Unwanted (A Cora Shields Suspense Thriller—Book 2)

By Blake Pierce

In this action-packed mystery thriller by #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce, Cora Shields, 30, former Navy Seal turned FBI Special Agent, will stop at nothing to catch a killer—but she is stunned, after bending one rule too many, to find herself fired. When women working for a powerful politician disappear under mysterious circumstances, the cops are too afraid to touch the case, and it’s up to vigilante ex-agent Cora Shields to put the pieces together—if she can survive the forces closing in on her.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”
—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

UNWANTED (A Cora Shields Suspense Thriller—Book 2) is the second novel in a new series by #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Blake Pierce

On the outside, Cora Shields is a total badass. A Navy SEAL veteran and a top agent in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, Cora has a reputation for doing whatever it takes to catch a killer. What no one knows, though, is that she’s a wreck on the inside, addicted to painkillers and deeply depressed.

Cora’s new case is not what it initially seems, and Cora must enter the dark underworld of crime bosses, gangs, and dirty politicians to uncover the truth at the bottom of it all. But her enemies are watching her closely, and the clock is ticking before another victim is claimed. Can Cora use her skills to crack the case in time?

Or will she be the next woman to disappear?

A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured vigilante, the CORA SHIELDS 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.

Future books in the series are now 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)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blake Pierce
• Release date: Nov 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094376752

Book preview

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UNWANTED

(A Cora Shields Mystery —Book Two)

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 fourteen 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 nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the NICKY LYONS mystery 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.

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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 FotoDuets and Matt Benzero used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

NICKY LYONS MYSTERY SERIES

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)

NEVER LOOK BACK (Book #7)

NEVER FORGET (Book #8)

NEVER LET GO (Book #9)

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)

GIRL, LURED (Book #12)

GIRL, MISSING (Book #13)

GIRL, UNKNOWN (Book #14)

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

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

PROLOGUE

Rachelle Castillo was finally alone.

She heaved a little sigh, closed her eyes, and allowed the water to lap against her shoulders. Her feet floated in front of her, toes poking out from the crystal blue liquid. The scent of chlorine lingered above the swimming pool. The dark windows of the enormous mansion behind her gazed down dispassionately.

The windows were like eyes, but they were indifferent to her. The same couldn’t be said for the people who stopped in the street just to take a photo of her: some out of awe for celebrity, and others out of hatred for her father’s politics.

Rachelle floated a bit more, listening to the steady splash of the waterfall. And then she heard another splash.

There was a disconnect between the tumbling water and this newest sound. She looked up and frowned. Droplets spilled down her face where she floated in the luxurious pool. The steam from over the hot tub wafted up to the sky like ash rising over a firepit.

She listened. H…hello? she called out.

Was it one of her father’s bodyguards? She glanced towards the small garden gate and then went still. Her arms spread out behind her, resting on the edge of the pool, kept her aloft. The sound of the splash had faded, but the figure collapsed in the entrance to the garden stood out, obvious and clear.

Anders. She forgot his last name. The ugly guard...His face rested on the marble ground. He lay motionless, the gate lodged against his back leg. Was it a stroke? A heart attack?

Anders! she yelled. She began to turn, hands pressed against the pool edge to lift herself.

And that’s when she spotted the blood. It was spreading, pooling beneath Anders, and staining his black shirt with an even deeper, darker hue. His lifeless eyes stared at her.

And then she heard another faint splash.

She turned sharply, her heart pounding a mile a minute.

A figure was cutting towards her under the water. She hadn’t seen it at first. A scream burst from her lips. She scrambled back, splashing. The thing under the water kept coming, fast, angling towards her legs.

She yanked herself from the pool, splashing and kicking.

But a gloved hand shot out from the water, snatching her leg.

Hel—

Her scream was cut short as the figure in the water yanked her under. She splashed and kicked desperately, sending droplets flying. She tried to shove off the oppressive figure.

But it was impossibly strong as it yanked her under the pool. She didn’t have time to choke out another scream. She submerged, air exploding as bubbles fled up past her cheeks, tickling as they fled. There was no air in her lungs. And he kept pulling her down—deeper and deeper into the depths of the luxurious swimming pool.

CHAPTER ONE

Cora bit her lip as she marched down the front steps of the patio, listening to the sound of her parents arguing behind her.

Just like old times. Except now, she wasn’t some kid. She wore a sleeveless t-shirt; the tattoos on her arms standing out in the glimpses of sunlight over the quaint, West Virginian rural town.

He didn’t mean it, Cora! her mother’s voice called from the porch.

She turned, scowling up at her mother. The woman, wearing an apron stained with flour, held a door open with one arm. Everything about the image seemed so...predictable. Even this part: the angry argument with her father.

The slammed door.

Her mother trying to make peace on behalf of something her husband said.

He did mean it! Cora called back, pausing by the mailbox and frowning. We both know it.

No, no, said her mother, shaking her head. Some of the flour dislodged from her apron. Silver curls bounced around a pleasant, round face. Those lips were pressed in a thin line, though. Not a disapproving line. Not an angry one.

Rather one of nerves and anxiety.

Cora’s mother was the sort to memorize bible verses, to quote one for every occasion, and to hang little pictures around the house of sunsets and inspirational quotes.

The only quotes Cora knew were from dark songs tattooed on her ankle. Her hair was sheered on one side, left shoulder-length on the other. And her sea gray eyes stormed far more than the sunlight over the rural town might have otherwise allowed.

I came back, didn’t I? Cora said, still yelling and hating herself for it. She paused, bit her lip, and calmed. I came back, she repeated, quieter now. Didn’t I?

Her mother had tears in her eyes as she stared at Cora. "He didn’t mean you were a mooch. He just meant in general."

Cora’s sympathy shifted. It was so difficult with her mother. She truly believed the woman thought her husband hadn’t meant to insult Cora. It was strange the hoops one could jump through to ignore the truth.

But Cora wasn’t in a jumping mood.

The conversation at breakfast had escalated quickly. Going sleeveless and showing her many tattoos had likely been the start of it. And she, admittedly, had known what she was doing. She hadn’t had a pill or a drink in a while, though. And her nerves were frayed.

Still, she’d been the one to pick the fight, she supposed. Using her tattoos, which her parents had never approved of, as just a small middle finger to their quiet, rural way of life. Her parents were older now. Smaller. Frailer. Things had changed ever since Cora’s sister had disappeared. Her family now was mostly going through the motions.

Part of her had just wanted to jolt them out of it. But they had been nice enough to let her stay on the spare bed in the garage and to eat breakfast with them.

She had picked the fight.

But he had called her a mooch: a criminal-in-the making. He had pestered her again and again about what she’d been up to.

The first day back, and her father couldn’t find a kind word to say even if it pooped in his coffee.

And now her mother—crying and rewriting history all to keep the peace. But the truth? No...no, her mother couldn’t face the truth.

God dammit! Cora said. I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have come.

Instead of reacting to the apology, though, Cora’s mother went still. She froze in place. Even those quaint silver curls stopped bouncing. "Do not use the Lord’s name in vain!" she yelled.

Cora sighed. She’d been trying to apologize. She’d been trying to humble herself. But no...of course. God dammit. She thought.

She gave a little wave. Sorry, she called. And then she turned and marched to the motorbike that she’d parked at the edge of the driveway in a muddy section. She hadn’t even wanted to bring the bike near the house. This also, she supposed, would only infuriate her old man.

She turned, watching where her mother just stood in the door with tears in her eyes. But