Double Cross - Malorie Blackman

 SGD $15 (New Book still wrapped)

Consigned item sold "As Is/ Where Is" with no guarantees, warranties, refunds or exchanges. Double Cross https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noughts_%26_Crosses_(novel_series) Everyone assumes the bomb that killed Callie Rose's grandmother was the work of a nought terrorist. But Callie Rose knows the truth—and her fear of the past leaves her afraid for her future. She is also very frightened that Jude McGregor—her uncle—is still alive, and waiting to get his revenge (it is later revealed he actually died in the hotel room with Jasmine). Her best friend, and later boyfriend, Tobey, is worried about his own future. As a nought boy at an exclusive school, Tobey hopes to keep out of trouble, go to university, get a good job and leave the dangerous streets of his childhood behind. But Tobey is discovering that he can't keep clinging to some kind of no-man's land while the neighbourhood around him is carved up by rival gangs, one headed by a ruthless man named Alex McAuley who offers refuge to low-lying noughts, and another headed by the Dowds, a ruthless Cross family. Then he is offered the chance to earn some ready money just making a few "deliveries", introduced by his friend Dan, who works for McAuley. He doesn't want a part of that world, the world of gangs. But maybe he could get away with it, just this once... Callie Rose and Tobey are both upset, Callie Rose about the bomb and Tobey about the delivery he made earlier. His delivery turned out to be the little finger of one of the Dowds, a manager at TFTM. Callie Rose and Tobey confide in each other, but Tobey doesn't tell Callie Rose why he is upset. They start kissing and touching each other. Callie Rose asks Tobey if he is ready for this. Tobey takes her hand and places it over his penis, which is errect. Callie Rose is shocked and flattered Tobey likes her that much. Tobey, after getting Callie Rose's consent, takes a condom out from under his bed. It is revealed he has five whole spare packets under his bed. Callie Rose teases him about being a sexbot. Tobey and Callie Rose resume kissing after Tobey has put the condom on. They both strip, and then they intercourse. At first, it is painfull for Callie Rose. But then Tobey " enters her fully" and it is pleasurable for both of them. Callie Rose then leaves, not wanting Tobey's sister to walk in on them, and returns home not a virgin.

The next day, when Dan, Tobey and Callie Rose get together, Callie Rose is shot by a hail of bullets from McAuley. The surgery is successful, but Callie ends up in coma. Sephy is furious at Tobey for not becoming more of a man and telling the police who shot Callie Rose, not knowing that Tobey has sworn revenge on McAuley and plans on doing this "himself". While Callie Rose is in hospital Tobey gets a new job at the Restaurant called TFTM (Thanks for the Memories) owned by the Dowd's and meets Rebecca Dowd (Becks), Vanessa Dowd's (head of family) daughter. He starts going out with her, but is torn between Callie Rose and Rebecca. One day, Callie wakes from her coma and is distressed that Tobey is dating Rebecca, and that she has been in coma for so long. During a visit to Vanessa Dowd's house, it is revealed that he has been making deliveries for McAuley. Rebecca is shocked, but Tobey reassures her that he does not work for him any longer. However, he decides to end their relationship, becoming merely "friends". When Rebecca leaves, McAuley appears and stabs her before Tobey can warn her in time. He then instructs Tobey to meet him at his warehouse.

Tobey knows McAuley will kill him, but he has a plan set up with Owen Dowd, Rebecca's brother. He puts a great deal of money in Byron Sweet (one of McAuley's minions) so he can frame him as a traitor. He goes to the warehouse and executes his plan, and it succeeds. However, he is almost killed by two more of McAuley's minions. Luckily, Dan appears from nowhere and kills the two minions outside and McAuley, thus saving Tobey's life. Dan ends up on the run.

During the reading of the will of Jasmine Hadley, he tells Callie that he is responsible for the deaths of five people (Rebecca Dowd, Bryon Sweet, Alex McAuley and two of his guards, Dave and Scott) through his immoral actions, and Dan is facing the rest of his life in prison or on the run. Callie does not mind this, because she knows that he did all of this for her, and her reply to him is that her actions were responsible for the deaths of two people (Jasmine Hadley and Jude McGregor) and does Tobey blame her for that? They eventually resume their relationship. In the epilogue, it is revealed that both Callie and Tobey went to university to study law, and that Tobey set up and partially funded the Meadowview Shelter, to help those with a drug and/or alcohol addiction. http://www.amazon.com/Double-Cross-Malorie-Blackman/dp/0385615515