(Elemental Assassin 01) Spider's Bite

“You’re 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. Don’t you?”

Caine jerked as though I’d 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.

“There’s no need to bother with those because you aren’t taking me in, detective.”

“Where are you going to go?” Caine asked. “You’re 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 
SPIDER’S BITE

“
Spider’s 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 Blanco—I can’t wait to read the next chapter of Gin’s story.”

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

 “I love rooting for the bad guy—especially when she’s also the heroine.
Spider’s 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,
Spider’s 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
Spider’s Bite,
Jennifer Estep turns up the heat and suspense with Gin Blanco, an assassin whose wit is as sharp as her silverstone knives.     She’ll leave no stone unturned and no enemy breathing in her quest for revenge. 
Spider’s 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 Estep’s 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 Estep’s exciting debut. Fun and sexy. .   Here’s 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 we’d seize our destiny the way brokenhearted Carmen does?
Karma Girl
kicks ass!”

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

“Jennifer Estep’s action-packed world of radioactive goo, alliterative aliases, and very hot-looking leather tights is outrageously entertaining. Jennifer Estep’s 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 Estep’s over-the-top romance.” —
Publishers Weekly

“It’s back to Bigtime, NY, for more sexy, sizzling and offbeat adventures with those zany superheroes. Estep’s twist on the world of superheroes is kick-ass fun!”

—Romantic Times 

Spider’s 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.

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New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s 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 [email protected]. 

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 it’s been a pleasure working with you.