Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

backed up, ready to turn and run. away from Jake and his high-pitched, keening howls. But Sophia was quicker. The dwarf punched him once My gray eyes flicked up. The girl huddled underneath a in the stomach. Lance went down like an anvil had been table a few feet away, her knees pulled up to her chest, her dropped on him. He crumpled to the floor and didn’t eyes as big as quarters in her face, tears sliding down her move.
    flushed cheeks.
    one down, one to go.
    A position I’d been in, once upon a time.
    I turned my attention back to Jake, who’d rolled over A couple of months ago, the girl and her tears wouldn’t onto his side. Blood dripped down the side of his head have bothered me. I would have killed Jake and his friend, where he’d cut himself on the corner of the table. The washed the blood off my hands, and asked Sophia to get half giant saw me standing over him, curled halfway up, rid of the bodies before I closed up the Pork Pit for the and slashed at me with his cooling knife. Idiot. He didn’t night.
    even come close to nicking me. After Jake made another That’s what assassins did.
    flailing pass with the blade, I crouched down and grabbed And I was the Spider, one of the very best. Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 10-11
    12/17/09 9:32 PM
    12 JENNIFER ESTEP
    Web of Lies 13
    But I’d had an epiphany of sorts two months ago when I slashed down with the knife, breaking the skin on my mentor had been brutally tortured and murdered inhis beefy neck. Jake yelped at the sting and clawed at the side the Pork Pit—in the very spot Jake and I were in slight wound with his sausage-thick fingers. I slapped his right now. The old man, Fletcher Lane, had wanted me to hand away and nicked him again. The smell of warm, retire, to take a different path in life, to live in the daylight coppery blood filled my nose. Something else that hadn’t a little, as he was so fond of saying. I’d followed Fletcher’s bothered me in a long, long time.
    advice and quit the assassin business after I’d killed Alexis
    “Every time you move, I’m going to cut you again. James, the Air elemental who’d murdered him. Deeper and deeper. Nod your head if you understand.”
    “Hmph.”
    Hatred flared in his gaze, taking the edge off the pain Behind me, Sophia grunted. I looked over my shoulder and panic, but he nodded.
    at the dwarf, who still had hold of the other woman. The
    “Good.”
    girl was unsuccessfully trying to pry the dwarf’s stubby finI clipped his temple with the knife hilt. Jake’s head gers off her waist. Good luck with that. Sophia had a grip snapped to one side and fell onto the floor. Unconscious. like death. once she had you, she didn’t let go—ever. My Just like his friend Lance.
    gray eyes locked with Sophia’s black ones. Regret flashed I stood up, wiped my fingerprints off the knife, and in her dark gaze, and she shook her head just the tiniest dropped the weapon on the floor. The half giant didn’t bit. No, she was saying. Not in front of two witnesses. stir. Then I got to my feet and headed for the girl, still Sophia was right. Witnesses were bad. I couldn’t crouched underneath the table.
    gut Jake with the two girls watching and get rid of the She shrank back against the legs of a chair at my apbody afterward. Not in my own restaurant. Not without proach, like she wanted to melt into the metal. Her pulse blowing my cover as Gin Blanco and leaving everything fluttered like a mad butterfly in her temple. I put my behind. And I wasn’t going to do that. Not for a piece friendliest, most trustworthy, charming, Southern smile on of trash like the Fire elemental. But that didn’t mean I my face and crouched down until I was eye-level with her. couldn’t let Jake know exactly whom he was dealing with.
    “Come on, sweetheart,” I said, holding out my hand. I waited until there was a lull in Jake’s howls, then
    “It’s over. Those men aren’t going to hurt you now.”
    tipped his head up with the knife point and gazed into his Her chocolate eyes darted to Jake lying on the floor. eyes. They’d lost all hint of their red, fiery magic. Now his Her gaze flicked back to me, and she chewed her lip, her brown irises were wide and glossy with panic, fear, pain. teeth white against her toffee skin.
    “You ever come to my restaurant and fuck with me or
    “I’m not going to hurt you either,” I said in a soft my customers again, and I’ll carve you up like a Thanksvoice. “Come on, now. I’m