Jennifer Estep - Spiders Bite

Youre coming with me, he said.

With his free hand, Caine reached inside his jacket pocket and drew out a pair of silverstone handcuffs. He tossed them on the balcony between us. The metal clinked to a stop at my booted feet.

Put those on.

Handcuffs. Kinky. But I prefer to have a bit more freedom during sex. Dont you?

Caine jerked as though Id yanked the gun out of his hands and shot him. His eyes flicked down my body, going to my breasts and thighs, before coming back to my face. Yeah, he was thinking about it. All the distraction I needed.

Theres no need to bother with those because you arent taking me in, detective.

Where are you going to go? Caine asked. Youre trapped up here.

I smiled. Me? Trapped? Never.

I turned, leaped up onto the balcony wall, and launched myself over the side into the darkness below.

More praise for SPIDERS BITE

Spiders Bite is a raw, gritty and compelling walk on the wild side, one that had me hooked from the first page. Jennifer Estep has created a fascinating heroine in the morally ambiguous Gin BlancoI cant wait to read the next chapter of Gins story.

Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author of Blaze of Memory

I love rooting for the bad guyespecially when shes also the heroine. Spiders Bite is a sizzling combination of mystery, magic and murder. Kudos to Jennifer Estep!

Jackie Kessler, author of Hotter Than Hell

Jennifer Estep is a dark, lyrical, and fresh voice in urban fantasy. Brimming with high octane-fueled action, labyrinthine conspiracies, and characters who will steal your heart, Spiders Bite is an original, fast-paced, tense, and sexy read. Gin is an assassin to die for.

Adrian Phoenix, author of In the Blood

A sexy and edgy thriller that keeps you turning the pages. In Spiders Bite, Jennifer Estep turns up the heat and suspense with Gin Blanco, an assassin whose wit is as sharp as her silverstone knives. Shell leave no stone unturned and no enemy breathing in her quest for revenge. Spiders Bite leaves you dying for more.

Lisa Shearin, national bestselling author of the Raine Benares fantasy series

KARMA GIRL

Chick lit meets comics lit in Esteps fresh debut.. A zippy prose style helps lift this zany caper far above the usual run of paranormal romances. Publishers Weekly

Secret identities and superpowers take on a delightful and humorous twist in Esteps exciting debut. Fun and sexy.. Heres hoping for more Bigtime adventures from this impressive talent. Romantic Times

Karma Girl is hilarious and, an even better trick, real. We all know these people, but who among us can say wed seize our destiny the way brokenhearted Carmen does? Karma Girl kicks ass!

MaryJanice Davidson, New York Times bestselling author of Undead and Unwelcome

Jennifer Esteps action-packed world of radioactive goo, alliterative aliases, and very hot-looking leather tights is outrageously entertaining. Jennifer Esteps exciting new voice will leap into readers hearts in a single bound.

Rachel Gibson, New York Times bestselling author of True Love and Other Disasters

A big thumbs-up. Karma Girl had me laughing and cheering to the end! Engrossing, sexy, laugh-out-loud fun. I want to be a superhero!

Candace Havens, author of Dragons Prefer Blondes

A fresh, hilarious new voice. Karma Girl will have you rooting for the good girls.

Erin McCarthy, USA Today bestselling author of Bled Dry

HOT MAMA

Snappy and diverting. Entertainment Weekly

Smokin.. Feverishly clever plotting fuels Esteps over-the-top romance. Publishers Weekly

Its back to Bigtime, NY, for more sexy, sizzling and offbeat adventures with those zany superheroes. Esteps twist on the world of superheroes is kick-ass fun!

Romantic Times

Spiders BITE

AN ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN BOOK

by

JENNIFER ESTEP

The Sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as unsold and destroyed. Neither the author nor the publisher has receiver payment for the sale of this stripped book.

Pocket Books A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020 www.SimonandSchuster.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2010 by Jennifer Estep

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Pocket Books paperback edition February 2010

POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or business@simonandschuster.com.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

Cover design and illustration by Tony Mauro

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN 978-1-4391-4797-9

ISBN 978-1-4391-5543-1 (ebook)

Dedication

As always, to my mom, for all those trips to the library.

To my grandma, who hates wearing socks.

To Andre, a.k.a. Wheezley Blighter, because I said I would.

And to me, because I always wanted to write an assassin book.

Acknowledgments

Any author will tell you that her book would not be possible without the help and hard work of many, many people. Here are some of the folks who helped bring Gin Blanco and the city of Ashland to life:

Thanks to Kelly Wimmer, for encouraging me to write the book, and to Annelise Robey, for taking me on and being so enthusiastic about the series.

Thanks to Lauren McKenna, for all her editorial advice in the early stages, and to Megan McKeever, for her sharp editorial eye and ready answers to all of my many questions.

You all helped make the book the best it can be, and its been a pleasure working with you.

And finally, thanks to all the readers out there. Entertaining you is why I write books, and its always an honor and privilege.

Happy reading!

1

My name is Gin, and I kill people.

Normally, my confession would have elicited gasps of surprise. Pale faces. Nervous sweat. Stifled screams. An overturned chair or two as people scrambled to get away before I buried a knife in their heartor back. A sucking wound was a sucking wound. I wasnt picky about where I caused it.