11 Poison Promise

Praise for Jennifer Estep’s thrilling Elemental Assassin series

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

—Lilith Saintcrow,
New York Times
bestselling author

“A raw, gritty, and compelling walk on the wild side.”

—Nalini Singh,
New York Times
bestselling author

“This series kicked off with a bang, and the action hasn’t let up since.”

—
Fresh Fiction

“Jennifer Estep is a dark, lyrical, and fresh voice in urban fantasy. . . . Gin is an assassin to die for.”

—Adrian Phoenix, author of
On Midnight Wings

“Man, I love this series.”

—Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

THE SPIDER

“The 10th Elemental Assassin novel is actually a prequel: The ever excellent Estep takes readers back in time to a significant assignment that helped mold Gin Blanco into the deadly assassin known as the Spider. This origin story is tough and compelling, dramatically showcasing the consequences of the choices Gin makes.”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick!)

HEART OF VENOM

A Goodreads and
RT Book Reviews
nominee

“Amazing series. . . . Estep is one of those rare authors who excels at both action set pieces and layered character development.”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick!)

“Wonderfully intense and graphic fight scenes, a plot that doesn’t slow down, and bad guys that bring new meaning to the word
sadistic
. . . . Continues the Elemental Assassin series tradition of high-octane, heart-pounding action with an expert assassin who will go above and beyond to protect those she loves.”

—
All Things Urban Fantasy

DEADLY STING

“Classic Estep with breathtaking thrills, coolly executed fights, and a punch of humor.”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick!)

“This book is brimming with suspense and fast-paced action. There’s never a dull moment!”

—
Under the Covers Book Blog

WIDOW’S WEB

“Estep has found the perfect recipe for combining kick-butt action and high-stakes danger with emotional resonance.”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick!)

“Filled with such emotional and physical intensity that it leaves you happily exhausted by the end.”

—
All Things Urban Fantasy

BY A THREAD

A Goodreads and
RT Book Reviews
nominee

“Filled with butt-kicking action, insidious danger, and a heroine with her own unique moral code, this thrilling story is top-notch. Brava!”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick!)

“Gin is stronger than ever, and this series shows no signs of losing steam.”

—
Fiction Vixen

SPIDER’S REVENGE

A RITA nominee and an
RT Book Reviews
Editor’s Choice Pick

“Explosive . . . outstanding. . . . Hang on, this is one smackdown you won’t want to miss!”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick!)

“A whirlwind of tension, intrigue, and mind-blowing action that leaves your heart pounding.”

—
Smexy Books

TANGLED THREADS

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

—
Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

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

—
Literary Escapism

VENOM

“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!)

“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

WEB OF LIES

“Hard-edged and compelling. . . . Gin Blanco is a fascinatingly pragmatic character, whose intricate layers are just beginning to unravel.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“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.”

—
The Romance Dish

SPIDER’S BITE

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

—
Library Journal

“Bodies litter the pages of this first entry in Estep’s engrossing urban fantasy series. . . . Fans will love it.”

—
Publishers Weekly

To my mom, my grandma, and Andre—for your love, patience, and everything else you’ve given to me over the years.

To my papaw—you will be missed.

Once again, my heartfelt thanks go out to all the folks who help turn my words into a book.

Thanks go to my agent, Annelise Robey, and editors, Adam Wilson and Lauren McKenna, for all their helpful advice, support, and encouragement. Thanks also to Trey Bidinger.

Thanks to Tony Mauro for designing another terrific cover, and thanks to Louise Burke, Lisa Litwack, and everyone else at Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster for their work on the cover, the book, and the series.

And finally, a big thanks to all the readers. Knowing that folks read and enjoy my books is truly humbling, and I’m glad that you are all enjoying Gin and her adventures.

I appreciate you all more than you will ever know.

Happy reading!

1

“Someone has a birthday coming up.”

The voice in my ear rumbled in a low, slow way that was as sexy as all get-out, but I still grimaced at his words.

“Don’t remind me,” I grumbled. “I’ve been trying to forget about
that
particular date on the calendar for weeks now.”

Holding a backpack in one hand and my phone in the other, I stopped inside the doorway, letting the college students stream out of the classroom and move into the corridor. They hurried toward the exit, along with the professor, all eager to get away from the hallowed halls of learning as quickly as they could, but I stayed where I was until the sounds of their cheerful chatter had faded away and I could resume my own conversation.

“What’s so bad about turning thirty-one?” Owen asked.

Even though he couldn’t see me, since we were talking on the phone, I still shrugged as I stepped out of the
classroom and ambled toward the doors at the end of the corridor.

“Nothing, on the face of it. It’s just another day and just another number. I won’t feel any different before, during, or after that day than I do on any other. But this time of year . . . bad things always seem to happen around my birthday.”

“Oh.” My lover’s voice slipped from sexy and teasing to quiet and serious in a heartbeat. He didn’t say anything else. He knew exactly what
bad things
I was referring to. My mother and my older sister being murdered. Thinking that Bria, my baby sister, had also been killed. Fletcher Lane, my mentor, being tortured to death.

“I just . . . don’t want to jinx things by talking about my birthday,” I said. “And I don’t even want to
think
about the surprise party Finn is planning.”

Silence.

“What party?” Owen finally asked, three seconds too late to be believable.

“The always party.”

“What?” he asked again, genuinely confused this time.

“The always party. The party that Finn
always
plans for me. The one I
always
tell him I would rather do without. The one the sneaky bastard
always
manages to surprise me with anyway, just when I think that I’m finally safe from him and his shenanigans.”

Finnegan Lane, my foster brother, thought that birthdays were a time of great celebration, jubilation, and excitement and should
always
be marked with cake, presents, and people hiding in a dark room waiting to jump out and scream at you the second you turned on
the lights. I was fine with the cake and the presents, but people jumping and screaming in my direction always made me reach for one of my silverstone knives.

Such were the instincts of an assassin.

“He always manages to surprise you with a party?” Owen asked. “Every single year? I find that hard to believe.”

“Yeah, well, I am no match for the mercurial wiles of Finnegan Lane. Three years ago, he threw the party a week before my birthday. Two years ago, he waited until three weeks after my birthday.”

Last year had been the only one in the last ten that Finn hadn’t thrown me a party, since Fletcher had been murdered right around that time. Neither one of us had felt like celebrating anything then.

I skirted around a janitor who was mopping the linoleum floor. The sun slanting in through the windows made the smooth surface gleam like a new penny, but the longer I stared at the drying streaks of water, the darker they became, turning a dull, rusty red and morphing into another liquid. Blood. Fletcher’s blood, oozing all over the blue and pink pig tracks on the floor of the Pork Pit—

“Gin?” Owen asked. “Are you still there?”

I shook my head to get rid of the unwanted memories. “Sorry, I’m still in one of the buildings. The reception is terrible in here. Hang on a second, and let me go outside.”