LAST CHOICE (Book #5)

HER LAST BREATH (Book #6)

HER LAST MISTAKE (Book #7)

HER LAST DESIRE (Book #8)

AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

CITY OF PREY (Book #1)

CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)

CITY OF BONES (Book #3)

CITY OF GHOSTS (Book #4)

CITY OF DEATH (Book #5)

CITY OF VICE (Book #6)

A YEAR IN EUROPE

A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)

DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)

VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)

A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)

ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)

GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)

GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)

GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)

GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)

GIRL ERASED (Book #6)

GIRL, FORSAKEN (Book #7)

GIRL, TRAPPED (Book #8)

GIRL, EXPENDABLE (Book #9)

GIRL, ESCAPED (Book #10)

GIRL, HIS (Book #11)

LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)

ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)

ALREADY TAKEN (Book #6)

ALREADY CHOSEN (Book #7)

ALREADY LOST (Book #8)

ALREADY HIS (Book #9)

EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES

MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)

DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)

CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)

MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)

CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)

MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)

ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES

LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)

LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)

LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)

LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)

LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)

LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)

LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)

LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)

LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)

LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)

LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)

LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)

LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)

LEFT TO LOATHE (Book #14)

LEFT TO HARM (Book #15)

LEFT TO RUIN (Book #16)

THE AU PAIR SERIES

ALMOST GONE (Book#1)

ALMOST LOST (Book #2)

ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)

ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES

FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)

FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)

FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)

FACE OF FURY (Book #5)

FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)

A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)

THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)

THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)

THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)

THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)

THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)

THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)

THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)

THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)

THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)

THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)

THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)

THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)

THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)

THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)

THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)

THE PERFECT COUPLE (Book #20)

THE PERFECT MURDER (Book #21)

THE PERFECT HUSBAND (Book #22)

THE PERFECT SCANDAL (Book #23)

THE PERFECT MASK (Book #24)

CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

A NEIGHBORS LIE (Book #2)

CUL DE SAC (Book #3)

SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)

HOMECOMING (Book #5)

TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)

KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

IF SHE RAN (Book #3)

IF SHE HID (Book #4)

IF SHE FLED (Book #5)

IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)

IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)

THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

WATCHING (Book #1)

WAITING (Book #2)

LURING (Book #3)

TAKING (Book #4)

STALKING (Book #5)

KILLING (Book #6)

RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES

ONCE GONE (Book #1)

ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)

ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)

ONCE LURED (Book #4)

ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)

ONCE PINED (Book #6)

ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)

ONCE COLD (Book #8)

ONCE STALKED (Book #9)

ONCE LOST (Book #10)

ONCE BURIED (Book #11)

ONCE BOUND (Book #12)

ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)

ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)

ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)

ONCE MISSED (Book #16)

ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)

MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)

BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)

BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)

BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)

BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)

BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)

BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)

BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)

BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)

BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)

AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)

CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)

CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)

KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

This was it. The moment she'd been waiting for. Nicky Lyons pressed her back to the wall beside the door, her gun out and ready. She held her breath so as not to make a sound. Shutting her eyes, she found her happy place.

Rippling water. A tide slowly rolling in.

Nicky opened her eyes and sucked in a breath.

Game time.

She faced the door and threw her black boot right into the wood, making the lock burst open on this remote cottage off the coast of rural Florida.

The perfect place for this sicko to bring the senator's daughter.

Nicky stepped into the empty cottage with her gun facing forward. As a BAU agent specializing in missing persons, she'd never shied away from getting her hands a little bloody. If it meant saving a missing girl, she would chase a kidnapper to the ends of the earth.

This guy had made a mistake and bought a chocolate bar from a convenience store in the nearby town with his credit card; and Nicky had found out that this cottage had been in his family before but was sold years ago. The fact that it was sold convinced the others back at HQ that the guy likely wouldn't be here.

But then Nicky discovered that the "buyer" of the house seemed to be a completely non-existent person. A guy named Daniel High, who had no birth certificate, no paper trail. Hed bought the place in cash.

Nicky didnt buy it. In fact, she was damn sure that the suspectFrank Reesehad bought it under the alias Daniel just to do whatever sick things he was doing here without getting caught. Nicky was sure Daniel was the same person they'd suspected had kidnapped the senator's daughter, Masie, more than a year ago.

He had to be hiding her here.

A place where people could be easily forgotten.

The cottage was dark, and she didn't switch on the lights. Nicky didn't make a sound as she stepped into the living room. She took a deep breath and braced herself against the thought of what she might find. If this guy was the one who stole Masie, keeping her locked up for a year, he was capable of doing anything.

Nicky took out her Maglite and switched it on, shining the light around the guest bedroom.

A creak of the floorboard behind her. Nicky's heart stalled.

Someone was right behind her.

Nicky spun. Her eyes met his, shiny as a snake's. He was tall and thin, covered in tattoos. He had one hand behind him, his fingers curled around the handle of a gun.

Frank Reese.

It was really him.

Nicky wasn't about to wait for him to shoot her--she dodged beneath him, just as he fired off a bullet that resounded through the cabin. Nicky got under him and struck his arm upwards, causing his grip to drop the gun. It skidded across the wooden floor. Nicky drew her own gun, ready to shoot--but Frank was fast. He grabbed her wrists and forced them above her head, pointing her gun straight at the ceiling. Nicky fought back with all her strength, but in this moment, she wasn't afraid of dying.

There was only one thing she cared about.

"What have you done with Masie Gregory?" she uttered as she tried to twist her wrists from his grip.

His eyes shone against hers, and a smile curled at his lips before he let out a wicked laugh. And at that moment, Nicky knew, without a doubt, that her hunch was right--this was her guy.

Anger surged through her. She shoved back against him.

"Where is she?" she spat at him, shouting.

He chuckled and pressed her wrists up and forward, increasing the strength of his grip. Nicky's arms shook as she tried to hold back the pain.

"Let her go," she said through gritted teeth.

Or what? he taunted.

The words sent a chill down her back. "If you hurt her--"

"Youre too late."

Nicky kneed him in the gut, and he let out a wheeze as he dropped her wrists. Nicky quickly regained her balance and moved her gun with lightning speed. She pointed it right at Franks chest. He froze, but a smirk tugged at his lips that made Nickys blood burn.

"You're not gonna shoot me, he said. Youre some sort of cop. You cant just kill me. Go ahead and put me in jail, but you wont shoot.

Wanna bet? Nicky wanted to say. But she kept it in. He was rightshe couldnt go around murdering suspects if they didnt pose a direct threat to her life or others. But there were some things she could do: "I'll shoot you through the leg if you come any closer, she threatened.

His eyes flicked to the right, where his own gun had landed. Nicky ground her teeth.

Dont, she warned.

But he didnt listen. He dove right for the gun.

Nicky didn't hesitate.

POP!

Her bullet flew through the air with deadly velocity, hitting the man dead-center in his chest. No! She hadnt been going for the kill shotbut she realized, by the way he grabbed at his chest and collapsed to the ground, that she had gone too far.

He went limp on the floor, his eyes glossed over, unseeing.

Nicky swallowed the sick feeling down her throat and crouched next to the body. Her eyes fell onto the man's hands as she turned him over to click on the Maglite. His body was still warm when she touched his neck, but there was no pulse. No breath. She'd killed him.

Nicky's breath came in short bursts. She knew about the people who did all kinds of things to victims--kidnapping, rape, murder--and she'd be lying if she said she felt bad about this one. This guy had been keeping Masie for over a year. Who knows what he had done to her in that time?

But still. Nicky hadnt been planning on taking a life today, and it made her head spin. This was the job. She'd known what she signed up for, and she could never let fear get the best of her.

Now, she had to find Masie.

Going back into the hall, she checked the next room with the Maglite. To her surprise, there was nothing in the room except for a dirty old mattress. But there was a smell in the house. Now that her adrenaline was high, Nicky could feel it.

Something wasn't right.

She hurried down the hall and pushed open the door to the bathroom--her heart sank. The smell was coming from inside the room. She stepped inside and shone the light around the dark roomand her gaze landed on a small, pale body lying on the floor. Nicky took a step closer.

For a moment, her brain didn't register what she was seeing. Her body shook as she reached out to touch the girl--her eyes were open and empty, her face drained of color.

Nicky shook her head. No, this wasnt right. It wasnt happening. She'd come all this way. She'd found the guy, and she was not going to let Masie die.

She dropped to her knees and laid a hand on the dead girl's chest. What she didn't notice was the dark, slick substance on her hand until her fingers began to tingle.

Nicky pulled her hand away and saw the blood.

It was still warm to the touch.

The kill had been fresh. He mustve done it moments before shed arrived.

Maybe he even saw her coming up to the building and decided to finish Masie off, right then and there.

Her world crumbled around her.

Masie was dead.

Nicky was too late.

CHAPTER ONE

Nicky entered her dark, quiet apartment, and threw her keys on the console table, not wanting to face what was waiting for her there.

Loneliness. Emptiness.

She would be left with her thoughts, and the memories of what happened. She felt like she'd been hit by a train.

And the only thing that would cure it, or at least numb it, was a stiff glass of whiskey.

She headed straight for the liquor cabinet and took out a bottle of Jack Daniel's, pouring herself a generous glass. Nicky's apartment was dark, save for a lone lamp which cast a dim orange glow through the living room. The light was soft and warm, flickering off the walls.

She'd been living here for the past two years, and she was still surprised each time she stepped into the apartment. The walls were painted a warm honey tone, and the furniture was a step-up from the old discount furniture she'd had in her early twenties. A floor-to-ceiling bookcase was filled with textbooks. But her favorite part was the huge window that looked out to the skyline of Jacksonville, Florida. Nicky took a sip and looked out over the city.

An image of Frank Reeses deranged, snake-like face flashed in her mind.

She wished she could've stopped him, but she'd been too late. But only by a hair. If Nicky had arrived earlier, maybe Masie would still be alive. All the possibilities of things she could have done differently swam through her mind. She could have been faster. She could have been sneakier.

The only thing she was thankful for was that this guy would never hurt anyone again. He was dead. Nicky would be lying if she said he didnt deserve it.

She put the glass to her lips and took a deep breath, feeling the alcohol burn her throat. Shed called in the crime scene and the dead body, and she was damn glad to be out of there. And now, there was nothing she could do anymore. She could never get back what this sicko had taken from the world. A year-long investigation had been nothing but a waste.

Masie would never be back.

Nicky gulped down the rest of the glass. Where the hell was her happy place now?

Twisting the cap off the bottle, she poured another shot and settled on the leather couch, staring at the off TV, but not seeing it--her mind was too busy processing. The booze only burned the pain away; it didn't stop it. She put her glass on the coaster of her glass coffee table.

Nicky's gaze fell onto her cell phone.

She'd left it on silent after she'd called in the murder. Then it was hours spent debriefing at HQ. Now, finally, she was home. But she still felt trapped in that cottage.

Her psychiatrist, Dr. Graham, had told Nicky it was unhealthy to bottle up her emotions; she needed to let them out sometimes. What he really felt like she needed were more friends, more people Nicky could talk to outside of work, but the truth was that Nicky liked to keep her personal life private. It was just easier this way. She socialized with the people she worked with, even went out for drinks with them sometimes, and that was good enough.

Wanting a distraction, she opened her cell and checked her notifications. A text from her mom. A couple of emails.

And one message request on her messenger app. She frowned and opened it up.

It was Matt Haynes.

Nicky hadn't heard from Matt in ages. They grew up in the same small West Virginia town. Thinking about it brought Nicky back to her teen years. The summer heat, watching the sunset as she drank with her friends--Matt included.

Theyd all had dreams of escaping.

Nicky dreamed of being an FBI agent. Matt's dream was a little more simple--he wanted to leave home. He wanted to see the world. Nicky wanted to see the world too... but she thought she'd be seeing it while doing her job, not while backpacking across the globe.

That was one thing about Matt--he was always a little over-the-top, but he was never dull. He managed to get into trouble more than anyone Nicky knew, but he was always charming enough to get out of it.

She thought about what Matt had said when she'd last seen him, all those years ago, when they were both eighteen, at high school graduation.

He'd kissed her on the cheek and told her goodbye, but that he'd see her again someday.

Damn, she'd missed him. But she hadn't forgotten him.

Nicky opened the message.

Hey, Nicky. When you've got a moment, can we talk? I'm in your area and I'd love to catch up.

Nicky hesitated.

Of course part of her had missed Matt. Missed her old life and the people she used to know.

But her life was unrecognizable now. Now, she hunted kidnappers for a living. Saved girls' lives. Or tried to, anyway. What would she and Matt have to talk about?

Besides, Nicky wasn't in the business of adding more people to her life. It was too complicated. Too much work.

She wrote back: Sorry, I'm pretty busy with work right now. Great to hear from you, though.

After she sent the message, Nicky still felt uneasy. She'd always had a soft spot for Matt--and even if she didn't want to admit it, she knew the reason why.

It was the one thing she couldn't escape: she was lonely.

For the past few months, she'd had a fling with another member of the team--a hotshot profiler name Fernando Torres. But it had been more of a physical thing, and that was fine by Nicky. They'd each gotten what they wanted out of it, and it hadn't cost anything, other than the occasional night together--and even then, that was more of a convenience than anything else.

Her old friends were busy living their lives. And Nicky didn't have time for a real relationship.

Matt texted back immediately.

Okay. But I'm staying in town for a few weeks. I'd love to see you.

Nicky shut off her phone. She was a lot of things, but she wasn't a liar. She'd made up her mind. She wasn't going to see Matt. So that was that.

Sighing, Nicky took another swig of her drink and stood up. She was beginning to feel numb. She wandered through her apartment, still holding the drink, with one destination in mind.

Nicky rented a two-bedroom apartment, but the second bedroom wasn't for her.

It was for Rosie.

Nicky entered the room, where she had a massive whiteboard set up.

Clippings of newspapers. Articles. Pictures of her sister.

Everything Nicky knew about Rosie Lyons's kidnapping was in this room. Not only on the whiteboard--but also in Nicky's own memory.

She shut her eyes and pictured the lake. The rippling water...

Maybe it was messed up that she still thought about the lake at that horrible, wretched place as a means to keep her anxiety at bay. The worst days of Nicky's life had happened at that lake house.

But looking out at that water had also been the last time she'd been with Rosie.

In that sense, the nightmare that was the lake house was also a dream.

But Nicky still held onto hope. It had been thirteen years since Rosie was last seen. They never found a body.

She took out her phone and dialed the number of the local police department in Nelly, West Virginia, her hometown. A long way from Florida, where she lived now.

The Story Continues on BooksBarbecue!

Enjoyed this preview? ❤️ Do not stop here!

Read the complete book free online → 🔗

Continue reading now on BooksBarbecue and discover every page!

Love reading? Bookmark BooksBarbecue.com for more amazing books!

Happy Reading!