With Envy (A Maeve Sharp FBI Suspense Thriller—Book Two)

By Rylie Dark

FBI Special Agent Maeve Sharp, a rising star in the BAU, decides to leave behind a shining career when she transfers to Las Vegas to come back home to her dying mother and incarcerated brother. But when victims of a new killer appear on the strip, all with chronic gambling problems, Maeve digs deeper, and in a shocking twist, realizes that this killer is not at all what he seems….

“A brilliant book. I couldn’t put it down and I never guessed who the murderer was!”
—Reader review for Only Murder

WITH ENVY is book #2 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.

FBI Special Agent Maeve Sharp never got over her sister’s disappearance when they were teenagers, the case gone cold, the feeling that just maybe she is still out there, somewhere. It ruined her family and destroyed her father who, once a decorated cop on the LVPD, now sits alone in a dilapidated trailer in the middle of nowhere, refusing to reconcile with her. It wrecked her brother, too, leading to lockup after lockup, as he pleads with Maeve to help get her out. And it wrecked her mom most of all, who in her dying days can think of nothing else.

Maeve though she got away from it all when she transferred to Quantico and made a career for herself.

But the past has a way of calling, of bringing back dark and unresolved memories. And Maeve has stepped right back into, ready, this time, to wrestle her darkest demons while she hunts down new serial killers….

A cat-and-mouse thriller with harrowing twists and turns and filled with heart-pounding suspense, the MAEVE SHARP 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


“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

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rylie Dark
• Release date: Jul 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781094379029

Book preview

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W I T H   E N V Y

(A Maeve Sharp Mystery—Book 2)

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 five books (and counting); of the TARA STRONG MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); of the ALEX QUINN FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the MAEVE SHARP FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER, 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 © 2023 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 maradon 333, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY RYLIE DARK

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)

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)

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

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

Monica Greene was unlucky.

Four bad games in a row at one of the many high-end casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. She could have sworn the guy in the sunglasses at the poker table was cheating somehow. They had swindled her out of almost all her money, until she only had a few chips left to play.

But her luck was about to change.

And in her city, luck was the only thing that mattered.

Monica studied her cards, trying to keep them close to her chest, as a waitress dropped off another martini. She downed it in just a few gulps. She needed the courage, she needed to dull her nerves. The best poker players always played without fear.

She sat across from a man whose name she couldn’t remember, who wore a black V-neck T-shirt under a blazer. He was a regular like her, except he seemed to win.

Or at least, he won more often than she did.

He didn’t need the win like Monica did. She needed this money with everything she was, not just to pay back her debts, but also to get out of the city, out of this life, to become someone new. Monica had spent the last week in and out of different casinos, waiting for her luck to change.

The man across from her looked like he could repay all his debts with an easy wave of his hand. He stared her down.

He took a short breath and pushed the rest of his chips on the table.

All in.

Monica’s face turned cold as she restudied the cards on the table and the cards in her hand.

But she wasn’t going to let him scare her off now.

She held her breath and did the same, pushing her only two chips left on the table.

It was the moment of truth. She wished she had some martini left to drink. The world started to tilt, everything felt fuzzy and far away, but she ignored it.

He placed his cards on the table—a flush.

Monica almost felt despair before she remembered. Slowly, a feeling of joy crept over her. She couldn’t believe it. He had a flush. But she had a full house.

She shot up from the table in triumph, knocking her empty martini glass onto the ground.

Yes! she shouted, not caring who in the casino heard her. Finally!

She hugged a complete stranger who had been seated next to her and kissed him on the cheek. Then she leaned forward and scraped her hard-earned chips into a bucket that the casino provided. It felt like scooping up a dragon’s hoard.

I did it! she shouted. I won! She started downing drinks that she didn’t order.

The others at the table sighed and rubbed their foreheads as they cut their losses and wandered to new tables to find new games.

But Monica couldn’t stop celebrating. Her luck had finally changed.

She picked up her chips, careful not to let any of them fall onto the ground. She knew that even though she was rich now, every cent counted when it came to paying off her debts. She stumbled toward the door, not ready to make another bet.

After years of drowning in debt, she would finally be home free.

She’d have to count to be sure, but she finally had enough money to pay back all her loans and get out of that crappy apartment that she shared with her sister. She would move to a new city and start over. Maybe she could even go on a short vacation. Maui and Bora Bora were beautiful this time of year.

But before that, she needed another drink.

The room swayed back and forth as she dragged her casino-provided bucket of playing chips down the lobby stairs and out the front door. She knew a great place down the road where she could get another martini, and no one would stare at her for acting too wild and the bartenders wouldn’t try to cut her off right when things got interesting. Maybe she would even buy a round for the house, to celebrate her change of luck.

Outside, the night was pitch-black, illuminated only by the flashing neon signs of the Strip. It must have been late, late enough that the freakish early risers were about to start their day. Because even the sidewalks were empty and quiet. She wondered how long she was in the casino. It had been light outside when she entered.

But she didn’t care.

She had made more in a day than most people would make in a year.

She made off down the street, laughing to herself even though no one was there to listen. She started to feel that last martini, just a bit in the ringing of her head. She walked in the shadows, so no one would see her chips and think of stealing them.

A figure solidified in the darkness. The outline reminded her of a bear, tall, imposing, with rough edges. And it was coming toward her.

She decided to keep walking, even though passing a stranger alone on the street always freaked her out a little bit.

Something about him didn’t feel right.

The way he walked at an uneven, erratic pace, swiping his hands from side to side. Something about it sent a shiver down her spine.

Better safe than sorry, she decided.

Even though everything in sight was dancing back and forth, she managed to turn on her heel and walk calmly in the opposite direction. She could get back to the casino and call a cab.

Her hands tightened around the bucket she was carrying. She suddenly realized that she was supposed to cash in her chips when she left, that they didn’t do her any good outside the casino as they were.

She staggered away, inching back toward the casino. More people would be wandering out of the playing floor. She would be safer there from whatever was waiting in the distance. She saw the flashing lights ahead of her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. All she had to do was step back inside and cash her chips. Maybe take a minute to sober up before getting a taxi home.

Suddenly, a hand shot out of the darkness and closed around her wrist.

A searing pain tore at her shoulder.

She dropped the bucket and chips went flying everywhere.

She tried to cry out, but her voice was caught in her throat. She felt a distant throb in her shoulder and wondered what hurt her. She turned around to see the dark figure, still behind her, with a piece of broken glass in his hand, dripping with blood…

Her blood.

Monica screamed.

She clawed her way to her feet and readied herself to run, but then remembered the pile of chips all over the sidewalk.

Without that money, she was finished.

She dove back for it, trying to scoop heaps of chips back into the bucket before taking off again. She only managed to half-fill the bucket, but something was better than nothing. She ran again, teetering on her high heels.

She didn’t make it very far before the pain in her shoulder became too great and she dropped the chips. As she tried to go back for them, the figure grabbed her. This time, he clamped his hand in her hair and pulled her away, into a dark alley, where no one could see him strike for the last time.

CHAPTER ONE

Maeve Sharp stood in the front entry of Nevada State Penitentiary. As an investigator for the FBI, she usually came to places like this for the sake of her work, to question criminals she had put away, or to investigate someone related to a criminal still on the outside.

But that morning, she was there for something else.

She listened to the sounds of locked doors buzzing open and handcuffs rattling as she tapped her foot impatiently. She had already surrendered her badge and her gun at the metal detector, and she didn’t like not having any identification on her. Or any self-defense.

Finally, the door in front of her opened, and two guards escorted a lanky man with a patchy blond beard in. They unlocked his cuffs and then handed him a small bag of his belongings, a pair of jeans that were probably too big now, a gold chain, and an old Walkman.

David, Maeve said, rushing forward to hug her brother.

It was so good to be able to hug him, after being separated by plexiglass for so long, even if he did smell like he hadn’t showered in his whole sixteen-month stay.

David hugged her back and gave a weak smile.

Hey, sis, he said softly.

Maeve pulled away and took a good look at him. He looked older, wearier, and thinner. He had lost a lot of weight, and his face was thin and sunken.

She was always struck by how her brother couldn’t be more different from herself. Where he was always getting himself into legal trouble, she was straitlaced. They didn’t even look related, much less like fraternal twins. He had white-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, and his lanky frame towered over her, while she had long dark locks, darker eyes, and her slightly short stature kept her looking up at most of the people she met.

I’m sorry it took so long, she said, feeling a lump in her throat. It wasn’t a good enough apology for something like that. She had been so relieved when she found out his sentence would be reduced. It had taken a lot of work and a lot of favors, but she still wasn’t sure that her long hours of calling the DA’s office and calling in favors meant anything.

David shrugged. It’s not your fault. It’s mine.

Hey, you got some time cut off for good behavior. I’m proud of you. Let’s get out of here, she said, taking his bag and leading him toward the exit.

The sunlight almost blinded Maeve as the two walked out of the building together. It must have been almost excruciating for her brother, who was let outside for so little time every day, usually near sunrise or sunset. But he smiled as he looked at the weeds growing out of the pavement. He reached down to pluck a dandelion from the path. Those were few and far between in the deserts of Nevada.

Where’s your car? David asked, looking around.

It’s parked over there, Maeve said, pointing to a black SUV in the distance. Come on, let’s go.

Maeve unlocked the doors, and David got in the passenger seat. Maeve turned on the roaring engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

Nice ride, David said. What’s it like driving the president around?

Shut up.

What’s the gas mileage on this thing? he asked. One?

Maeve shook her head, refusing to rise to the taunt.

Before relocating back to her hometown of Las Vegas to take care of her mother, Maeve had lived in DC and worked in the FBI headquarters in Quantico. When she had enough money saved for the down payment, choosing an SUV like this one felt familiar. Like a small nod to her second home. They were almost standard issue in DC.

So, how have you been? Maeve asked, glancing over at her brother.

I’ve been alright, David replied with a shrug. It’s hard to get too comfortable in prison, you know? But I’m just glad to finally be out.

Maeve nodded, understanding the feeling all too well.

Besides, getting out was the easy part. It would be staying out that he would have trouble with. Since high school, David had had run-ins with the law in one form or another. This stint in prison was only a small part of a consistent pattern.

Maeve hoped that he would be able to find a good apartment and a steady job, but she knew how hard it was to do