Before Ivan could blink, Jack reached across the table and grabbed him by the neck, squeezing hard.‘You’d be hanged if you didn’t have the clever girlfriend. Hanged and worse. Count yourself lucky. This time.’ He let go, and Ivan choked and gasped for breath. ‘So – aren’t you going to bite him? I didn’t come only to play games, you know.’‘No,’ Ava said. ‘I’m not going to bite him. And he’s mine – so keep off.’Jack shrugged. ‘I will do absolutely whatever I wish to do,’ he said. ‘Do you think I am afraid of anyone?’‘Ignace –’‘Hah! Ignace? Two-bit dictator who fancies himself king of the world! And he doesn’t even know you’re here – you said so yourself. You’re with me now. And if you’re not with me …’ he drew a finger across his throat. ‘I’m pretty good at that, as you may recall. Whitechapel, London, 1888. The legend lives on. Plenty since, but I stopped showing off. It makes life – tricky.’ ‘Are you going to kill me?’ Ava asked.‘Good grief, no.
