Never Live, page 1
N E V E R
L I V E
(A May Moore Suspense Thriller —Book Three)
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 eight 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 six books (and counting); and the CORA SHIELDS 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.
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 daniilphotos used under license from Shutterstock.com.
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
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)
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)
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)
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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
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
EPILOGUE
PROLOGUE
Giggling, holding onto Dylan's hand, Alyssa stumbled along the trail that led into the woods. Behind them, the raucous sounds of the post-prom party echoed in the summer night.
Alyssa heard laughter, drunken yells, the throb of music from the loudspeakers set up in the lakeside pavilion. Smoke and sparks from the bonfire wafted into the air.
Ahead of them, the woods were cool. Green leaves rustled. A tree root nearly tripped Alyssa up. She clung onto Dylan, shrieking with laughter, glad of the excuse to hold tighter onto his wiry, muscular arm.
“Not so fast! I nearly fell over,” she warned.
"Hey, sorry! You okay?" he asked, sliding his other arm around her.
"I'm okay," she whispered, snuggling into him. He had taken off the dress shirt he’d worn for the prom itself. Now, he was in a white T-shirt that was so thin she could feel the hard planes of his chest through it.
"Not too cold?" he murmured, and his breath warmed the nape of her neck.
"Not too cold now." She giggled again.
She was drunk, but she knew what she wanted. She knew what she'd been hoping for, since she'd seen that smoldering look on his face, when he'd danced with her at the prom. How breathless she'd felt when he'd whispered in her ear.
And now was the time.
He turned and kissed her, and Alyssa felt swept off her feet by the headiness of lust.
"You're so hot, Alyssa," Dylan said, and his voice was a little huskier than it had been before. His lips brushed her cheek.
Alyssa's heart hammered loudly against her chest. She'd known him since they were in kindergarten, but it seemed right that they were together now. They belonged together; she was sure of it. It was meant to be.
Dylan broke off the kiss and downed his beer.
"How about we sit here a while?" he suggested.
They'd gone further into the woods than Alyssa had realized. The party sounds had faded.
Now, there was a mossy smell that Alyssa didn't like. It was kind of damp, with an undertone of old, rotting leaves.
Dylan, as he slid down with his back to a tree, didn't seem to notice.
But drunk as Alyssa was, she didn't feel the same way as he grasped her waist, lowering her down beside him.
Her dress was too short for this. There were sticks and stones under the moldy leaves, and they were scouring her skin.
She didn't know how far she should go with Dylan. She really, really liked him. But she knew he had a reputation as a class stud. She didn't want him to dump her afterward. She knew he'd done that with other girls. It would be so humiliating if he talked about it to his friends, and laughed that she’d just been a one-night stand for him.
But had he looked at the other girls in the same way? With that melting expression in his dark eyes that made desire flare inside her?
"You're so special," he murmured. Now his hands were on her, easing their way up her legs, teasing open the zipper in the front of her dress.
It was wonderful, but it was terrifying, and her parents would be furious; and although drunk, Alyssa realized she wasn't drunk enough.
She suddenly didn't know if she was ready for this.
"Look, I'm not comfortable here," Alyssa began, fearing her words would shatter the moment and break the magical attraction between them. If this was serious, she didn’t want to mess it up now.
"Why? What's wrong?" Now his voice was sharper. She could tell he was pissed at her refusal to go along with things.
"I - uh - "
She wasn't sure how to voice her unease. Probably she shouldn't say that she was now thinking about how mad her folks would be.
"I'm not comfortable on the ground here. I'm - I'm worried about bugs. And ticks."
"Ticks?" Sounding incredulous, Dylan spluttered with laughter. "I don't think there are any ticks here. But I'll - I'll tell you what." He leaned closer. "My car's parked close to the pavilion, so I'll run back and go get us a blanket."
"Okay," Alyssa said.
That wasn't what she'd intended. She'd intended for them to both go back, to buy her some time. But now, Dylan had scrambled to his feet and was loping back in the direction of the pavilion.
Alyssa sat uneasily on the leaves. She was now feeling very aware that the zipper of her dress was too far down, the skirt had been pushed up to her thighs, and she was now alone. As she sat, she tried to think through the logistics of all of this. He would come back with a blanket. But that would kind of pressure her to go along with things from there. She'd feel that she'd somehow agreed to whatever would follow, if he brought a blanket back. That action would be sealing the deal. She'd find it harder to say no.
"But I don't think I can," Alyssa muttered, to the forest around her. "I'm still not sure."
He'd been a great kisser, though. She wouldn't mind another kiss.
Alyssa thought again about that kiss, and it made her feel better, but she couldn't get the knot of discomfort out of her mind. Something, somehow, was feeling not right here and she didn't know why.
It didn't make sense. She tried her best to work out what it was.
It didn’t help that the woods felt too dark. Too remote. Reality was pushing its way through the haze of alcohol and hormones that dominated Alyssa's current mindset.
She was alone in the woods without Dylan, and she was drunk.
Then a twig snapped, and Alyssa's head turned sharply. She felt a flare of fear. She'd sensed someone behind her. Or something. Was an animal creeping up?
Twisting around, she stared apprehensively through the darkened lattice of branches and leaves. And her eyes widened as she saw something. Or rather, someone.
Suddenly, she realized what was going down and why this shadowy figure was lurking here. Someone, a guy from the looks of things, had snuck up in the woods. Perhaps they’d come this way to take a pee, but had then stayed to watch what she and Dylan would be getting up to.
That was sick!
Alyssa's trickle of fear was shoved aside by a torrent of righteous anger.
"Get out of here, perv!" she yelled, drawing herself to her knees, hastily yanking up her zipper as she glowered at him.
She had expected the guy to hotfoot it after that warning, knowing that she'd seen him and that if he stuck around, she'd work out who it was and tell everyone.
But he didn't turn and run off like she'd expected.
Instead, he paced closer, his footsteps crunching over the path. A shaft of moonlight speared through the darkness of the canopy and then Alyssa saw his face.
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