NOTHING

  WATCHING

  (A Juliette Hart FBI 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 JESSIE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising twenty-eight 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 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; of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising ten 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 eight books (and counting), of the AMBER YOUNG mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the DAISY FORTUNE mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the FIONA RED mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the FAITH BOLD mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the JULIETTE HART mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), and of the new MORGAN CROSS mystery series, comprising five 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 © 2023 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 Songquan Deng used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  MORGAN CROSS MYSTERY SERIES

  FOR YOU (Book #1)

  FOR RAGE (Book #2)

  FOR LUST (Book #3)

  FOR WRATH (Book #4)

  FOREVER (Book #5)

  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)

  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)

  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)

  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)

  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)

  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)

  ALREADY LURED (Book #10)

  ALREADY COLD (Book #11)

  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 #1
4)

  LEFT TO HARM (Book #15)

  LEFT TO RUIN (Book #16)

  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)

  THE PERFECT RUSE (Book #25)

  THE PERFECT VENEER (Book #26)

  THE PERFECT PEOPLE (Book #27)

  THE PERFECT WITNESS (Book #28)

  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

  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

  There was a sense of threat in the air.

  Iris Davies felt it as soon as she walked down the stairs and out of the historic building of the Arts University of Berlin. She shivered, wrapping her jacket tightly around her.

  The wind was gusting hard, and she could see clouds massing across the night sky. She watched them crowding in, thick and dark, like a B-grade horror movie being choreographed in the sky.

  She grabbed onto the folder with her literature notes, as the gusty breeze almost ripped it out of her hand, her long blond hair whipping across her face and into her eyes. It wasn’t surprising she was creeped out, since the evening discussion for the Master’s students had been on demonic texts, including a study of the German work Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer of Witches, written in 1486.

  She stuffed the folder in her backpack, pushing her thick, pale hair away from her face, trying not to think about the seriously demonic-looking clouds.

  Was that lightning? Glancing nervously at the sky, she hurried along, heading for the U-Bahn, or underground train station. She hated storms, always had. They made her nervous. And the U-Bahn station she needed was a brisk twenty-minute walk away. She’d forgotten her umbrella and hadn’t thought she’d need a rain jacket.

  She was from Arizona, after all. She hadn’t yet gotten into the rhythm of European weather. She was used to months of unbroken sunshine and a long buildup to her area’s occasional storms. Here they just descended.

  It was her fault. She’d been careless in forgetting her rain jacket, and she’d stayed in the university hall too late, chatting with two of the other international Master’s students there. The discussion itself had been enlightening, and had centered on the witch trials, prevalent in Europe at the time Hammer of Witches had been written, and beyond. Superstition and phobia had seen women tortured, punished, forced to confess. They had been lynched, hanged, beheaded, or burned at the stake.

  She flinched as she heard thunder crash. The time was ticking down and it was now mere minutes until this storm hit. Another gust of wind whipped along the street, as if channeled by the tall buildings, and she shivered.

  The patio of the bar on the street corner opposite, where usually people would be sitting and drinking at the outside tables, was all closed up tonight, although she could see lights at the windows and hear the thump of music from inside. She briefly wondered if she should detour inside there, have a glass of wine, and wait out this storm.

  She could even call a cab from the bar. Perhaps that would be best.

  Iris hesitated for a moment outside the bar, glancing up at the sky as another bolt of lightning illuminated the street. The idea of waiting out the storm with a glass of wine was tempting, but she had a deadline to meet. She needed to finish her literature paper by the end of the week, and she couldn’t afford to waste any more time. She’d already lingered too long at the university.

  With a sigh, she pulled her backpack tighter and quickened her pace toward the U-Bahn station, hoping that the rain would hold off for long enough that she could get there while still dry.