‘Pretty girl like her,’ Rogers added, grinning across the table at Nikki, who looked like she’d just been slapped. ‘I’m sure they’ll give her a good send-off too, mate.’

Game over. Marsh had won. He’d found Jax’s one and only weak spot. Jax was now his.

Nikki stood up after Rogers backed away. ‘Don’t move,’ she said. ‘Don’t you dare. I swear to God. Please, don’t leave.’

Jax didn’t move, not a muscle, as Nikki made her way to the bathroom, but his mind was racing. How had they found her? How did they even know about her? What had they done to her?

His anger flared.

I’m going to kill them. Every last one of them.

Nikki returned from the toilet, tears gone and make-up fixed, but still looking terrified. She sat back down, grabbed the packet of chips and ripped them open.

She went to grab a chip. But instead of taking a handful, she dropped something into the foil. ‘Want one?’ she asked as she pushed them in front of him.

Jax just looked at her, struggling to make sense of what was happening.

‘Take them,’ she growled. ‘You know I don’t like chicken.’

Jax peered down into the packet, immediately spotting what she had dropped into it: three little brown-taped packages, each not much larger than a multi-vitamin.

‘You’ll have to swallow them, babe,’ Nikki said softly. ‘Pretend you are eating a chip. They’re smaller than they look. Sorry, I should have got you a can of drink. I didn’t think. They only told me to bring coins for the chips.’

Jax didn’t have to think about it. It was this or Nikki’s life.

He lifted the bag towards his face, then tipped his head back and tilted the packet. The weight of the packages ensured they dropped into his mouth before the chips. Two heavy balls. Too big. He spat one back into packet before he swallowed. He repeated the process twice more, wishing he had a drink. He gagged on the final package, his mouth too dry, and almost brought it back up.

Heroin in his belly. The sweetest, most loving girl he had ever known turned into a drug mule. And only a matter of hours or days till he’d be violated again. Jax’s life had become a nightmare.

He looked into the eyes of the only person other than his Nan he had loved since his parents were killed. And he finally broke down. ‘I’m sorry,’ he blurted as the tears started streaming down his face. He tried to say something else but couldn’t.

Nikki rushed around the table and pulled him into an embrace. His chest heaved in and out as he sobbed. He wanted to stop but couldn’t. He tried to speak but couldn’t.