The actor screamed as Jax grabbed his face. Then he stumbled backwards and fell hard on his backside. ‘My jaw! Fuck. Why did you do that? No. Please!’

Jax waited for the actor to stand. He wanted him to have a chance. To see it coming. But the actor stayed down, raised his arms up next to his head in surrender and began to whimper.

‘Please, stop, I give up!’ he squealed. ‘Please. Leave me alone. What did I ever do to you?’

Jax looked at the target. He wasn’t done yet. He had instructions and they were crystal clear.

Kill him or we will kill her.

Those words were ringing in his ear when he delivered the king hit. A coward punch. Hands above his head, looking at the ground, the actor didn’t see it coming. Didn’t even try to defend himself. The roundhouse right to the temple knocked him out cold. Left him star-fishing on the concrete.

Jax was numb. He hadn’t known he was capable of inflicting so much damage, let alone capable of delivering it.

Then suddenly he was back in his own body, and the throbbing outstretched fist was his, as was the battered victim he was standing over. He took a moment to study the man, who by now was bawling and gargling like a baby. He felt a wave of deep remorse and shame wash over him, almost strong enough to unsteady him.

But maybe this guy deserved it. Jax wanted to believe he did, but who was he to decide, let alone administer justice? And the job was only half done.

How could he do the next thing?

Jax knew pretending this man was a military target was no longer enough. He didn’t have it in him to play the soldier against this pathetic man before. The idea had got him this far, but it would take him no further.

The only thing that could make him kill this poor sick man was love. So he thought of Nikki. Thought of what they would do to her if he couldn’t do this.

And then he raised his foot and brought it down on the actor’s head.

CHAPTER 20

San Souci, Sydney, NSW, Australia

NIKKI was scampering about, back and forth, looking here, there and everywhere.

‘Have you seen my keys?’ she shouted. ‘I can’t find them anywhere.’

Ivy, her new housemate, an up-and-coming newspaper reporter, did not take her eyes off the TV: the evening news was about to start.

‘No,’ Ivy said. ‘Didn’t you, like, just get home? How can you lose them in five minutes?’