Her Last Fear (A Rachel Gift FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 4) Read online

  H E R L A S T

  F E A R

  (A Rachel Gift Mystery—Book Four)

  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 fifteen 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 six books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); and of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising six 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), MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1), LEFT TO DIE (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book One), and A MURDER IN PARIS (A Year in Europe—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.

  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 you’re 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 author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright oekka.k, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  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)

  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)

  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)

  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 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 MURDER (Book #2)

  A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

  A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

  A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

  CONTENTS

  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

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  CHAPTER ONE

  Theresa had no idea what she’d been thinking. When Derek had asked if she wanted to go for a hike, she should have known he had something extreme in mind. Eager to please, she’d agreed to it. She was in good shape but hated the dry New Mexico heat. It was a beautiful state, and she was glad she’d moved out here; but Jesus, the heat could be unbearable at times.

  Derek was hiking just ahead of her as they made their way through one of the many trails along the Chihuahuan Desert. They were headed to something called Little Squaretop, a feature along this trail that was supposed to provide an amazing view of the desert. But the hike was six and a half miles long through this God forsaken desert. For people that were accustomed to hiking, it was supposed to take about five hours. And Theresa wasn’t sure there was any view on the planet that was worth that sort of torture.

  Then again, she thought Derek might be taking her to such a view for a very specific reason. They’d been dating for almost two years now, and at twenty-seven years of age, she wasn’t exactly getting any younger.

  As they trudged along with open desert and craggy rock formations to both sides, Derek looked back to her. “How you doing back there?”

  “Just great.”

  He smiled at her, readjusting the small backpack he was wearing on his muscular, tan shoulders. She took a few quick steps to catch up to him. They’d both broken a slight sweat and the pressing heat was not going to let up anytime soon.

  “We’re about halfway there, right?” she said.

  “Maybe a bit more than that.” He frowned apologetically as he looked at the trail just ahead of them. “Sorry, babe. I really didn’t think it would be this hot. There’s usually a really nice breeze that cuts through here.”

  “It’s okay. You just keep in mind that if I pass out from heat stroke, you’re going to have to walk back carrying my limp body.”

  He reached out and took her hand. “I don’t quite think it’ll come to that.”

  “At the risk of sounding like a wuss, I think I would like to sit down sometime soon. Maybe for just like five minutes or so. Is that okay?”

  “Of course.”

  She could tell that he felt bad about her being uncomfortable. But really, what else had he expected? She supposed he found it cute that she was struggling so much. At least I’m getting a tan, she thought. And this walk is going to count for every single bit of my cardio this week.

  They continued up the trail as it made a slight yet continual rise. Theresa looked to her right and saw that there was already a very nice view starting to present itself. The desert, she supposed, was very much like the Appalachian Mountains near where she’d grown up. Catch either of them at a certain angle or a certain light and they could be breathtaking.

  “Think you can make it over there?” Derek asked, pointing ahead and to the right. There was a little raised section of rock protruding from the desert ground. It was only about three hundred feet further ahead, but it was off to the right and slightly off the beaten trail. It looked back out the way they came, and she thought it might provide just a small taste of the view that was to come once they finally reached the summit of Little Squaretop.

  “Yeah, I think I can manage that,” she said, putting some dramatic flair into just how tired she was.

  She regretted the slight mockery when the ground seemed to suddenly change direction, heading in a harsh arc upwards. She really had to dig her ankles in, her knees groaning with the effort. It flattened back out gradually just before Derek led them off into harder dirt and some very sad-looking scrub brush.

  They settled down on the rock he’d pointed out. Theresa tried to hide the instant relief to her ankles and knees. She stretched her legs out, relishing the feel of it.

  “I do appreciate you doing this with me,” Derek said, kissing her on the cheek.

  The way he looked at her as he pulled away made her pretty certain that the hike was going to end with Derek on a knee, looking up to her with a ring in his hand. She smiled her best casual smile and shrugged. “I’m a big girl,” she said. “This isn’t so bad.”

  “So do you think I could talk you into camping soon?”

 
“No,” she said. “That’s where I draw the line. Why am I going to waltz out into the desert and pretend to be homeless for a night? It makes no sense. It makes…”

  She stopped here as she looked beyond Derek. She was looking to the desert floor roughly seventy feet below them. More specifically, she was looking at a rock very similar to the one she and Derek were sitting on. It was just barely in her line of view; if she’d been sitting back another six inches on the rock, she may not have seen it at all.

  “What?” Derek asked. “What is it?”

  She opened her mouth to vocalize what she was seeing but her eyes didn’t seem to fully understand what it was trying to process.

  Blood. Lots of blood. A bare, slender leg. A hand and the lower portion of an arm, the rest of the arm blocked off by her angle and the rocky terrain between her and the grisly sight.

  And buzzards, too. My God, buzzards, picking at that bare leg, huddled around and—

  “Theresa?”

  “A body,” she said, pointing to what she was seeing. The word felt like a curse coming out.

  Derek turned and saw it, too. “My God,” he gasped.

  They both stood slowly and walked closer to the edge of their little rock outcropping. From there, the angle and obstructions were gone. Theresa now had no problems seeing the full sight. The body was far enough away so that they were spared some of the gore, but close enough for Theresa to fill in the blanks. Blood everywhere. A woman, naked, most of her left side butchered and bloody. Her blonde hair spread out around the rock like an exploded star. A cavernous hole where her heart was—or should be.

  The buzzards, feeding.

  Somehow, Theresa knew the woman’s eyes were open, looking right up at them.

  The scream started to rise up out of Theresa’s throat before she knew it was there. But when it came rushing up her throat and out into the air, it felt justified. Her scream tore out across the open desert, sending the buzzards skyward, their beaks slick and red from the meal down below.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Rachel had only been to a single doctor after getting her initial diagnosis. But that visit had been more than enough for her to get a read on how doctors presented themselves when they were about to dole out bad news. From what she could tell, there was a notable effort to make sure the brow wasn’t creased at all and that the corners of their mouths remained stationary and straight—not drooping to create a frown and certainly not ticked upwards to indicate any sort of happiness.