Burning Up

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    BURNING UP
     
    A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the authors
     
    PRINTING HISTORY
    Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / August 2010
     
    Copyright © 2010 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
    “Whisper of Sin” by Nalini Singh copyright © 2010 by Nalini Singh.
    “Blood and Roses” by Angela Knight copyright © 2010 by Julie Woodcock.
    “Shifting Sea” by Virginia Kantra copyright © 2010 by Virginia Kantra.
    “Here There Be Monsters” by Meljean Brook copyright © 2010 by Melissa Khan.
    Excerpt from Immortal Sea by Virginia Kantra copyright © by Virginia Kantra.
    Excerpt from The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook copyright © by Melissa Khan.
     
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    eISBN : 978-1-101-18922-1
     
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WHISPER OF SIN
    Nalini Singh
    To May, Jennifer, and Kay ~ I couldn’t have asked
for better friends!
The San Francisco Gazette
August 2, 2072
     
CITY BEAT
     
     
Trouble in Chinatown?
     
Enforcement is refusing to either confirm or deny the rumors of a new organized crime family in the city. The word on the street is that this gang—known by the black “V” they scrawl at the locations of their crimes—intends to take over all illegal operations within San Francisco. So far, V has concentrated its efforts in Chinatown, but our sources say they plan to spread out across the greater Bay area.
Smith Jenson, the telepath who acts as PR manager for local government, has publicly stated that the threat from V is negligible. We beg to disagree. While Psy like Mr. Jenson and his colleagues stay safe in their high-rise apartments, humans and changelings on the ground are beginning to feel the effects of this new threat. There have been no deaths yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
This reporter believes local government needs to step up to the plate. If they don’t, San Francisco might just slip out of their grasp.

ONE
    H er hose was shredded, Ria thought, staring uncomprehendingly at the bottoms of her feet. Where were her shoes? Lost somewhere in the alley where that bastard had tried to rape her as “down payment” on the protection money her family refused to pay.
    Something fluttered over her shoulders and was tucked around her, warm and thick. A blanket. She gripped it tight, then winced as her bloodied palms made contact with the wool. Her hands spasmed open. Released, the blanket began to slide to the floor of the