Blood on the Bayou

First came a terrorist attack. Then the mutations—and Fey who had lived in harmony with humans turned deadly. Now most people hide behind iron gates. But those who are immune—and those with enough courage—can venture out into the Louisiana Delta . . . and a nightmare world of magic.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

Annabelle Lee, a Fairy Containment and Control agent with immunity to fairy venom, is once again called upon to help solve a murder deep in the bayou. But this one’s off the books. Her ex-lover, Hitch, needs her help searching for a secret chemical weapons lab and an FBI mole providing it with human lab rats.

Helping Hitch means certain interpersonal disaster with her estranged boyfriend, but Annabelle knows what it feels like to be a lab rat. Her new fairy-attack-induced paranormal abilities seem to have few negative side effects, but would that change if she stopped injecting herself with the mystery drug delivered to her by the even more mysterious—not to mention ridiculously attractive—Tucker? A man who can turn invisible at will, and who makes no bones about how dead she’ll be if she reveals his secrets?

As the murder investigation progresses, Annabelle quickly learns Tucker isn’t the only one with secrets, and that the only things that cut deeper than a friend’s deception are the lies we tell ourselves.

Praise for
Dead on the Delta
“. . . will lure you in with its sensual and mysterious tone. . . . One hell of a ride.”—CultureMob

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If you believe in fairies . . . run!

DON’T MISS THE FIRST NOVEL FEATURING ANNABELLE LEE, A SMART-MOUTHED DETECTIVE WITH AN AFFINITY FOR TROUBLE

“Unflinching and unforgettable.”
—Award-winning author Jeri Smith-Ready

Available from Pocket Books

Praise for
DEAD ON THE DELTA

“Everything you could want in an urban fantasy . . . strong, vivid writing, unique world building, and a clever, twisty plot.”

—Stacia Kane, author of the Downside Ghosts series

“Relentlessly tense . . . a creative take on fairies, a flawed but sympathetic heroine, and the gritty sense of a disaster-ravaged Louisiana . . . a hard-to-put-down ‘rural’ fantasy. . . .”

—Fantasy Literature

“An awesome take on fairies and a kick-ass urban fantasy.”

—Scooper Speaks

“A super urban fantasy police procedural. . . . The fast-paced storyline is action-packed.”

—Alternative Worlds

“Unflinching and unforgettable. . . . Gnawed its way into my heart with writing sharp as fairy fangs.”

—Jeri Smith-Ready, award-winning author of
Bring On the Night

“Fascinating . . . the seedy setting and hard-drinking heroine are written with skill and humor and enough quirks to enmesh you in the story. . . .”

—Fresh Fiction

Dead on the Delta
is also available as an eBook

Also by Stacey Jay

Dead on the Delta

Available from Pocket Books

Pocket Books
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New York, NY 10020
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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 © 2012 by Stacey Jay

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 April 2012

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Designed by Jacquelynne Hudson

10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

ISBN 978-1-4391-8987-0
ISBN 978-1-4391-8989-4 (eBook)

For my family

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Acknowledgments

Thanks again to Mike, Grandma Stumpy, Riley, and Logan for being the best family a woman could hope for. Thanks to Jennifer Heddle for the edit—you will be missed! Thanks to Stacia Kane, Jennifer Estep, and Jeri Smith-Ready for their support and their amazing books. Thanks to Rhianna Walker, tireless champion for Annabelle and the series. Thanks to Wendy Richmond, friend and chemist, and to her boss, Perry, for the aid with all things scientific and smarty-pants. Thanks to Susan Wallendal-Held for the chopper knowledge (and for being a hoot and a half—I hope to ride with you someday, Susan!). And a big, big thanks to everyone who has written to share their thoughts about
Dead on the Delta
. From nuclear scientists to Harley enthusiasts to chemists to Baton Rouge strippers to political science majors to grandmothers raising their grandbabies—every e-mail has meant the world to me. I am so honored to tell you stories. Thank you.