Jennifer Estep - Web of Lies

Gin.

Detective.

We stood there, staring at each other. An invisible electric current hummed between us, firing off sparks of hot desire in every direction. I breathed in. The detectives clean, soapy scent filled my nose, overpowering the cumin, red pepper, and other spices in the air. Donovan looked away and cleared his throat.

You want to tell me what happened? he asked in a low voice.

You want to tell me why youre here? I countered. Donovan stared at me. All right. I asked dispatch to let me know if there were any incidents at the Pork Pit.

Why? Afraid I might take to killing people in my own place of business? You must not have gotten the memo, but Ive retired, detective.

His black eyebrows drew together in surprise. Retired?

I nodded. Retired.

Some emotion flared in his amber eyes. It might have been relief or even hope, but it was gone before I could decipher it. Well, good for you, I suppose.

Praise for Jennifer Estep and 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

This title is also available as an eBook

Watch out world, here comes Gin Blanco. Funny, smart, and dead sexy.

Lilith Saintcrow, author of Redemption Alley

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

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 or the publisher has received 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

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

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First Pocket Books paperback edition June 2010

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Cover design by TK

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN 978-1-4391-4799-3

ISBN 978-1-4391-5544-8 (ebook)

As always, this book is dedicated to my mom and grandma for taking such good care of me.

And to Andre for doing the same.

Thanks for always understanding when I have to disappear to do book stuff. Your love and support means more to me than you will ever know.

Once again, this book would not have been possible without the help of many, many people.

Thanks to Annelise Robey for her unwavering support, and to Megan McKeever and Lauren McKenna for all their editorial advice and encouragement.

Thanks to Kathy Still, who answered my questions about coal mining and more. Any mistakes are mine, not hers.

And finally, thanks to all the readers out there. Knowing that folks enjoy my books is one of the things that makes it all worthwhile.

Happy reading!

Freeze! Nobody move! This is a robbery!

Wow. Three clichs in a row. Somebody was seriously lacking in the imagination department.

But the shouted threats scared someone, who squeaked out a small scream. I sighed. Screams were always bad for business. Which meant I couldnt ignore the trouble that had just walked into my restaurantor deal with it the quick, violent way I would have preferred. A silverstone knife through the heart is enough to stop most trouble in its tracks. Permanently.

So I pulled my gray eyes up from the paperback copy of The Odyssey that Id been reading to see what all the fuss was about.

Two twentysomething men stood in the middle of the Pork Pit, looking out of place among the restaurants blue and pink vinyl booths. The dynamic duo sported black trench coats that covered their thin T-shirts and flapped against their ripped, rock star jeans. Neither one wore a hat or gloves, and the fall chill had painted their ears and fingers a bright cherry red. I wondered how long theyd stood outside, gathering up the courage to come in and yell out their trite demands.