Jericho''s breath rasped as Alex''s boot ground into his neck.
His checks med with humiliation, and his eyes red with rage and panic.
In all his years wing his way up-from Vancouver''s back alleys to Vermont''s glitzy political stage-Jericho had believed himself untouchable.
But now hey in the dirt like a trampled dog, struggling for every breath under some unstoppable force of a man barely in his
twenties.
He spat dirt from his mouth.
"Let me go..." It came out as a pathetic wheeze, his voice cracking with desperation.
His pilot had been filming everything, eager to broadcast Jericho''s triumph to certain smug rtives who''d been hoping to witness him punishing Alex.
Instead, they watched live as Jericho''s nose hit the ground and Alex''s foot pressed into him, forcing him to choke on his own
shame.
The Vermont families, once bowing to every word Jericho uttered, now stared in horror at his defeat.
They couldn''t hear the words exchanged, but they saw enough: Jericho Kane, ttened and forced to kiss the concrete.
Panic spread, and suddenly they rushed to contact Kelly Kingston, throwing their support behind a new governor.
Alex''s voice was calm, but each syble ripped at Jericho''s pride.
"Surrender the governorship. Do it willingly, and you and your family get to keep your wealth. You''ll stay in business. That''s my offer."
Jericho''s throat constricted. "And if I refuse?"
Alex pressed down, making Jericho''s bones scream.
"I kill you here. Then I''ll find your whole family. You won''t have a dime left to your name."
He eased up only enough to let Jericho gasp.
"The king has already shown you mercy, even after you schemed to rebel. You think you''re so mighty?"
A bolt of terror shot through Jericho. His neck felt on the verge of snapping.
"Fine," he coughed. "I''ll step down. Just... let me keep my fortune."
Alex lifted his boot. "That''s the deal. Don''t make mee back for you."
Jericho, ribs aching and bones nearly broken, tried to prop himself up. His voice was weak, ragged.
"Who the hell are you?"
"It doesn''t matter," Alex said, turning on his heel.
Jericho''s fury exploded in a raw, ugly snarl.
"You... you''re nothing but the king''s attack dog."
He shouted into the darkness, watching his own ambition dissolve into dust.
He''d spent decades building his power.
Now, all he had left was defeat-his allies fleeing and the governorship lost in a single, brutal night.
His chest throbbed with rage and despair.
If only he''d never aimed so high...
if only he''d reined in his spiteful daughter...
if only he''d never dared rebel against the king...
Now it was toote.
Meanwhile, just an hour earlier, chaos had broken out at the hospital.
20
"Miss Lancaster, bad news!" Megan burst into the ward, panting, hair stered to his brow. "Something awful is happening!"
Florence Lancaster jolted awake.
She stared, startled. Nearby rtives, who''d been dozing in theers, red at Megan''s intrusion.
"Why are you so frantic? What''s going on?" Florence''s voice quivered.
Megan sucked in a breath.
"It''s the Kanes. Jericho Kane is using every contact, every supplier in Vermont to attack us. Half of Vancouver''s businesses have cut ties with the Lancaster Group-our deals are being canceled left and right."
Gasps and curses filled the ward. Florence''s heart pounded. "Are you sure?" Megan nodded, grim.
"I''d never joke about this. Our stock prices are plunging by the minute. If this keeps up, we''ll be bankrupt by tomorrow."
Panic erupted among the Lancaster rtives.
"What did we ever do to the Kanes?!"
"Why are they targeting us?"
"Jericho''s daughter already hit our Sophia, and now he wants to destroy everything we''ve built?"
They knew Jericho''s reach was vast.
One nod from him could shatter families and businesses alike.
-a testament to the recent
Florence turned to ra, who was sleeping on the side with fresh bandages on her abdomen-
violence.
"ra, did we offend the Kanes somehow? What caused this nightmare?"
ra hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
"It''s... Alex. He showed up at Jericho''s party and beat up Be Kane. Now they''re out for revenge."
She kept quiet about her own hidden part in the scheme.
Florence''s face darkened.
"That useless bastard Alex again. We cut ties with him, but apparently that''s not enough for Jericho." She spat in fury.
"He should suffer for what he did! Why are we the ones suffering?" one of the rtives hissed.
"I''m sick of paying for his mistakes!" another snarled.
But the shouting gave way to hopeless silence. Sophia was still unconscious, their
best negotiator out ofmission.
None of them had the clout to meet Jericho face-to-face.
Just then, Charles Kingston stepped into the ward.
Florence rushed over, grabbing his sleeve. "Charles, thank goodness! You have to
save us. The Lancaster family is on the edge."
Charles nced around at the frightened faces.
"Tell me everything," he said gently.
Florence''s words tumbled out: "Alex picked a fight, beat Jericho''s daughter. Now
the Kanes want to ruin us. You have connections to Jericho-please, talk to him. Ask him to spare us."
Her voice quavered. "If he wants Alex''s blood, I''ll hand that idiot over in chains. Just protect us, please."
The desperation in her eyes cut through the room.
Others chimed in, ragged with fear. "Yes! We''ll tie Alex up ourselves if we have to!"
Charles nodded slowly.
"I''ll do what I can," he said, though a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
All he had to do was whisper a word to his sister-and she''d unleash hell for Alex,unching a full-blown war against Jericho
Kane.
Everything was already dancing in the palm of his hand.
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