Princess Reigns Read online

  PRINCESS REIGNS

  A Novel

  By

  Roger Williams

  Copyright © 2021 Roger Williams.

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form, or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical, methods without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  About the Author

  PART ONE

  Chapter One

  Ava was determined – this man was going to die. Bim was a slithering coward. Ava was sure that once she got her hands on him, he would be a dead coward as well. She chased him around the tiny office, her long blonde hair whirling about on her head. The little man was terrified. Fear wracked his worn-looking face. Sweat dripped from that face and fell onto his old, gray, wrinkled suit. He ran behind Ava’s desk. Ava arrived there also, nearly tripping on her long white dress. She picked up a book from the desk and threw it at him. Bim ducked and the book crashed against the wall.

  “I said I was sorry, Ava,” Bim begged.

  “You no good runt. I ought to send your ass back to prison where it belongs.”

  “Don’t do that, Ava. I’ll do better next time. I promise.”

  Bim ran from behind the desk and then hurried over to Joe. Joe was a huge man with short black hair. He was in his mid-thirties. He stood there with his arms crossed, rather amused at the whole thing. He too wore a suit. Bim tried to hide behind him.

  Ava showed no mercy. She too hurried over to Joe. While Joe stood there with his grin getting wider by the second, Ava reached around him and tried to hit Bim with her left fist. When that attempt failed, she tried the right fist. It was back to the left, then it was back to the right. She continuously tried to hit him. Bim dodged from side to side, yelling out in fear with each of Ava’s attempts.

  Ava chased the poor man in a circle around Joe, who couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Cut it out, Ava,” Bim implored. “I’m too old. You gonna give me a heart attack.”

  “The hell I am. I’m gonna cut your damn heart out!”

  Bim tried to make a run for the door. Ava smirked excitedly at seeing him do it. She knew that she would easily nab him before he got there. But just as she was about to take off after him, Joe grabbed her. He wrapped both arms around her waist.

  “Let me go, damn it!” Ava shouted. “Let me go, Joe!” She tried desperately to break free.

  “Just take it easy, Ava,” Joe said calmly. “And Bim, you stop right there.”

  Bim stopped at the door, his hand clutching the knob.

  “You crazy? She’s gonna beat the hell outta me.”

  “No I ain't,” Ava screamed. “I’m gonna kill your ass.”

  “Bim, don’t go through that door,” Joe ordered. “I’ll calm her down.”

  “You can’t calm that monster down.”

  “You might as well take it now.”

  “You’re damn right,” yelled Ava. She swung out her arms; she kicked out her legs. Still, she couldn’t break free from Joe.

  Bim stayed at the door. But he was poised to run through it at any time.

  “Just cool it, Ava,” said Joe. “You don’t want to hurt nobody. What about your image?”

  “Just let me have one shot at him,” Ava retorted.

  “No. You’re gonna be on before long. You need to get in the right frame of mind.”

  “Joe, I can’t take it anymore. He’s not bringing in his fair share.”

  “What good is beating him up gonna do? Is he gonna bring in anything, then?”

  Ava didn’t say anything. She just stood there in Joe’s arms, seething. She could feel more and more blood rushing to her face.

  “Just get off your chest what you got to say,” said Joe. “He’ll get the point.”

  “He ain’t got it so far.”

  “He’ll get it this time. Don’t he look like it?”

  Ava stared at the frightened man. Bim shook with fear. His hand twitched, as if it were itching to turn that doorknob.

  “Let me go,” Ava said. “I won’t hurt him . . . At least, I’ll do my best.”

  “You sure?” answered Joe.

  “I won’t hurt him, I said,” Ava snapped. “Now let me go.”

  Slowly but surely, Joe released his grip on Ava. When Ava was free, she put a sneer on her face that caused Bim to shake yet more. Ava tried her best to compose herself. She felt as if she wanted to explode like a volcano – but she fought with everything inside of her to keep from going for Bim’s neck.

  Carefully, she walked over to Bim. Bim drew up a little in fear. But oh, how Ava wanted to squeeze the very life out of him. It was so tempting. But composure, that’s what she had to think about. Composure.

  When she arrived at Bim, he let go of the doorknob. Instead, he leaned back against the door, his arms outspread. Terror ripped through his eyes, as Ava stared straight into them. Ava raised a pointed index finger, and she placed it right between Bim’s eyes. She fought to keep her voice low.

  “ . . . Now you look here, you piece of shit. When I say, I want you to bring in two hundred dollars a week, I mean – two hundred dollars a week. You got that?”

  Bim couldn’t speak. All he did was nod his head.

  “This is the third straight week you’re short. How hard can it be to bring in donations? Everybody else does it.”

  “I’m . . . I’m sorry.”

  “I know you’re sorry. That ain’t the point. You better start bringing in my money. Otherwise, I’m going to your probation officer, and I’m gonna have him send your sorry ass back up the river.”

  “Please,” Bim’s voice was pleadful. “Please don’t do that. I’ll get you the money.”

  “Bim . . . just get out of my sight. ‘Cause if you don’t, you won’t have to go to prison.” Ava’s voice suddenly raised several octaves. “Your ass’ll be in the graveyard instead,” she screamed.

  Bim knew when he was lucky to escape with his life. He turned and
ripped open the door. He was out of it in a flash. The door slammed behind him.

  Ava stood there, staring at the door, and wondering if she shouldn’t go after the little wimp. She felt Joe come up behind her. He put his hands on top of her shoulders.

  “Now, now, Ava,” he said. “There’s not a whole lot of time left before the sermon. Get yourself together.”

  “I’m mad, Joe. Mad as hell. I’m gonna give the most fiery sermon I’ve given in a long time.”

  “That’s right. Channel that anger in a good direction.”

  “And all the while, as I’m walking up and down that stage, I’m gonna pretend it’s Bim I’m stepping on – with my spiked heels. There’ll be blood everywhere.”

  All Joe could do was drop his head on her shoulder. He broke into a hearty laugh.

  Ava sat in the small bathroom that was across the hall from her office. As always, she was dressed to kill – a long silky royal blue dress that reached down to her ankles, silvery opened-toed high heels. Silk stockings. The dress was slightly slit in the middle; it covered her shoulders, but there was just a touch of cleavage. The door was open. She sat in a rolling chair that was in front of the sink. There was a section of newspaper resting on the sink. The toilet was to the right. Like her office, this was a tiny place also. Ava hated it as much as she hated her office. She hated everything about this tiny church.

  There was a mirror over the sink. Ava looked at herself in the mirror. She had just finished touching up her makeup. She was twenty-eight and gorgeous. She had ocean blue eyes. Her skin was dark. Her hair curved in a smooth bang that covered her forehead and eyebrows. She stood up. Her waistline was extremely trim. Her busts were big, but not too big. All her life she had been told that she had great legs, but she knew that she had more than just legs. She had it all. Any man in the world would be lucky to have her. But she had ended up with that idiot – Henry. But it didn’t matter. She had a master plan, and once she had it well under way, she would dump that bum. For the time being, however, she needed him.

  No doubt – Ava's highly-ambitious mind couldn't help but temporarily take over – she had seriously ambitious plans. This stink-hole of a church would never keep her trapped here. She was even hoping one day she might be able to join the Brandersons. They practically owned, and some said it wasn't just practical, Hastings – Del Toray's sister city next door. It was about the same size, and population make up. They were an extremely rich family. The patriarch, once a CIA chief, had resigned after years of service, and he had then built a textile business into one of the biggest in the country. He had then used his wealth and power to infiltrate the government of Hastings. He had provided the bulk of employment for the city. He had threatened to move his business somewhere else, probably overseas, if his seemingly endless demands weren't met. And they were demands that constantly benefited Branderson Textiles. The workers pay got smaller, the benefits became less; the work hours became more.

  And when the workers had started to complain, Asa Branderson had used one of the city's most prominent ministers to keep them under control. The company had been forced to make such demands, he had implored upon them. It was the only way they could stay competitive.

  Everybody had to be in this together. Sacrifices had to be made. Even though workers needed to give up a certain amount of benefits, they would at least have jobs. They needed to be grateful. The employees had listened to him. The Brandersons had been absolutely delighted.

  Berry Burns was his name. Ava knew him quite well. He was a very wealthy minister in the city of Hastings. He had explained everything to her, one morning after they had awakened together in his plush penthouse apartment. Henry had dropped her off there; she had had church work to do, she had said. Henry hadn't suspected a thing.

  In exchange for helping the Brandersons keep the workers under control, Burns had been rewarded with much positive exposure, and financial support. He had gone from being prominent, to being extremely prominent. His wealth had grown immensely. He was now even growing a good-sized national following.

  And the Brandersons were hoping to be able to use other ministers like Burns in the same manner. They were even considering trying to expand their own power nationwide, working with other corporations to gain the same kind of power that they were experiencing in Hastings. If corporations could rule the country the way that the Brandersons ruled Hastings, then their wealth could be limitless. The powers-that-be could rule the country, maybe even the world. For Asa Branderson, there was nothing like money and power. Some people had to rule, some had to be ruled. That was the natural order of things. The survival of the fittest. Checks and balances eventually checked each other away. Society could never succeed in the long run with equality. When people could be controlled as needed, then they could cause no trouble. Control their money – control them. It was that simple for Asa Branderson. It was so obvious to him.

  It was also obvious that he was a sick man. Ava knew that. But she had no problems with his beliefs, as long as she could be on the positive side of things – or his side. She was considered a serious possibility of becoming one of those ministers that could help with developing the kind of society that the Brandersons wanted to see. She seemed to be good at twisting the Bible to make people believe that they had to sacrifice completely in this life, in order to make it to the joy of the next one. That's what Berry had told her. However, he and the Brandersons needed to see more of Ava. They were pretty impressed with her; but they still needed proof that she could make people follow her in large masses. If she could, then they could definitely use her. Right now, she was still too small time. There was definitely promise there, though.

  However, for Ava, whether the Brandersons could use her or not, she was still determined to make it to the top. She would definitely love to have Branderson backing, but nothing would stop her. She was going places, and it would happen, whether those assholes helped her or not.

  She sat back down, a little exhausted from her thoughts of grandeur. She looked at the newspaper on the sink. It was the Neighbors’ section. She immediately put a scowl on her face. There he was; the kind of man who would probably work feverishly to bring people like the Brandersons down. He would probably even take the attitude – somebody had to. She had read this article earlier, and it had disgusted her. On the front page was a fiftyish man with white hair. The photo showed the man working in a soup line, helping to feed the poor. The soup line was sponsored by the man’s church – New Hope Baptist – which was just a short ways down the street from Ava’s church. “Reverend Holt Community Saviour” was how the headline read. He was always doing things like that, Ava thought, and it made her angry enough to want to kill him. He constantly took publicity away from her little church. As long as he was down the street, she feared it might stifle her progress. She didn’t have the money to relocate. As for having her church perform community services like New Hope, she considered that to be a waste of time. It cost money to run soup lines. She preferred that all her money remain in the church. It was all right for money to come in, but never to go out. As far as she was concerned, giving a great sermon was all that she owed the community.

  She had to find a way to get rid of that A-hole. He was so highly thought of; he was a saint according to everybody who knew him. Well she was sure that every single person on this earth had closet skeletons and weaknesses. She would find a way to expose those of the great Reverend Holt.

  However, for the time being, there was only one thing to concentrate on, and that was giving a great show tonight. She looked at her watch. It was time for her to leave this bathroom and walk down that narrow, dingy hallway which led to the stage. One day, that hallway would be replaced by one which had plush carpeting, and was flanked by a luscious concourse area. At least that would be one of the many amenities that her huge, arena-like church would have. It was a church which she would one day build. However, that would be then. This was now.

  “Ava,” she heard Joe�
�s voice call from down the hall.

  “I’m coming,” Ava answered.

  She stood up. She admired herself in the mirror for a few seconds. God, but she was beautiful, she told herself. She simply looked too good to not have big things in store for her future. They would happen. She would see to it. Failure was for the ugly. Beauty like hers was bound for success. She grinned at herself.

  “All right, Ava, baby. Your best sermon of 2018, coming right up. You going out there tonight, and knocking ‘em dead. Old boy Satan, tonight, I’m gonna whip your ass.”

  She whisked herself around. She strutted out of the bathroom.

  Chapter Two

  She stormed up and down the stage like a woman gone mad. She held a microphone at her mouth. The tiny church was filled to capacity. Some people were on their feet. They clapped their hands; they stomped their feet. There were a couple of people who even spun around in circles in the aisles. This had once been a very reserved congregation. But Ava proudly boasted to anyone, that in the three years since she had taken control of these people, she had completely transformed them. No congregation in the entire city of Del Toray ever got as excited as Ava’s. This was definitely her calling. She knew how to make people get into the spirit. No matter the race, Ava struck people like a bolt of lightning when it came to the almighty word.

  “Yeah!” she shouted. “Can I get some witnesses? Yeah!”

  Everyone in the congregation shouted back: “Yeah!”

  “You people ain’t loud enough. Do you love the Lord? Say ‘Yeah!’”

  Everyone obeyed to the top of their lungs.

  Sweat poured down Ava’s face. Her eye shadow ran down her face. She couldn’t have cared less. She had these people right where she wanted them, which was in the palm of her hands. She loved the feeling. She loved that power.

  “The devil thinks he’s such hot stuff. Well let me tell you, people, he ain’t diddly squat. He’s a useless piece of dirt. He'll never be able to handle the Lord, ‘cause the Lord has us warriors to back him up. We soldiers ain’t gonna never let the devil destroy us, now are we?”