She watched as he nervously walked. She could sense his legs had turned to jelly, but that was just how she wanted him – a nervous, dithering wreck. As he reached the side door, it flew open and out came Shamus, his face bloodied down one side and holding a gun. He wiped off the blood with the back of his hand and took a deep lungful of air. As soon as he saw Zara with a firearm pressed against the small of Peto’s back, he stepped aside. ‘All yours, Gov. Neil’s just cleaning up.’

‘Good. There’s one up against the wall. His name’s Gage. He’s no trouble, but just make sure he doesn’t run.’

Zara pushed Peto inside the restaurant.

To his horror, his so-called heavy crew were a mess. He thought they were invincible, six-strong and tooled up. The biggest of them all, a six-foot-seven giant of a man, was now totally fucked up. One of Neil’s men, an older guy, was breathing heavily and still holding a fire extinguisher that he’d used to smash the giant’s face in.

Peto’s eyes scanned the kitchen in horror. His own brother lay in a pool of blood, barely conscious; even with a gun in his hand, he was out of action, now severely wounded.

Neil was seated and rubbing his sore knuckles, and two of the other men were covering the front entrance, wielding their guns, ready for a further ambush.

Zara prodded Peto in the back. ‘Well, which is the one called Jaguar?’

Peto’s hands trembled with shock. He had to find a way out of this mess or no doubt he would end up like the battered men.

She gave him another dig with her gun. ‘Hurry up! Which one is he?’

He looked around, and there, unconscious, lay a new recruit. ‘That man there!’ He slyly pointed.

Zara removed the gun from his back and handed it to Davey. With her new hand, she gave Peto a quick backhanded swipe and cut his face. ‘Fucking liar! Who is he?’

Peto screamed in pain and stumbled back, clutching his face.

Even Davey was shocked at the fierceness behind the clump, yet he shouldn’t really have been surprised. Nothing fazed this woman, he thought.

Neil looked at each of the attackers and then clocked the one in the corner, his eyes wide as he turned to hide his face. Launching himself from his seat, Neil bent down and gripped the man’s collar, lifting him up. ‘You’re this Jaguar guy, aren’t yer?’ he yelled, before pain shot through his chest, causing him to double over.

Davey caught him before he hit the deck. ‘Easy, Son,’ he said, as he supported him back to the chair.