No Living Soul
No Living Soul: A Lexi Carmichael Mystery, Book Nine
By Julie Moffett
An ancient secret is no match for amateur sleuth and professional trouble magnet Lexi Carmichael!
My work as a computer geek has me traveling around the world, solving mysteries and fighting bad guys. Sometimes with my friends, but always with trouble by my side. So you’d think I would’ve expected to be plagued by danger when I headed to Egypt with my best friend, Elvis Zimmerman, and boyfriend, Slash, to help track down Elvis’s missing and estranged father. Nope.
Genius runs in the family, and we quickly discovered Elvis’s father is hot on the trail of an ancient and elusive artifact...one that people are willing to kill to find. Tombs, tablets and code come together as we follow a set of clues that has been waiting millennia to be discovered.
Cracking code is my specialty, but I never expected to tackle one from fifteen hundred years before the advent of written language. The sands of time are running out. If the artifact falls into the wrong hands, we won’t be able to rewrite history. So it’s up to us to find and safeguard the secret to ensure no living soul ever encounters it...again.
Don’t miss the adventure that started it all: No One Lives Twice is available now!
This book is approximately 75,000 words
Carina Press acknowledges the editorial services of Alissa Davis
Dear Readers,
Happy New Year! I looked back at some of my Dear Reader letters from past Januarys going back six years, and it looks like in many years I’ve reiterated our commitment to bringing you great books, memorable stories and excellent authors. It’s always tempting to try and one-up the year before, with things like “buy our books and…watch us swallow fire!” and “…we’ll bungee jump off the tallest building in the world!” But the truth is, since I’m a reader at heart, I know the only promise I want from a publisher is to not try and trick me with misleading genre labeling and to keep giving me the stories I want to read. So that’s what the Carina Press team will continue to work to do for you, our readers, in 2017. Sorry, we’ll have to save the fire swallowing for another year (and the bungee jumping for never).
We start 2017 off in the best way possible, with USA TODAY bestselling author Alexa Riley’s first full-length novel, Everything for Her. This contemporary romance, available in print, audio and digital, shows just what happens when a strong, possessive hero finds the woman of his dreams. Get ready to read this with an ice bath (or a snowbank) nearby!
Appropriate for the new year, we have four other new series starting this January. First this month, from the author of the quirky urban fantasy series Monster Haven is a new spin-off series, Djinn Haven. When a reaper goes missing, djinn and expert soul chaser Kam must recover the reaper’s ring before the souls inside it are trapped forever—but the past she ran from a hundred years ago is about to catch her and change everything in To Catch a Stolen Soul by R.L. Naquin.
Popular LGBTQ author Sean Michael joins Carina Press and launches the Dragon Soul series, five sizzling hot paranormal male/male erotic romances. There are dragons. And did I mention dragons? Meet the Beteferoce brothers. Five dragon shifters, each with a strong elemental power. And each with a fierce desire to find his soul mate. In book one, Branded by Flames, dragon-shifter-slash-firefighter Jake is beginning to tire of his search for a soul mate. Until he meets Shae, a former navy welder who’s into power play and rough sex…
Welcome to Luminous: where your pleasure is our purpose. With her new erotic romance trilogy, Stacey Lynn tantalizes readers, bringing us into the world of deep desire, naughty play and all-consuming love. Don’t miss Dominate Me, book one in the Luminous trilogy.
In Off Base, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate, after trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental. Especially not Pike, who sees the things about Zack he most wants to hide. A virgin hero and his flirty new love interest make this Out of Uniform spin-off series from #gaymers author Annabeth Albert a must-read.
We say a fond farewell to the Black Ops: Automatik series by Nico Rosso with the final book in this romantic suspense trilogy that’s been called “an action movie in book form” and “romantic suspense at its finest!” In Seconds to Sunrise, former SAS operator James Sant gets a second chance to help people with Automatik, but when a protection assignment brings him close to war widow April Banks, he finds himself hoping for more of a connection than ever—and she’ll have to discover if she’s ready to start living again. You can also buy the first two books in the trilogy, Countdown to Zero Hour and One Minute to Midnight.
Julie Moffett returns with No Living Soul, another Lexi Carmichael Mystery! An ancient secret is no match for amateur sleuth and professional trouble magnet Lexi Carmichael. Lexi and friends need to find and safeguard an ancient artifact before it falls into the wrong hands. You can start here or go back to Lexi’s beginning and read No One Lives Twice.
Emery Harper follows up Person of Interest, her first Celeste Eagan mystery, with In the Bag. Celeste Eagan thinks she’s gotten her life back on track…until her BFF drags her into the middle of yet another murder investigation, one that has killers, the police and even a suspicious new friend all chasing after her.
Last but certainly not least, ever-popular New York Times bestselling author Lauren Dane welcomes you back to the paranormal world of Diablo Lake, Tennessee: a town founded by witches, governed by werewolves and full of secrets. In Diablo Lake: Protected, tensions are building as the two main rival Packs vie for control, and the town is divided along lines of Pack loyalty. Aimee Benton and Mac Pembry are on opposite sides and he seems to find excuses to spar with her daily. He’s infuriating—not to mention charming, gorgeous and oh-so-lickable. Start with this book or pick up book one, Diablo Lake: Moonstruck.
Also from Lauren we have the next book in the Cascadia Wolves series. In Wolves’ Triad, Tracy Warden’s search for her mate leads her to not one, but two sexy alphas. But not everybody is as thrilled about that as Tracy, and when outside forces threaten their bond, the triad will have to fight for their newfound happiness.
As you can see, we’re starting 2017 off right with a great mix of romance, mystery and urban fantasy. And still not bungee jumping off tall buildings. We look forward to delivering to you plenty of excitement without the need for drastic measures, and we hope you’ll let us know some of your favorite books throughout the year.
As always, until next time, my fellow book lovers, here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.
Happy reading!
Angela James
Editorial Director, Carina Press
Dedication
To Vanessa Visagie, from South Africa, for forming my VERY first fan club. Also to the members of the fan club (thank you SO much for joining) and to all readers who enjoy Lexi and the gang as much as I do. Thank you, thank you, thank you for spending time in my world. Lexi and I greatly appreciate it. oxox
Contents
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
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Acknowledgments
Also by Julie Moffett
About the Author
Copyright
Chapter One
On my ninth birthday my father gave me a puzzle in the shape of an Egyptian pyramid. It was one of those brainteasers, the kind with movable pieces you had to assemble. Super challenging for an adult and nearly impossible for a normal nine-year-old.
I solved it in one hour and forty-nine minutes.
It wasn’t the challenge that made that particular puzzle memorable—I’ve done a thousand since that were much more difficult. It’s because the pyramid puzzle was a present from my dad. By that, I mean a present that wasn’t bought by Mom and labeled “To Lexi, From Mom and Dad.”
Amid the pink ballet shoes, girly dresses and shiny necklaces I’d never wear, the pyramid puzzle stood out. My dad had handed it to me unwrapped, grinning when he saw my eyes light up.
“Here you go, pumpkin,” he said, ruffling my hair.
My fingers had itched to start solving it, but then he’d tipped his head meaningfully toward my mom. Even though I was only nine, at that moment, my dad and I came to an unspoken agreement. While the puzzle was his way of acknowledging I was never going to be that bubbly beauty queen my mom dreamed about, we both knew I was still going to have to deal with Mom’s hopes for me.
My dad cleared his throat. “By the way, your mom and I thought you might be willing to give ballet another try. We found a different studio. No one needs to know what happened during your last recital. You willing to give it another shot?”
I took one look at my mom’s hopeful face and shrugged. “Sure. I can do that.”
Unsurprisingly, it hadn’t ended well. But that moment of understanding with my dad had gotten me through another year of falling off the stage, inadvertently setting fire to a tree prop, and surviving the humiliation of the other ballerinas dancing as far away from me as possible. Finally, I mustered the courage to tell my mom I was miserable. To my surprise, she dropped the entire ballet thing, suggesting I might enjoy piano lessons instead. And, oh, by the way, wouldn’t it be fun to go shopping together to pick out the perfect recital outfit?
It hasn’t always been an easy road to traverse for any of us, but we work on it because we’re family. That’s what families do.
The puzzle was on my mind as I drove the few miles to the house of one of my best friends, Elvis Zimmerman, because I’d just packed it into one of the large moving boxes currently at my apartment. In a few days I’d be moving into a house that my Italian boyfriend and hacker extraordinaire, Slash, had recently purchased and was remodeling.
For a geek girl like me this was a huge step. I was twenty-one before I got my driver’s license, twenty-four before I bought something other than white cotton underwear, twenty-five before I went on my first date, and I’m still afraid to go shopping alone. Although Slash and I had been dating for several months, certain life-threatening events had brought us closer, drastically shifting our priorities. Part of that shift had been a realization we no longer wanted to live apart.
I hate packing, so I’d been grateful when Elvis called, asking me to come over. As much as I was on board with the living-together thing, it also meant change, and I’m not a big fan of shaking things up.
The early evening weather in Jessup, Maryland, was lovely for late May. Humming, I put the top down on my cherry-red Miata. My long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the way I usually like to wear it, and the radio was blasting nineties music. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. The Miata had recently been in an accident and I’d missed it. Now that it was back, my life seemed to be getting on track again.
Things were going my way.
I pulled the Miata into the driveway behind Elvis’s new car, then picked up my cell phone. I tapped a quick text to Slash, letting him know I was at Elvis’s house, and then listened to two messages from my mother. “When are you coming for dinner, darling?” Then she gave me a callback reminding me not to forget Slash. After that I listened to one from my best friend, Basia, “Lexi, I’m having the final alterations made on my wedding dress on Thursday, can you come?”
Ugh. It was a big no to all three, but I had to figure out ironclad excuses, and that would require some thought. I shoved my phone into my purse and got out of the car, wondering what Elvis wanted to show me.
I rang the bell and a minute later the door opened. Elvis stood there, barefoot as usual, his glasses askew, brown hair in disarray and dressed in khaki shorts and a T-shirt with the phrase Will Code for Food on it.
“Hey, Lexi,” he said, giving me a smile. “Thanks for coming.”
“Thanks for giving me an excuse to stop packing. I can’t wait to hear what’s up. You were so mysterious on the phone.”
He opened the door wider and moved to the side so I could enter. As I took a step across the threshold, he suddenly looked alarmed.
“Elvis, what’s wro—?” I yelped as something cold pressed into the small of my back.
“No sudden moves,” a man said. “Just step into the house nice and slow and no one gets hurt.”
Chapter Two
The stranger pushed me the rest of the way into Elvis’s house. I stumbled, turning around as he slammed the door shut and locked it. I’d never seen the guy before, but I did recognize the gun. It was a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol—the same kind Slash had given me for Christmas. He stood with his back against the door, studying us. No matter how many times I’d had a gun pointed at me over the past year, it didn’t get any less terrifying. I exchanged a worried glance with Elvis to see if he knew what was going on, but he seemed as surprised as me.
“In there.” The stranger jerked his head toward the living room where the twins had set up what they affectionately referred to as the Computer Command Center. It was essentially a computer lab with dozens of expensive laptops, monitors, routers and special cables. I loved going in there...except for now.
We both hesitated, which seemed to energize the intruder.
“Don’t even think about trying anything. I’ll hurt you.”
His threat wasn’t idle. He was six foot three, by my calculations, with olive-colored skin, curly black hair and overly thick biceps. His accent was British. I studied his face. I had an eidetic, or photographic, memory, which meant I remembered everything I saw. Not that it helped at the moment.
It only meant I was one hundred percent certain I’d never seen him before.
Apparently neither had Elvis.
“Dude, what are you doing in my house?” Elvis asked. “If you’re MasterSlayerMan in Dorks and Dragons, I swear the annihilation of your kingdom in Quadratic Land was purely strategic.”
The guy waved the gun. “This isn’t chat time. Shut up and do as I say and you might live. I’ve got limited time, not to mention, patience.”
Seeing as how I didn’t have much choice, I entered the living room. I wondered if this was some kind of random home invasion. I hadn’t seen Xavier’s car, which meant Elvis’s twin was probably out with my best friend and his fiancée, Basia Kowalski. They were house hunting for a place to live after their wedding, which was exactly one week and five days from today. I was the maid of honor, assuming I survived this encounter.
“Take those two chairs and back them up together,” he instructed, pointing at two swivel chairs. “Now.”
Elvis grabbed his chair and I wheeled Xavier’s to the spot he’d indicated.
“Now sit down and put your hands out behind you.”
I looked over my shoulder at Elvis as we sat. We held our hands behind us as the intruder pulled out a roll of duct tape and bound our wrists to the chair and each other’s. At least he hadn’t shot us.
Yet.
“Are you going to tell us what’s going on?” Elvis asked as the guy worked in silence.
The way he spoke, with more exasperation than fear, almost made it seem like facing down a guy with a gun was just another day at the office. Although, the way our lives had been going lately, maybe it was.
The intruder didn’t answer as he ripped the final piece of tape off with his teeth and secured it around our wrists. He’d bound us tightly, professionally. My shoulders and arms had already started to ache.
He returned the duct tape to the bag, then stood, brushing his hands off on his black jeans. “Now, we can make this easy or we can make it hard. Which one do you prefer?”
“That’s a rhetorical question, right?” I preferred a scenario that ended with Elvis and me alive and unharmed.