“Never growing up,” Jake’s eyes widen with a sort of hysteria. “Maintaining innocence.” He stops circling and looks us up and down. “I’d say that’s all good and done away with, now. Don’t you think? Or are you still keen on pretending?” Leaning in, he adds, “You can’t shove your cock inside a virgin cunt and still think you can run off to Neverland like nothing’s changed. Can you, Son?”

Peter steps forward in challenge, his hand quickly goes to his hip where he keeps his dagger. But Jake stops him as he steps forward and immediately continues.

“Maybe you were always more of a man than you thought, Peter. Thinning out lost boys when they didn’t do as you say. Taking young girls, turning them into women, when it pleases you. Discarding them when you’re done. We may have more in common than you think. So, fly back to Neverland, trust me when I say Wendy will be in good fucking hands.”

Jake’s eyes find mine and he rubs his palms together, licking his lips for emphasis. A menacing smile spreads across his face as he tries to come closer. A threatening look gleams in his eyes. He’s determined. This time? Nothing’s going to stop him.

All of a sudden, everything in the room changes. It all happens in the blink of an eye so I don’t have time to react. Peter lunges forward, tackling Jake to the ground. Jake pulls a knife and I scream. He rolls Peter on to his back, the alcohol giving him an advantage as adrenaline fuels his rage. He pins Peter to the floor so he can’t get to his weapon and my heart beats out of control.

I fling myself on Jake’s back in an instant. Grabbing around his throat, I attempt to choke him. My feet kick at his sides as strongly as they can.

“Wendy, no!” Peter’s voice is all I hear as I wrap my arms around Jake’s neck tighter and squeeze as hard as I can, but it still isn’t hard enough. Jake backs away from Peter and tosses me easily to the floor. My head hits the side of a table in the process, causing me to black out momentarily. When I come to, I see that my distraction worked perfectly as Peter brings his knees up and kicks Jake to his back across the room.

He rushes to my side and holds me against him, searching my eyes. “Darling, are you ok?”