The Almighty Dominance

BIT bared his teeth, then drove Charles into the wall with a sickening thud that rattled every pane of glass in the room.

The impact stole what little breath Charles had left; he crumpled to the floor, coughing, violently until tears rimmed his eyes. "Look at you," Bill jeered, lips curled in disgust. "You've pissed yourself, haven't you? Pathetic little coward."

Charles stayed on his knees, shaking so hard he could barely keep Upright

His lungs burned, and his mind spun with shame. All he could do was stare at the polished floor, wishing he could sink into it and vanish.

Bill gave a dismissive snort as he turned to leave.

"You call yourself a man?" he spat, gaze sweeping over Charles with searing contempt. "You're nothing but a piss-soaked dog lying in its own filth."

When Bill finally stalked out, his derisive laughter lingered in the hallway like a rancid smell.

Charles remained where he was, forcing himself to breathe. His chest rose and fell in a ragged rhythm, each breath tugging at the raw ache in his ribs.

Slowly, a voice inside him stirred.

'Be patient, Charles. You might be crawling now, but if you're smart, you'll bide your time and claw your way back to the top. Your father wants to discard you, and Jasmine looks at you like trash. Prove them wrong.'

Charles's trembling hands balled into fists, his nails digging so hard into his palms they threatened to draw blood.

A flicker of ambition sparked in his eyes.

'You'll conquer Vancouver. And Vermont. You'll be the king.'

Alow, unsettling laugh escaped him, soft at first, then louder, echoing in the empty

room.

doesn't change the devil changes you. And soon, you start to forget who you

trudged through the dense undergrowth, teeth

threatening to swallow her whole, but her iron

one of Kingston's men shouted, spotting her through the

one fluid move, firing before he

his skull, and he dropped like a

a hail of gunfire

and leaves,

a hoarse

another voice yelled, spurring his fellow men into a reckless

back the pain and squeezed off three

the men collapsed into

the shadows. "You really are a wild one, aren't you?" Luke stepped forward, casual

clattering against a rock before landing uselessly on the wet

groaned in agony-they'd been unlucky enough to get hit but not killed. One moaned,

regarded them with a sickly grin, drawing his

fired a shot into the first

moss, the man's

are you doing?" the other sputtered, voice choked with terror. "We're

deep in the dark, they'll

honestly? It makes me happy

shot the second man point-blank, sending him sprawling in

turned back to Kelly, a predatory hunger

lips curled into a leer. "I've had my eye on you. I always go after what