Jennifer Estep: By a Thread

I threw the trash bags into one of the Dumpsters, then turned to see exactly who was lurking around tonight.

“Y’all might as well come on out,” I said. “I know you’re there. I can smell you.”

“Smell me? But I just took a shower this morning!” an indignant voice drifted out of the shadows.

There was a loud sound, like someone was getting smacked upside the head. Then another voice let out a low mutter.

“Shut up, idiot.”

My thoughts exactly.

But the two men knew their cover was blown, so they stepped out from behind the Dumpster at the far end of the alley. I recognized them immediately, and it was déjà vu all over again.

It was Billy and Bobby, the giant and the Fire elemental who’d jumped me the night Finn had said I needed a vacation. Apparently they hadn’t learned anything from the previous ass-kicking I’d given them. Some people just never did, like Jonah McAllister.

Through the grapevine and his many spies, Finn had heard that the slick lawyer was deeply, deeply disappointed that I’d made it back to Ashland in one piece. Apparently, after he’d attacked me that first night in his library, Dekes had called McAllister to brag about how easily he’d killed me. That had gotten Jonah’s hopes up—hopes that I’d dashed as soon as he’d learned Dekes was really dead instead of me. I had no doubt that McAllister was already cooking up another scheme he hoped would lead to my death, but it was the lawyer’s days that were numbered—not mine.

The two guys stepped forward and cracked their knuckles, evil grins spreading across their faces. Nope, looked like they hadn’t learned a thing last time—or they wouldn’t be stupid enough to be standing in the alley with me right now.

“Surrender now, Spider,” Billy the giant said. “And we might just go easy on you.”

“Yeah,” Bobby the Fire elemental chimed in. “We won’t hurt you—much.”

The two men chuckled at their seeming cleverness. I rolled my eyes. The only people these two were really hurting were themselves.

“Didn’t y’all learn your lesson the first time?” I said. “You should be grateful you’re still breathing. Now, run along like good little boys before I lose my temper and kill you.”

Bobby’s face twisted, and a murderous glint shimmered in his eyes along with his Fire magic. “Nobody talks to us like that, bitch.”

The Fire elemental sucked in a breath and went on a long, rambling rant then, talking about how he and his buddy were going to make me wish I’d never been born. Typical talk in the shadows of Ashland. It amused the hell out of me, and I found myself leaning against the wall of the Pork Pit and just letting him talk—because that’s all these guys were.

“What are you smiling at?” Bobby growled, finally noticing that I wasn’t the least bit scared of him, his magic, or his giant friend.

“Nothing much,” I drawled. “I was just thinking that there’s no place like home.”

The two men looked at each other, obviously confused. Then they charged at me, the way I knew they would. This time I didn’t bother picking up one of the dented trash can lids. Instead, I palmed the silverstone knives tucked up my sleeves and stepped up to meet them.

Magic and blood arced through the air and splattered onto the alley floor and walls, punctuated by sharp, pain-filled screams that quickly died off to choking gurgles.

Then . . . silence.

I got to my feet and wiped my bloody knives off on the clothes of my latest victims. Billy and Bobby stared up at the black sky, eyes and mouths wide open in shock and fear. It was far too late for them to agree with me. It was far too late for them to do anything at all.

Oh, I knew that it wouldn’t end with these two. More Billys and Bobbys would seek me out in the coming days, trying to cash in and build their street cred at the Spider’s expense. Not to mention McAllister and whom he might decide to send after me next.

But I’d be right here at the Pork Pit waiting for all of them, serving up the best barbecue in Ashland and helping those who couldn’t help themselves after-hours in my own special way. With Owen, Bria, Finn, the Deveraux sisters, and all my other friends right by my side.

Yep, the Spider was definitely back.

Still smiling, I slid my bloody knives up my sleeves and headed inside the restaurant to ask Sophia to come and help me get rid of the blood and the bodies.

“Interesting storylines, alluring world, and fascinating characters. That is what I’ve come to expect from Estep’s series. . . . Easily the best of the series to date.”

—Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks

“The story had me whooping with joy and screaming in outrage, just as all really good books always do.”

—Literary Escapism

“Estep has really hit her stride with this gritty and compelling series. . . . Brisk pacing and knife-edged danger make this an exciting page-turner.”

— RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)

“Gin is a compelling and complicated character whose story is only made better by the lovable band of merry misfits she calls her family. Definitely, by far, the best fantasy series I’ve read this year.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Each book is just as solid and awesome as its earlier predecessors.”

—Smokin’ Hot Books

“Since the first book in the series, I have been entranced by Gin. . . . Every book has been jam-packed with action and mystery, and once I think it can’t get any better, Venom comes along and proves me completely wrong.”

—Literary Escapism

“The second chapter of the series is just as hard-edged and compelling as the first. Gin Blanco is a fascinatingly pragmatic character, whose intricate layers are just beginning to unravel.”

— RT Book Reviews

“A fantastic sequel in every respect. . . . Packed with pulse-pounding action and suspense, this urban fantasy truly delivers.”

—SciFiChick.com

“With each Jennifer Estep book I read I’m more in awe of her writing. She always has fresh storylines with well-developed characters. . . . A must read.”

—Reading With Monie

“One of the best urban fantasy series I’ve ever read. The action is off the charts, the passion is hot, and her cast of secondary characters is stellar. . . . If you haven’t read this series, you are missing out on one heck of a good time!”

—The Romance Dish

“When it comes to work, Estep’s newest heroine is brutally efficient and very pragmatic, which gives the series plenty of bite. . . . Kudos to Estep for the knife-edged suspense!”

— RT Book Reviews

“The fast pace, clever dialogue, and intriguing heroine help make this new series launch one to watch.”

— Library Journal

“Electrifying! Jennifer Estep really knows how to weave a fantasy tale that will keep you reading way past your bedtime.”