Germaine was ready to do anything to prove he was part of Lennon’s gang. He hadn’t been formally initiated but stealing the bag in broad daylight would be a good start. High on drugs and feeling brave, he eagerly agreed.

Still reading Mike’s text messages, Zara didn’t sense the man approaching until he was almost on top of her.

Germaine didn’t have a well-thought-out plan, he just went all-in, like a bull in a china shop. Aggressively, he pinned her to the wall and tried to snatch the phone from her hand.

However, with no time to think, Zara went into fight mode, and with one swift movement, she kneed him hard between the legs. As he doubled over, she twisted her body to the side, and with all her might, she kicked the side of his head. The impact had him toppled over, but in fear for her safety, she had to finish him off. With her leg now pulled back, she kicked him so hard in the face, his nose almost caved in, and he was out cold.

Suddenly, her senses were on high alert.

Out of the corner of her eye, she detected a hand reaching down to claim her bag. Fired up and ready for a battle, Zara spun around and came face-to-face with the person she suspected was her assailant’s accomplice. Although he was big, he wasn’t tall; his eyes met hers and a cocky smirk formed along his face. It was a look that made her blood run cold – the same expression Benjamin Segal had, the day he watched her hand being severed from her wrist. This time, she wouldn’t wait to process the dynamics. A surge of pure hatred and fury shot through her. With adrenaline pumping around her body, she pulled her head back and viciously cracked him hard across the bridge of his nose.

Lennon faltered, stunned by the power of the skinny woman. His brain just couldn’t comprehend how the tables had turned. He had never lost a fight in his life, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to lose one to a woman. His eyes focused, and just as he was about to pull a knife from his back pocket, she pulled her head back and headbutted him again. Dazed and senseless, he struggled to keep both feet on the floor. The crack was like a metal bat, and as much as he wanted to rip her head from her shoulders, he just couldn’t seem to find the strength.