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Chapters (57)
  1. Welcome to the Game
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraphs
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. Six months later . . .
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. Back Cover

That’s all you can do, isn’t it, Spencer?

And fuck you too.

He took out his phone, set it to search for other AirDrop devices, and then put it in the crotch of his pants. He knew Eddie saw him do it but he didn’t care. Eddie had pissed him off.

He dropped down a gear and the revs climbed; the power was on call again.

At the next opportunity, the Subaru surged forward, attracted as if by magnetic force to the truck’s tail. They turned into a backstreet. Spencer concentrated. And for that small window, nothing broke his concentration.

With one hand on the wheel, and keeping the car less than six inches from the truck, Spencer grabbed his phone from between his thighs, refreshed the search, and held it against the wheel. His eyes flicked between it and the windshield.

SEARCHING FOR DEVICES . . .

DEVICES FOUND: Corncat’s Phone

Spencer put his phone in front of Eddie’s face. “I guess you just didn’t know Denny’s latest handle? Reckon I could have done this by the time we crossed McGraw, Eddie, but hey, who am I to know?”

Eddie checked his own phone and nodded.

“Praise the Lord,” said Johnny Boy.

Spencer pulled up at the curb. Just before he flipped a U, he glanced at Eddie, expecting a look of surly, jealous animosity. What he got surprised him with its enigma. It was either hate—or pity.

Eddie rocked up as Johnny Boy and McGrath watched Spencer drive out of the gate.

“Hey. We done for the night?”

“Yeah,” said Johnny Boy.

“So what’s goin’ on tomorrow?”

“We got work to do with Spencer. You’re helping Denny. Keep your phone on.”

Eddie didn’t manage to hide his disappointment. Helping Denny meant low-level stuff: fencing stolen shit and some arson insurance thing he was getting aroused about.

After he left, Johnny Boy and McGrath walked into the loading bay.

“He’s keen,” said McGrath.

“Verdict?”

“The Yo-Yo said he was cool when they visited Rosso. Said he thought he was going to ice the cop though. He’s going to move on if we don’t give him more to do.”

They got to McGrath’s car.

“He wants Spencer’s gig,” mused McGrath in a way that said that much was obvious.

“That he does, but he isn’t good enough. I strongly advise we accept Spencer’s weaknesses; they give us control. But we need to make sure he has no other options.”

“You ‘strongly advise’?”

“I just got a message. Max Petrovsky wants to talk again.”

24

24

Bait Car

Chris was awake in the small hours, waiting for the sound of an engine. It was past two when he heard it. Other cars purred, whined, or, if they were like Penny, didn’t make much noise at all. Spencer’s kind of gurgled.

He heard the front door open, then the refrigerator.