The Almighty Dominance

Chapter 425

The shot tore through Alfred's shoulder. He folded, a raw sound ripping from his chest.

Jessica's scream tore through the air, raw and panicked, her eyes locked on her husband as crimson spread across his shirt like wildfire.

"How dare you shoot him? He's Jasmine Kingston's father-Governor of Los Angeles."

The guard's lip curled. He fired again into Alfred's other shoulder without hesitation. "Tell me I don't have the nerve," he said.

"Say it, and I'll keep firing until he's dead. The only reason I haven't killed you both is because you're a governor's family," he added coldly. "Otherwise you'd already be dead."

Jessica's face went white with fury and shame.

"How dare you!" she spat, lunging at the guard with flailing arms.

The guard didn't hesitate. He fired into Jessica's arms and both thighs. She collapsed, limbs useless, a scream tearing from her throat.

"I told you don't move."

"You shot a woman?" Alfred gasped through the intake of pain.

"What? Not agree? Then I'll shoot a man," the guard said, and emptied his pistol into Alfred's arms and both knees.

"I heard you order your general to move the troops and shoot innocent people - you should feel that pain too."

Alfred moaned, pain ripping through him as he crumpled to the floor.

"You'll die for this!" he roared, voice raw and broken. "I'm the governor-Los Angeles, Vancouver-who the hell do you think you are? You'll answer for this. Mark my words: your whole family will die!"

The guard stepped close, calm as a judge. He intoned, almost chanting, "Only to the True Source do I bow. I fear neither gods nor demons."

He slapped Alfred hard across the face.

The crack of the blow snapped something awake inside Alfred—an oath remembered from his first Kingswell initiation.

"You-" Alfred stammered, raw panic blooming. "You're with the Kingswell."

The guard drove a fist into Alfred's nose. Bone splintered; blood poured down his

lip.

"The king sends a message," the guard hissed.

"How dare you strike Jasmine until her throat nearly broke. If you kill her, the Kingston line-three generations up and down-will be erased."

"You and your family only live because Jasmine lives," he said, hammering Alfred's face again.

"Who do you think you are, acting like this? If the king wants you gone, you and Logan can be killed at any moment. You're not mighty. You're nothing."

The guard's slap cracked like a board. Alfred's front teeth shattered and rained down across his bleeding lip.

"Next time, you ungrateful bastard," the guard spat, pressing his boot into Alfred's face.

"Learn gratitude. Keep that arrogant face hidden. And if anything happens to Jessica again, you won't live to regret it—you'll be dead."

Alfred was a wreck of pain and disbelief.

defiance-every plan to defy the king-drowned under the roar of agony

a breath, the reach

courts alike. He could erase Alfred and Logan with

fancied himself clever enough to outmaneuver a throne. Now he felt exposed, small as a mouse beneath a boot. Mercy, he realized,

voice low and hard as stone. "Remember to be humble if you want to survive, Alfred Kingston. You are nowhere near as big as you think when you

guard's boot smashed Alfred's face into the dirt

the world narrow-breath shallow, pain flaring—and knew if he didn't

Alfred croaked at

guard landed one last kick, then stepped back. "Doctor — take them to the hospital. The king has warned; let this be their final lesson. If they don't learn, there'll be no place left for them on

not far off, felt the ground shift beneath

for them either. He

it comes like

before the

Alex, his face set like carved granite, every line

My line has served the

Mr. Knight," Alex said. "Kelly is like a sister to me. She's free to act, and I won't

answered, relief barely

Kingswell operatives in the neighboring countries are digging for answers. I need someone I trust to hold this country steady-use it as a base to reach others. Can

your will is my

the peace. I'll move to the level I need to cross into other countries

Keaton bowed low.

turned, shoulders squared, and

left behind the smoke and blood of Los Angeles, cutting through the darkness toward Vancouver, back to his small clinic-alone beneath vast,

belongs to s

far away outside the clinic, his boots crunching softly

gravel.

he truly meant to leave the country, to step into the wider world, then someone had

to watch over it

and Keaton the strongest in the land after him-his country could stand firma unshaken, and stride toward a better and

belongs to s

of

was gone.

if he ever found his mother and father, he wanted to face them

he'd known, only

radiant even in the darkest hours. She had been his light when he felt

make a good

the best choice-her

ring, the most precious he had ever acquired. He held it in his palm, eyes steady With this, propose to Josephine-make her my wife, the her of my child, and

could be waiting just beyond

Alex reached the

on the chair out front.

lit up

as the

you been? I've been waiting for

sparkling.

a soft smile, reaching out to take her arm.

moment their hands touched, he felt it—something

threading itself

you," they both blurted at

surprised, staring at each