Prologue
Reign
My mother named me Reign, convinced that one day I would rule the world.
With five older brothers twisted around my little finger before I even took my first steps, she predicted I would have the power to bring kings to their knees.
If only she knew how right she had been.
Standing here now, staring down into the eyes of the men I love—the mighty Kings of Carnage—as they’re pinned to the floor by a swarm of cops, is likely not what she had in mind.
They watch on helplessly, struggling to pull free as handcuffs are snapped tightly around my wrists. Their anger is palpable: at me, maybe, at the situation, for sure. It doesn’t matter; it changes nothing.
“Reign Foster, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have read to you?”
I nod my head on autopilot, but my eyes stay fixed on my guys.
Being charged with the attempted murder of a police officer is not something you just walk away from.
But perhaps, I should start at the beginning, back before I became a wanted felon and Carnage royalty.
Chapter One
Reign
“You know, when your mother and I found out we were having a daughter, we thought we would finally be getting a child that would be sweet and kind, balancing out her brothers’ rough edges,” my father says from the driver’s seat of the squad car.
“You don’t get to blame me for your parenting skills, old man. If you wanted soft and sweet, you should have taken me for dance classes instead of the shooting-range.” I give him a pointed look.
“Yes, this is, of course, my fault,” he answers sarcastically.
I sigh. “It’s okay, Dad, I won’t hold it against you.”
We sit quietly for a moment, me slurping the milkshake I made him swing through the drive-through for, while my dad is likely thinking of ways to marry me off so I’m someone else’s problem.
“So, what happened?” he eventually asks as we pull up outside the precinct.
“Well, papa dearest, it seems that not all men understand that no means no, so I kindly offered up a reminder,” I explain, climbing from the car when it comes to a stop.
“You almost ripped a man’s balls off, Reign,” he reminds me with a sigh as he climbs out and slams his door. “You should have called me. How many times have I told you violence is not the answer?”
“Mmmm… those words do sound vaguely familiar. I’ll be sure to call you next time I find myself pinned over the hood of a car while someone grinds his dick into me,” I snap, frustrated.
“He did what?” my father’s voice grits out.
Oops, I really didn’t mean to blurt that out like that.
“It’s fine. I think I popped one of the tiny Tic Tacs he had masquerading as balls, so he’ll think next time he tries to corner someone.”
“Oh, he’ll think all right, when I finish the job, rip off his dick, and feed it to the dog,” my dad mumbles under his breath.
“Tsk tsk, Daddio, violence is not the answer,” I tell him with a sweet smile as he holds the door to the police station open for me.
“One day, Raindrop, your mouth is going to get you into the kind of trouble I can’t get you out of,” he warns me with a shake of his head.
“You have been saying that for as long as I can remember, and yet I’ve made it to twenty-four relatively unscathed,” I muse aloud, choosing wisely not to mention any of the close shaves my brothers have had to bail me out of over the years. Not going to lie, having a family full of cops has its benefits, but it has its drawbacks too. Do you have any idea how hard it is to date when my siblings all stand over six feet and carry guns?
“Hmm,” he grunts, maneuvering me around the reception desk where Jan, a buxom blonde secretary with huge boobs that are remarkably perky for her age, sits filing her nails, not even sparing us a glance.
“You’re the reason I have gray hair, don’t even try to deny it,” he grumbles.
I roll my eyes and follow him down the corridor that leads to the bullpen where most