Where You Fear (A Kelly Cruz Mystery—Book Five)

By Rylie Dark

Bounty hunter Kelly Cruz, with her dark past, is as tough as they come, working solo, given her aversion towards authority, living in a bad neighborhood with her rescue pitbull and refusing to take a fee. After years of searching, Kelly finally has a lead on the most important case of her life: her long-missing sister.

And in this non-stop action thriller, she will stop at nothing, break any and every rule, until she finds her and gets her back alive….

“A brilliant book. I couldn’t put it down and I never guessed who the murderer was!”
—Reader review for Only Murder
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WHERE YOU FEAR is book #5 in a new series by #1 bestselling and critically acclaimed mystery and suspense author Rylie Dark, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings.

A cat-and-mouse thriller with harrowing twists and turns and filled with heart-pounding suspense, the Kelly Cruz mystery series offers a fresh twist on the genre as it introduces two brilliant protagonists who will make you fall in love and keep you turning pages late into the night.

Future books in the series are also available.

“I loved this thriller, read it in one sitting. Lots of twists and turns and I didn’t guess the
culprit at all… Already pre-ordered the second!”
—Reader review for Only Murder
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This book takes off with a bang… An excellent read, and I'm looking forward to the next book!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
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“Fantastic book! It was hard to put down. I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“The twists and turns kept coming. Can't wait to read the next book!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A must-read if you enjoy action-packed stories with good plots!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I really like this author and this series starts with a bang. It will keep you turning the pages till the end of the book and wanting more.”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I can't say enough about this author! How about ‘out of this world’! This author is going to go far!”
—Reader review for ONLY MURDER
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I really enjoyed this book… The characters were alive, and the twists and turns were great. It will keep you reading till the end and leave you wanting more.”
—Reader review for NO WAY OUT
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This is an author that I highly recommend. Her books will have you begging for more.”
—Reader review for NO WAY OUT
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Rylie Dark
• Release date: Feb 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9781094379128

Book preview

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W H E R E

Y O U

F E A R

(A Kelly Cruz Mystery—Book 5)

R y l i e   D a r k

Rylie Dark

Bestselling author Rylie Dark is author of the SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books; of the CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books; of the MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books; of the HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the TARA STRONG MYSTERY series, comprising six books; of the ALEX QUINN FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books; of the MAEVE SHARP FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER, comprising five books (and counting); of the KELLY CRUZ MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); of the JESSIE REACH MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the BECCA THORN MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting).

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

Copyright © 2024 by Rylie Dark. 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 Erkki Makkonen, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY RYLIE DARK

BECCA THORN MYSTERY

GONE COLD (Book #1)

GONE DARK (Book #2)

GONE SILENT (Book #3)

GONE HOLLOW (Book #4)

GONE FOREVER (Book #5)

JESSIE REACH MYSTERY

HIS OTHER SIDE (Book #1)

HIS OTHER SELF (Book #2)

HIS OTHER SECRET (Book #3)

HIS OTHER WISH (Book #4)

HIS OTHER PLAN (Book #5)

KELLY CRUZ MYSTERY

WHERE YOU GO (Book #1)

WHERE YOU HIDE (Book #2)

WHERE YOU SLEEP (Book #3)

WHERE YOU RUN (Book #4)

WHERE YOU FEAR (Book #5)

MAEVE SHARP FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

WITH MALICE (Book #1)

WITH ENVY (Book #2)

WITH VENGEANCE (Book #3)

WITH RAGE (Book #4)

WITH YOU (Book #5)

ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER

FIRST, MURDER (Book #1)

SECOND, DEATH (Book #2)

THIRD, ENVY (Book #3)

FOURTH, LUST (Book #4)

FIFTH, WRATH (Book #5)

TARA STRONG MYSTERY

GIRL WITHOUT A CHANCE (Book #1)

GIRL WITHOUT A HOME (Book #2)

GIRL WITHOUT A TRACE (Book #3)

GIRL WITHOUT A NAME (Book #4)

GIRL WITHOUT A PRAYER (Book #5)

GIRL WITHOUT A PAST (Book #6)

HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

BEHIND YOU (Book #1)

BESIDE YOU (Book #2)

AFTER YOU (Book #3)

WATCHING YOU (Book #4)

JUDGING YOU (Book #5)

FOLLOWING YOU (Book #6)

SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ONLY MURDER (Book #1)

ONLY RAGE (Book #2)

ONLY HIS (Book #3)

ONLY ONCE (Book #4)

ONLY SPITE (Book #5)

ONLY MADNESS (Book #6)

MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SEE HER RUN (Book #1)

SEE HER HIDE (Book #2)

SEE HER SCREAM (Book #3)

SEE HER VANISH (Book #4)

SEE HER GONE (Book #5)

SEE HER DEAD (Book #6)

CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NO WAY OUT (Book #1)

NO WAY BACK (Book #2)

NO WAY HOME (Book #3)

NO WAY LEFT (Book #4)

NO WAY UP (Book #5)

NO WAY TO DIE (Book #6)

MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

TOO LATE (Book #1)

TOO CLOSE (Book #2)

TOO FAR GONE (Book #3)

TOO LOST (Book #4)

TOO BROKEN (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

Another day in purgatory.

Another day between four bare walls, devoid of windows. No sunlight. No fresh air. Just the stale, recycled air that circulated through the vents. The only sound was the sharp buzz of the single incandescent bulb that hung from the ceiling, illuminating the peeling paint on the walls that surrounded her.

She had no idea where she was, beyond the undeniable fact that her prison was underground. If she strained her ears, she could hear faint sounds coming from above her, like footsteps and muffled voices. She'd given up screaming for help a long time ago. It had never worked, and as days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, her voice had begun to catch in her raw throat, leaving her with nothing but a hoarse whisper.

It was just as well. Her captors didn't like when she screamed, even if it was fruitless. It made him vicious -- more terrifying than he was when she was silent and obedient. So she had learned to keep quiet, even when she was alone. Even when the light went out and she was stuck in total darkness.

She had no idea what they wanted from her. She didn't know why they had taken her, drugged her, and thrown her into this cellar. She didn't know why she'd been left to rot. All she knew was that, in all likelihood, tomorrow would look exactly the same as today.

Footfalls above her head made her flinch. She withdrew into the corner of the room, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. When she ducked her head, her matted, tangled hair fell into her face. She held her breath as the footsteps grew closer, her heart racing in her chest.

Suddenly, the trapdoor above her head creaked open. A figure descended the ladder slowly, their identity obscured by the light behind them -- but she already knew who it was from the weight of the footfalls on the wooden stairs, the cadence of his steps. The trapdoor closed with a thud as the man descended into her prison. There was a tray balanced across his hands, loaded with steaming food and a bottle of water.

She didn't move as the man approached her, setting the tray down beside her with a grunt. She felt frozen in place, like a wary prey animal in the sights of a predator.

Aren't you hungry? the man asked, his voice calm and even.

She didn't answer. She just watched him, waiting for him to make a move. She knew all too well that he was volatile -- that he wasn't to be trusted. Besides, the food on the tray was, as usual, unappetizing: a bowl of lumpy oatmeal and a hunk of stale bread.

Back to starving yourself? Her captor raised a lazy eyebrow. You remember how that turned out for you last time, right?

She had tried to refuse the food, tried to starve herself in a desperate attempt to regain some control over her situation. But it had only earned her a beating and a week without any food at all.

She didn't respond to his taunt. Instead, she focused on the tray, her stomach growling despite the unappealing food. She tried to shrink back against the wall, putting as much distance as possible between herself and this man.

Well, this is all you're getting. He set the tray on the concrete floor before her. The spoon rattled in the bowl.

She hesitated before reaching for the spoon, her fingers trembling as she lifted it from the bowl. The man watched her, his arms crossed over his chest as she took a tentative bite of the oatmeal. It tasted like nothing, but her hunger overruled her distaste. She ate in silence, her eyes downcast.

He watched her eat, a look of amusement on his face. It disgusted her, the way he enjoyed her suffering. She tried to ignore him, focusing solely on finishing the meager meal in front of her.

When she was done, the man picked up the tray and started to climb back up the steps. He paused halfway up and looked back at her.

By the way, he said conversationally, you'll be getting out of here soon.

She stared at him, unsure what to think and unwilling to speak. He had always loved to play mind games; she couldn't bring herself to trust a word that came out of his mouth. But the idea of seeing the sky again... it was tantalizing.

There's someone I want you to meet. And with that, he was gone, the trapdoor closing with a final, resounding thud.

She was left alone once again, in the same four walls that had become her entire world. She curled up into a ball, feeling the weight of despair settle over her like a suffocating blanket.

Her captors would never let her escape this place -- not truly. If they were transporting her somewhere else, she was certain it would only be a step deeper into hell.

CHAPTER ONE

Three hundred post-it notes, fifty-seven unopened envelopes, and annotated phone records to the Cruz household.

That was the evidence Agent Dominic Jordan had given Kelly before they'd driven together from the FBI's regional headquarters in Dallas to the neighboring city of Fort Worth. Months' worth of harassment, threats, and disturbing pictures that had piled up on her sister’s plate. For months, Alice had fended off a stalker on her own, without telling her own family.

As Jordan drove, Kelly sat in the passenger seat, going through pictures she’d snapped of the evidence, her heart sinking with each new message she discovered. The level of obsession and malice displayed by Alice's stalker was chilling. Even though these words were decades old, they still held a terrifying power. Every message was laced with an intensity that made Kelly's skin crawl, and she couldn't help but feel responsible for not being there to protect her sister.

She had always felt guilt over Alice's disappearance and guilt for being unable, after all this time, to find her. But now, confronted with evidence that something had been happening under her nose, that guilt felt heavier than normal.

She should have known, should have seen the signs, but she had been too caught up in her own life to notice. Of course, she'd been sixteen -- a tumultuous time in her life. She had been preoccupied with school, friends, and her own teenage dramas. How could she have known that her sister was being tormented by a faceless monster? But that didn't excuse her ignorance. She was Alice's sister. They were supposed to protect one another, and she had failed in the worst way possible.

She had failed her whole family for as long as she could remember. After all, her brother, Shane, was languishing in prison after getting involved with the wrong people; he had come to her for help, and she had let him down. Now, the only person he had to turn to was Alice's convicted kidnapper, Warren Gardner, his fellow inmate.

Beside her, Jordan cleared his throat. She jumped in her seat, abruptly reminded of his presence.

You alright? he asked, shooting her a sideways glance.

Kelly blinked, her mind snapping back to the present. Yeah, she replied. Just... overwhelmed, I guess.

Take a deep breath, he advised, his gaze sliding back to the road. You need a clear head.

Kelly nodded. He was right. If she wanted to have a chance of finding Alice, she needed to treat this like any other investigation.

A dog's damp nose pressed against Kelly's elbow, grounding her more than any deep breathing exercise ever could. She smiled, turning to face her rescued pitbull, who was sitting on a blanket in Jordan's backseat.

Hey, Bully, she murmured, scratching behind the dog's ears. You're here to keep me sane, aren't you? Bully wagged his tail in response, his eyes filled with loyalty and affection. She took a deep breath, taking solace in Bully's presence as she tried to push aside the overwhelming guilt that threatened to consume her.

Ever since she'd taken this consulting job with the FBI, she'd been away from home non-stop, working on cases that took up strange hours. Her dog -- her closest friend in the world -- had been left alone in her apartment far more than she'd liked. This time, she had brought Bully with her. She couldn't leave him alone again, especially since she had no idea how long this investigation would take.

This case wasn't like the others. For one thing, it was stone cold, stale and abandoned for over a decade. And for another, it was personal.

As they approached Fort Worth, Jordan turned onto a quiet residential street lined with neat rows of houses. Kelly glanced out the window, her eyes landing on each house as they passed by. She wondered how many secrets were hidden behind those doors. How many families were living with their own hidden guilt and pain, just like hers?

Finally, Jordan pulled up in front of a small, modest house with faded blue shutters. It was unremarkable, blending seamlessly into the neighborhood. Kelly felt a knot form in her stomach. This was it.

Jordan, with the help of some FBI analysts, had tracked Alice's stalker to this address. They couldn't know if he had moved or not, but at the very least, they knew that he had lived here prior to Alice's disappearance. He was the best suspect available.

Jordan stopped the car and turned off the engine. The sudden silence amplified Kelly's racing heartbeat, and she took a moment to steady herself. Bully, sensing her unease, shuffled closer and rested his head on her lap. She glanced at Jordan, who wore a hesitant expression as he stared at the house.

Maybe this was a bad idea, he muttered, almost to himself.

She frowned. What are you talking about?

His gaze dropped to her, and she could see the worry in his eyes. Kelly, if this case came across Sinclair's desk today, he would never allow you to work it, and you know that.

Kelly gripped Bully's collar, attaching the lead she'd brought. Yeah, well, this case didn't come across Sinclair's desk, did it?

No, Jordan said, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't think about... protocol.

There's no protocol here. You agreed to violate protocol the second you agreed to help me find her.

Kelly....

She glanced up at him, her eyes narrowed. I'm serious. This isn't an FBI case anymore. It's cold. Which means that we're not doing things your way anymore. We're going by my playbook.

And thank god for that. Kelly had been a bounty hunter for nearly her entire adulthood. Working within the confines of the FBI had been a difficult adjustment, and she didn't think she could operate by those rules while on a case this personal.

Protocol aside, Jordan said slowly, I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to go in there. Maybe I should go, and you and Bully can wait in the car.

"No way. I'm not sitting in the car while you go in there alone. Alice is my sister, and I owe it to her to be