Cora still didn't find these events easy. But in the past couple of years, she'd learned to endure them. She'd discovered the secret to success was to stay in the background, answer questions in a vague way, talk about food and the weather, and how the local sports teams had fared. So far, so good.

  And, of course, Gabe's company helped. He was also waiting in the background, watching the action with an expression she could best describe as happy bemusement, and she gave his hand a discreet squeeze.

  His big arm wrapped around her, rubbing her shoulder, and he responded with a loving grin.

  And then, her mother turned, giving an even bigger smile of welcome as the guest of honor arrived.

  “Rose! Rose, honey, you made it on time!”

  Cora’s heart skipped a beat as the slim woman, with her crisply bobbed hair, a vivid strawberry blond, strolled in.

  She would never forget how they'd met a year ago in a Paris backstreet. How Rose had approached her cautiously, her eyes narrowed, her expression wary.

  “Cora? Cora?” she’d said, and then her voice had cracked. “It’s you. Really you.”

  Cora could still remember the feeling of Rose’s wiry arms around her, hugging her so tight she could barely breathe.

  They’d stayed up all night, just the two of them, in Cora’s hotel room, with Gabe next door, staying out of the way, but they’d spoken about him, gotten that fact out in the open. A lot of the time had been spent in silence. Some had been spent in tears. They hadn’t shared everything. They still hadn’t. They talked about it occasionally, slivers of the past, only what they could handle, and not too much at one time. Cora had been through hell, but it was nothing compared to Rose’s hell. Rose was seeing a therapist, and Cora had insisted on that. She was paying.

  And Rose had been supportive, right from the get-go, about the fact Cora was seeing Gabe. Cora hadn't known how to approach that. She hadn't known if Rose would be okay with it or if she'd feel totally awkward and negative. Or even if Gabe would.

  But when Cora had gathered the courage to tell her, toward the end of that first long night, Rose had simply shrugged. “I always doubted Gabe was Buddy’s son,” she’d said dismissively. “They’re completely different people. Buddy was a monster, but he was weak, and I escaped him, and I guess it was thanks to him I found Mario. And Mario, I loved.”

  Her face had softened at the mention of his name, and Cora had felt a pang because the man she'd loved was dead, killed by the Mob. But he'd taught Rose well, and the skills he'd shown her had allowed her to escape her traffickers after only a few days. She'd hidden out in Paris, and then, she'd planned her strategy. Keep on the move, and keep rescuing others. Destroy all the tentacles of this vile operation. She hadn’t gotten in touch with Cora because the time had never felt right. But she’d thought about her a lot. Cora understood that. Sometimes, coming back felt difficult or impossible.

  "So, have you met my daughter Rose?" Her mother's proud voice dragged Cora all the way back to the present. Rose cast Cora a conspiratorial glance as she walked over for handshakes and hugs with the family and friends.

  “Rose has recently reconnected with the family. She mostly lives in Europe now. She comes back to the States for vacations,” her mother explained proudly, and Cora knew there would be tears in her eyes.

  "Really? Is that so?" The neighbor from across the road, who'd brought a peach cobbler to the bring-and-share table, looked interestedly at Rose. "What do you do in Europe?"

  “Retrieval. I’m into retrieval projects,” Rose said, and Cora bit her lip, trying her best not to show a smile at the easy explanation that glossed over the real, gritty work she did.

  “That’ll be that IT, I guess. Seems everyone's into that these days." Sounding half admiring and half disapproving, the steely-haired woman nodded knowledgeably. "It's a shame, I think, that there aren't more folks out there connecting with real people in their everyday work. It's all screens and offices today."

  Now Cora had to bite her lip even harder, not daring to look at Gabe, or she knew she’d let out a snort.

  “It is a shame, I agree,” Rose said respectfully.

  “Not criticizing your line of employment at all, my dear. After all, we have to earn a wage any way we can in these difficult times. It’s more an observation on the state of the world.”

  “Absolutely,” Rose agreed.

  With that pronouncement made, and introductions over, Rose made her escape and joined Cora and Gabe.

  “That was tricky,” she muttered, making a face.

  “You handled it like a pro,” Cora whispered.

  With Gabe’s arm around her, she exchanged a mischievous grin with her sister. And felt a little bubble of joy.

  Good times might be fleeting. The work they did in Paris, when Cora and Gabe had the time to head out to help Rose, was dangerous and dark and often violent. Back home, she and Gabe were constantly on investigation cases, their reputation gaining them new clients every month.

  Times like these, which she'd once hated, now reminded Cora of the simple good to be found in life, even though they were socially challenging.

  They made her feel as if she was healing as if she was finally learning what it was to be happy again and to lock her demons away forever.

  And inside, slowly, she knew she was.

  NOW AVAILABLE!

  WHEN YOU’RE MINE

  (A Finn Wright FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1)

  FBI Special Agent Finn Wright, put on leave after bending the rules, visits his detective friend in England, when his help is needed with a high-profile murder in a historic mansion in the British countryside. Finn finds himself out of his element, immersed in a world of wealth and privilege, hunting a killer who is clearly a genius—and who seems able to outsmart Finn’s every move—until, in a shocking twist, Finn realizes this world is not at all what it seems.

  “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”

  —Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

  WHEN YOU’RE MINE is book #1 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 7,000 five star ratings and reviews.

  Recently put on leave and divorced after he caught his wife cheating on him, Finn needs a fresh start in life. He thought a visit to an old friend in a tranquil small town in England would be a good step—until his friend needs his expertise with a series of murders in spectacular estates. With the local police chief impressed, Finn is asked to stay on, as they need his help.

  As Finn’s eyes are opened to a world of storied wealth, history and privacy, he realizes that he has much to learn—but that killers are universal….

  A page-turning crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the Finn Wright series is a riveting mystery, packed with non-stop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.

  Future books in the series are also available!

  “An edge of your seat thriller in a new series that keeps you turning pages! ...So many twists, turns and red herrings… I can't wait to see what happens next.”

  —Reader review (Her Last Wish)

  “A strong, complex story about two FBI agents trying to stop a serial killer. If you want an author to capture your attention and have you guessing, yet trying to put the pieces together, Pierce is your author!”

  —Reader review (Her Last Wish)

  “A typical Blake Pierce twisting, turning, roller coaster ride suspense thriller. Will have you turning the pages to the last sentence of the last chapter!!!”

  —Reader review (City of Prey)

  “Right from the start we have an unusual protagonist that I haven't seen done in this genre before. The action is nonstop… A very atmospheric novel that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours.”

  —Reader review (City of Prey)

  “Everything that I look for in a book… a great plot, interesting characters, and grabs your interest right away. The book moves along at a breakneck pace and stays that way until the end. Now on go I to book two!”

  —Reader review (Girl, Alone)

  “Exciting, heart pounding, edge of your seat book… a must read for mystery and suspense readers!”

  —Reader review (Girl, Alone)

  WHEN YOU’RE MINE

  (A Finn Wright FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1)

  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 JESSIE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising thirty-one 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 six books; of the LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books; of the ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising twenty-one books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books; of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising thirteen books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising eleven books; of the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the NICKY LYONS mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting), of the CAMI LARK mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting), of the AMBER YOUNG mystery series, comprising seven books (and counting), of the DAISY FORTUNE mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the FIONA RED mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting), of the FAITH BOLD mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting), of the JULIETTE HART mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the MORGAN CROSS mystery series, comprising seven books (and counting), and of the new FINN WRIGHT mystery series, comprising five 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), A MURDER IN PARIS (A Year in Europe—Book 1), CITY OF PREY (An Ava Gold Mystery—Book One), and HER LAST WISH (A Rachel Gift FBI Suspense Thriller—Book One) 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

  FINN WRIGHT MYSTERY SERIES

  WHEN YOU’RE MINE (Book #1)

  WHEN YOU’RE SAFE (Book #2)

  WHEN YOU’RE CLOSE (Book #3)

  WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING (Book #4)

  WHEN YOU’RE SANE (Book #5)

  MORGAN CROSS MYSTERY SERIES

  FOR YOU (Book #1)

  FOR RAGE (Book #2)

  FOR LUST (Book #3)

  FOR WRATH (Book #4)

  FOREVER (Book #5)

  FOR US (Book #6)

  FOR NOW (Book #7)

  JULIETTE HART MYSTERY SERIES

  NOTHING TO FEAR (Book #1)

  NOTHING THERE (Book #2)

  NOTHING WATCHING (Book #3)

  NOTHING HIDING (Book #4)

  NOTHING LEFT (Book #5)

  FAITH BOLD MYSTERY SERIES

  SO LONG (Book #1)

  SO COLD (Book #2)

  SO SCARED (Book #3)

  SO NORMAL (Book #4)

  SO FAR GONE (Book #5)

  SO LOST (Book #6)

  SO ALONE (Book #7)

  SO FORGOTTEN (Book #8)

  FIONA RED MYSTERY SERIES

  LET HER GO (Book #1)

  LET HER BE (Book #2)

  LET HER HOPE (Book #3)

  LET HER WISH (Book #4)

  LET HER LIVE (Book #5)

  LET HER RUN (Book #6)

  LET HER HIDE (Book #7)

  LET HER BELIEVE (Book #8)

  LET HER FORGET (Book #9)

  DAISY FORTUNE MYSTERY SERIES

  NEED YOU (Book #1)

  CLAIM YOU (Book #2)

  CRAVE YOU (Book #3)

  CHOOSE YOU (Book #4)

  CHASE YOU (Book #5)

  AMBER YOUNG MYSTERY SERIES

  ABSENT PITY (Book #1)

  ABSENT REMORSE (Book #2)

  ABSENT FEELING (Book #3)

  ABSENT MERCY (Book #4)

  ABSENT REASON (Book #5)

  ABSENT SANITY (Book #6)

  ABSENT LIFE (Book #7)

  CAMI LARK MYSTERY SERIES

  JUST ME (Book #1)

  JUST OUTSIDE (Book #2)

  JUST RIGHT (Book #3)

  JUST FORGET (Book #4)

  JUST ONCE (Book #5)

  JUST HIDE (Book #6)

  JUST NOW (Book #7)

  JUST HOPE (Book #8)

  JUST LEAVE (Book #9)

  NICKY LYONS MYSTERY SERIES

  ALL MINE (Book #1)

  ALL HIS (Book #2)

  ALL HE SEES (Book #3)

  ALL ALONE (Book #4)

  ALL FOR ONE (Book #5)

  ALL HE TAKES (Book #6)

  ALL FOR ME (Book #7)

  ALL IN (Book #8)

  CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES

  UNDONE (Book #1)

  UNWANTED (Book #2)

  UNHINGED (Book #3)

  UNSAID (Book #4)

  UNGLUED (Book #5)

  UNSTABLE (Book #6)

  UNKNOWN (Book #7)

  UNAWARE (Book #8)

  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)

  NEVER LOOK BACK (Book #7)

  NEVER FORGET (Book #8)

  NEVER LET GO (Book #9)

  NEVER PRETEND (Book #10)

  NEVER HESITATE (Book #11)

  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)

  THE GIRL HE WANTED (Book #7)

  THE GIRL HE CLAIMED (Book #8)

  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)

  HER LAST REGRET (Book #9)

  HER LAST HOUR (Book #10)

  HER LAST SHOT (Book #11)

  HER LAST PRAYER (Book #12)

  HER LAST LIE (Book #13)

  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)

  GIRL, LURED (Book #12)

  GIRL, MISSING (Book #13)

  GIRL, UNKNOWN (Book #14)

  GIRL, DECEIVED (Book #15)

  GIRL, FORLORN (Book #16)

  GIRL, REMADE (Book #17)

  GIRL, BETRAYED (Book #18)

  GIRL, BOUND (Book #19)

  GIRL, REFORMED (Book #20)

  GIRL, REBORN (Book #21)

  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)

 

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