Boiling Point (Crossing the Line #3)(73)

“Oh my God,” Polly breathed, dropping the stick of gum to hold up both hands. “What are you doing?”

“You know, I’m a little ashamed to admit I was all in. Word of the unsanctioned match came from someone reliable. The dirty ex-cop story checked out. You had me. I was going to hand my hard-earned money right over.” A muscle jumped in his cheek. “It was so good, in fact, that I know my ex-partner is involved. Where’s my old pal Austin hiding?” He scorched her with a look. “Hmm?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Polly whispered. “I don’t know who that is. Just…please. I want to get out.”

“Ding dong, motherf*cker.” Another gun was cocked in the backseat, whipping Polly’s head around. Erin? Her blond hair was stuffed inside a black skullcap, her right hand pointing the gun through the seat, straight at Reitman’s back. “Save your applause. It might be a Mercedes, but the locks weren’t even a challenge.”

To Reitman’s credit, he didn’t even flinch at Erin’s unexpected arrival. He didn’t take the gun off Polly, either. “It would appear the pupil has become the teacher,” he murmured. “Well played, Austin. He always was able to get beautiful women to do his bidding.”

Erin moved into a cross-legged position, jingling the bells on her combat boots. “I do no man’s bidding, but I owed Austin a favor for procuring this gorgeous baby for me.” She lifted the gun an inch. “Plus Polly is the only one who doesn’t comment on my table manners. I’m keeping her around.”

Reitman remained silent a moment, continuing to drive out of the downtown area. From the corner of her eye, Polly could see the streets were becoming less and less populated. “What’s your plan?” Reitman asked tightly. “Do you really think I’ll take you to the money now?”

“You will if you don’t want a bullet in your back,” Erin replied, sounding bored. “We would find it eventually, without your assistance. But I’d rather not shoot you because it would upset Connor.” She lowered her voice to a sly whisper. “That’s my boyfriend.”

“Yeah?” Reitman took an easy left turn, putting them on a quiet block. Too quiet. A prickle rose on Polly’s neck, exacerbated by the hard note in Reitman’s voice. “What are you going to do about the gun I have pointed at your friend? It’s not going away any time soon.”

Erin laughed, the sound cutting off abruptly when Reitman cocked the gun. Polly had no option but to make a grab for her own weapon. In one deft motion, she jammed a hand into her purse—

Reitman swerved the car to the right. Hard.

If Polly hadn’t been wearing a seat belt, Reitman’s maneuver would have sent her flying through the windshield. The vinyl strap dug into her neck, body lurching forward as tires squealed. With a sense of dread, she felt the heavy purse slip off her lap, dropping down near her feet. As soon as the car came to a jarring stop, Polly released her seat belt and went up on her knees, looking for Erin in the backseat. No. God, no. Her friend was slumped lengthways across the back seat, clearly unconscious. Blood had already begun to well on her left temple.

“Whoops,” Reitman said, his gaze momentarily distracted in the rearview mirror. His lips were curled in a smile. “I kind of liked her, too.”

Polly ignored the roaring in her ears, diving for Erin’s gun where it lay discarded in the footwell. It was a risky move with Reitman’s weapon still leveled in her direction, but she was banking on him wanting to draw out Austin. If Reitman had anything in common with the man she loved, it would be the requirement for satisfaction, answers, knowledge. And right now, Reitman had nothing.

That hope did little to comfort her as she closed a hand around Erin’s Ruger and shot back into the passenger seat, expecting a bullet to rip through her skin the entire time. Her relief came in the form of a shaky sob when it didn’t happen. Then it was just Polly and Reitman, pointing guns at each other across the car’s front console.

Silence stretched for a heated moment before Reitman spoke. “Austin Shaw, huh? Do you have any idea what kind of scum you’ve teamed with?”

A sharp stab of anger made her grip tighten. “I would say that’s the pot calling the kettle black, but Austin is nothing like you.”

“Oh no?” A dark glint entered his eyes. “You know, we might be grifters, but there’s an honor code among us. We leave family alone. It’s not much, but it puts us in the eighth circle of hell, rather than the ninth.”

Polly shook her head. “You’re the one using Austin’s daughter to draw him out. After stealing money Austin tried to return.”

Reitman scoffed at that. “There’s not a con alive that would work a job for two months and walk away without a dime, family or not. That’s how I knew Austin had lost his edge.” He jerked his chin at Polly, the gun. “Or so I thought.”

“What’s your excuse for being in Chicago now?”

He tilted his head. “So there’s a limit to our Austin’s honesty with you, is there?” Polly ignored the lead weight in her stomach and waited for Reitman to continue. “Money is one thing. This, here, tonight, this is something I understand. I welcomed Austin getting back at me for double-crossing him. But what he did?” Reitman ground his teeth together. “An eye for an eye.”