by Blake Pierce
“Hi, FBI,” she said, immediately showing her badge without preamble. “I’d like to come inside.”
The housekeeper hesitated. Her face was pale, and her eyes darted from Laura’s face to the badge to back over her shoulder again.
“I’m not supposed to…” she began, trailing off as she gnawed at her own lower lip. Laura watched her hands and realized they were shaking.
“If I have cause to believe that someone in the house is in danger of harm, then I have the right to enter the property without permission or a warrant,” she said, keeping her voice low but her words urgent. “Do you understand?”
The housekeeper turned and looked at her again. “Yes,” she said. She paused, clearing her throat. “I… think you might have heard someone scream a moment ago. I heard something as well.”
“Thank you,” Laura said fervently, stepping over the threshold and charging through the house.
She had to force her hand not to stray to her gun.
She followed her gut, not sure of the layout of the house. But it wasn’t hard to guess; straight through to a wide-open kitchen, sunlight streaming in through French doors. A cursory glance there revealed nothing, as Laura had expected. The housekeeper’s domain, or a cook if they had one. Not where the master of the house spent his time.
Back to the main hall; stairs leading up, which Laura had to assume would take her to Amy’s bedroom. But first, two doors on either side. Laura took one at random, finding herself in a comfortable and lavishly decorated sitting room, complete with an American flag curling over the fireplace; a room where the governor could receive guests. It was empty.
The next door along was another sitting room, but this time smaller and more intimate; photographs of the family lined the walls, and not just the posed and political kind.
That was where she found Mrs. Fallow.
“You,” the woman gasped, quickly dashing her hands over her face as Laura burst in. That didn’t hide the tears she had been crying at all. “You’re—you’re not supposed to be here. We don’t… want you!”
Laura stared at her for a fraction of a moment. Even now, when she tried to say it strong and loud, it didn’t ring true. Not with the tears still drying on her face, black mascara crusted under each eye.
Laura ignored her and turned away. A mother who allowed her daughter to be abused. Her most precious thing. The one person in the world it was not only her duty, but her privilege to protect.
Most of all, Laura hated her because she was just like Laura. Trapped by her own fear and pain until she had let her daughter down.
The very failings that Laura would never, ever, if she lived for a thousand years, be able to forgive herself for.
She charged up the stairs, knowing there were only two people to find, and knowing by the tears on Mrs. Fallow’s face that she was likely to find them together.
She ran at full tilt, taking the stairs two at a time and then nearly falling at the top, but not stopping as she raced along the corridor. A room at the end of the hall was spilling light from the windows in a diamond pattern out on the floor, and Laura recognized it. She knew the door, the carpet and wallpaper she could glimpse inside.
She knew the silhouette of the man who stood there, belt raised in his hand.
Raised high, as if to strike.
“Fallow!” Laura yelled, calling on something deep down inside of her; what came out of her mouth was a screech of righteous fury, like she was possessed by a demon. He faltered and turned to look at her, the belt dropping by his side.
Her momentum could not be interrupted. Just two moments later Laura staggered to a stop in the doorway, looking past him, past his dumbstruck face and the belt hanging loose at his side.
Past him, at Amy.
The little girl was curled up into a ball in the center of her bed, crying, her body shaking up and down silently as she sobbed hard. Her mouth was hanging open, snot trailing down from her nose.
“You can’t be in here,” the governor said, finding his voice.
Laura looked straight at him and moved her hand to her hip, to the grip of her gun. She waited until his eyes flicked down and took in the silent threat.
“Amy,” she said, keeping her eyes on him a moment longer, but softening her voice. “Amy, do you remember me?”
“Ye-yeah,” Amy sobbed, wiping the back of her hand over her nose. “My a-angel.”
“Come here to me,” Laura said. She stepped into the room with her hand outstretched, planting herself between the governor and the bed. “Come on, now. It’s going to be okay.”
“You can’t be in here,” the governor repeated. “You’ve got no right.”
When Amy slowly stumbled from the bed and then to Laura’s side, Laura was quick to take hold of her arm and pull her back toward the door. She kept her eyes on the governor; his eyes flicked down to her hip over and over again. He was slowly reddening, even further than he had been when she arrived.
“Let’s go,” Laura said quietly, turning and picking Amy up, lifting her from the floor and setting her on the opposite hip—away from the gun—to get her out of there quicker. Her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest. Whether it was fear they’d be caught and stopped, or anger at what Governor Fallow had done, she could no longer tell.
“I’m going to have you fired,” the governor said, raising his voice as he followed them. “You hear me? I’m going to make a call and get the cops here. You’re going to be stripped of your badge. You won’t get away with this.”
“It’s going to be all right,” Laura said lightly, brightly, glancing into Amy’s eyes. The girl clung to her, her arms going around Laura’s neck. Even though she was clearly still distressed, she was no longer crying. She kept looking at Laura, not around or back at her father. Like Laura was her rock.
And that was all Laura had ever wanted to be.
Governor Fallow was shouting and screaming behind her, his voice on crescendo after crescendo, threatening her with legal action, telling her everything she was going to lose. Laura didn’t care. She stopped listening.
At the door, she turned back. There was no one else in sight. The housekeeper had disappeared. Mrs. Fallow had not emerged. Even she had to know that this was what was best for her daughter.
It was only her and the governor.
“You,” she said, her voice quiet and low, aimed directly at him like a bullet between his eyes. “If you make a fuss about this, if you so much as make an offhand comment to my boss, I will end you. I will testify in court about what I’ve seen, and so will others. And I won’t even need to. With the footage I’ve seen from that room, no one would let this defenseless, innocent little girl back in a room with you. And you can kiss your political career goodbye, too. One word—and everything you have goes up in flames. Do you understand me?”
She didn’t wait to hear if he understood. She took in his wide eyes, red face, his spluttering mouth, and turned away. She carried on walking, marching Amy right to the car and setting her inside, putting on her seatbelt in the backseat.
As she walked back to her door and got behind the wheel, Laura dared to take one look back at the house. The door was gaping empty, the governor gone. He’d either believed her, or he hadn’t. The wide-eyed look he’d had when she threatened his career was at least promising.
Implying that the FBI had been secretly recording him had been inspired, if a complete falsehood. Psychic visions couldn’t be submitted as evidence of wrongdoing. If the governor ignored her warnings and tried to retaliate, Laura would be in serious trouble. She could be fired for this. Arrested for kidnapping.
But for now, Amy was safe in the back of her car. And, as she drove away, Laura couldn’t be worried about that. She could only be relieved.
She had no idea where she would take her, what she would do next, but as she put distance between their car and the mansion, she knew that distance was everything.
Hell would rain down on her.
Le
t it.
Laura had no idea what came next. What her next move would be.
But for now, the girl was safe.
And that was all that mattered.
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!
ALREADY SEEN
(A Laura Frost FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 2)
“A MASTERPIECE OF THRILLER AND MYSTERY. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
ALREADY SEEN (A Laura Frost FBI Suspense Thriller) is book #2 in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. The series begins with ALREADY GONE (Book #1).
FBI Special Agent and single mom Laura Frost, 35, is haunted by her talent: a psychic ability which she refuses to face and which she keeps secret from her colleagues. While Laura gets obscured glimpses of what the killer may do next, she must decide whether to trust her confusing gift or her investigative work.
When a female acting teacher turns up murdered in Tacoma—the second such death in two months—FBI Special Agent Laura Frost is called in to determine if it is the work a serial killer. Yet, what Laura finds is more disturbing than even she can imagine—leading her to a race against time to save the next victim.
Laura’s talent leads her deep—too deep—into the twisted minds of serial killers. Will it lead her to catch a killer? Or will it take her down a road of confusion, dead ends—and her own destruction?
A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the LAURA FROST series is a startlingly fresh mystery, rife with suspense, twists and turns, shocking revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night.
Book #3 in the series—ALREADY TRAPPED—is now also available!
ALREADY SEEN
(A Laura Frost FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 2)
Did you know that I've written multiple novels in the mystery genre? If you haven't read all my series, click the image below to download a series starter!
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 fifteen books (and counting); 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 ten books (and counting); of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising three books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising six books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).
ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1), and MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!
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.
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES
HER LAST WISH (Book #1)
HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)
HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)
AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES
CITY OF PREY (Book #1)
CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)
CITY OF BONES (Book #3)
A YEAR IN EUROPE
A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)
DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)
VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)
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)
LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
ALREADY GONE (Book #1)
ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)
ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)
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)
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)
CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
NEXT DOOR (Book #1)
A NEIGHBOR’S 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 MUDER (Book #2)
A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)
A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)
A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)