Sweeter Than Honey

by Mary B. Morrison

  Valentino massaged his thin mustache with his thumb and pointing finger, thrust out his chest, hoisted up his pants, then turned away.

  “Wait!” I yelled to his back. “Why did you think Sunny was dead?”

  “Straight up, because you know she is.” Valentino went inside and slammed the front door.

  Tears filled with anger streamed down my face. I wasn’t supposed to develop feelings for Valentino. Okay, Lace, pull yourself together. So, what…the part of your plan to fuck Valentino so he wouldn’t fuck Sunny didn’t work out. But was Sunny dead or alive? Who in the hell did I pick up at that bar? No, stop tripping. That was definitely Sunny inside and this was still her last night working no matter what Valentino said.

  Glancing at my watch, I zoomed out of the gate and drove far away from Valentino’s hidden cameras. Hell, I was the madam and I didn’t give a damn about Valentino fucking any of my other girls, but I hoped security would keep their dicks in their pants and follow my instructions to protect Sunny.

  Parking my Jaguar adjacent to the under-construction lot for Camino Al Norte Professional Center, I dialed 702-555…calling this Sapphire woman at exactly 10:04 just in case she wasn’t bluffin’ about causing harm to Sunny.

  “Good. You are a smart woman and your timing is impeccable. Meet me at Valentino’s home in five minutes.”

  That trick was certifiably crazy. I questioned, “Why?”

  “I can’t say but you do have a choice. You can be on your way to the house or to jail, the choice is yours.”

  The moment Sapphire ended the call, I realized who she was but couldn’t recall her last name. I’d seen her someplace else other than at the bars. Picturing her with no makeup and without the wig, I yelled, “Fuck!” banging my fist against the steering wheel, contemplating what to do next. Sapphire Bleu was the undercover cop my ex-madam had given me a picture of and warned me about.

  I thought my madam was trippin’, jealous, and trying to convince me it was safer to stay at Pussyland Ranch working for her for a measly raise of fifty dollars an hour. Scrolling through my mental Rolodex, I dialed my ex-madam’s number.

  “Pussyland Ranch, Triple D speaking.”

  “Madam, this is Lace. I need your help.”

  “Well, I haven’t heard from you in over a decade. No hello, how you doing. Now you need me?”

  “Please, Triple D, I don’t have much time. I need you to tell me everything you know about Sapphire Bleu.”

  “So she finally caught up to Valentino, huh? I tried to warn him. I knew it was just a matter of time. Eventually she’ll catch all the big-timers illegally running girls inside the county limits.”

  I didn’t want to sound rude but I didn’t have time to listen to all that shit. “Triple D, what can you tell me?”

  “One, she likes women. Two, be afraid. Be very afraid. But if you need a safe, clean place to work, call me. I could use a skilled assistant.” Triple D concluded, “I’ve got to go, my johns are arriving,” then hung up.

  “What a waste of my time.” Not really, but there was no one else I could phone, which made me realize I didn’t have the real alliances I needed in this business to protect myself. Triple D made a good point. I should’ve kept in touch with her over the years as opposed to calling her only because I needed her. Obviously Valentino had called her. Never had I been so confused. If I went to Valentino’s, was I volunteering to wear an orange jumpsuit and a pair of handcuffs? If I went to jail, would Valentino let my ass stay in jail or bail me out? If I went to Valentino’s, this might be my last day of freedom.

  If I didn’t go, my life might be in jeopardy. If they found Benito, his ass probably blew every whistle they stuck in his mouth telling them everything he knew. At this point I wasn’t sure if Sunny was dead or at IP. That woman Valentino was probably fucking right now could be one of those Vegas lookalikes hired for this sting operation.

  Cruising along Ann Road, approaching Valentino’s home, I decreased my speed to three miles an hour. An unmarked van was in the Walgreen’s parking lot. Yellow caution tape was wrapped around Valentino’s mansion. And a miniature SWAT team dressed in black gear with gas masks guarded the surroundings.

  No fucking way, I thought, getting ready to slam my accelerator, when a blinding flashlight beamed through my windshield.

  Someone yelled, “Get out of the car!”

  Okay, I had one gun; they had God knows how many.

  I stepped slowly out of my car, and the light vanished as Sapphire raced over, grabbed my arm, then rushed me past four security men inside the mansion.

  “We don’t have much time,” she said. “Valentino is at Immaculate Perception fucking Summer. I’ve got two men posted outside the whorehouse to detain him, and if you help me find what I’m looking for we can slow our pace because NLVPD will arrest Valentino.”

  Prying away her fingers, I asked, “Who did you say he was fucking?”

  “Huh? What? That’s not important. I can explain that later. Right now we’ve got to keep it moving. Where does Valentino hide his drugs, his money, his guns, his surveillance videos, and his client list?”

  Pacing back and forth atop the shark tank, I considered getting the remote, opening the floor beneath Sapphire, and drowning her ass, but somehow I felt she already had the controller in her possession. Asking her why she needed so much so quick would’ve been a waste of time, so I lied and said, “I don’t know,” when I knew where everything in Valentino’s house was except my First Lady book.

  “Bitch, I told you. You can be on my team or go down with his team starting with the deaths of Reynolds Washington and Sunny Day.”

  “Sunny is at IP like you instructed us, so how could I have killed her?”

  “Get your asses in here and arrest this bitch! I don’t have time to play games!”

  Two of the four security men I saw outside raced into the room, grabbed my arms, then pulled out their handcuffs and flipped the metal loops open. This was not a smart time to pull out my gun. Triple D’s voice echoed, Be very afraid.

  “Okay, wait up. I’ll cooperate.”

  Sapphire nodded and just like they had appeared, the security men vanished.

  Reluctantly I told Sapphire, “Follow me,” fearing my ass might still be arrested once she got what she wanted. I couldn’t go to jail. I had to bury Honey.

  Leading Sapphire to the basement, I opened doors number one, two, and three.

  Searching inside the first closet, Sapphire said, “You wanna play games?”

  “Step back,” I told her, getting my gun out and firing two shots into the bottom body bags.

  Cocaine poured like water. Struggling, I grabbed the sides of the middle bag and huffed until it collapsed the ones on top to the floor. While I unzipped several bags, Sapphire’s eyes widened as wads of hundred dollar bills popped out of the bags.

  “Now, that’s what I’m talking about,” Sapphire said, walking up to me. She swatted my ass, cupped my breast, kissed my lips, then whispered, “Good job. I’m gonna take real good care of you, Lace. I want you.” Before I could answer, she yelled, “Down here, guys!”

  Nervously, I unlatched the storage trunks inside closet two. Valentino had enough weapons and ammunition to employ an infantry division of more than five hundred men. Stepping inside the third closet, I screamed, “Aaahh! What the fuck! When did he get that coffin? And who’s in it?”

  “Lace, you done good. My squad will take it from here. You’re free to go but there’s three things you can never do. One, you cannot go back to your house. Two, you cannot come back here or drive by Immaculate Perception. And three, you must never cross me. If you do, more than your ass will be mine. Every cop in town knows your cars and your license plates. And you cannot call me again. In exactly seventy-two hours I will call you.”

  “That’s four.”

  “I told you you’re smart. Now let’s see if you’re intelligent enough to figure out which ones you can do.”

  That was one of those
tricky-ass statements. I looked at Sapphire and said, “One more question.”

  “Yes, Sunny is dead. No, her body is not inside that coffin. The woman you dropped off at IP is Sunny’s twin sister, Summer.”

  “My God. Yes. Now it’s starting to make sense. And Summer is the mother of Valentino’s son. Does she know what she’s doing? Is she—”

  “Safe? We’re doing our best to keep her that way.”

  Now I wished I hadn’t asked so many questions, especially since I couldn’t go anywhere near IP. On the way to my car, I bypassed the SWAT men posted outside the mansion. What a hellava way to end a fantastic operation. Valentino wasn’t perfect, but he treated us better than most pimps did their madams, wives-in-law, and whores. I hated to see him go out like this, but whenever a woman had to choose between saving her ass and that of a man, she’d better use her pussy power.

  I prayed Summer was okay, but the way that girl called Valentino Anthony, she was in love and in danger. If Sapphire couldn’t guarantee Summer’s safety and if Valentino’s life was threatened, I doubted Summer would make it through the night. Alive.

  CHAPTER 35

  Valentino

  “Anthony, please tell me what they’re saying is a lie. Please tell me you didn’t kill my sister.”

  Edging toward the swing, I thought a G like me wasn’t supposed to get all soft and shit on the inside, but this was the same warm, loving, caring Summer I knew years ago. I removed the mask and said, “Summer, is my son really alive and do you really have a twin? Don’t fuck with me. Straight, tell me what’s going on.”

  “Yes, our son is alive and…” Summer paused, swallowing hard, then said, “But my twin sister, Sunny, is dead.”

  The more questions I asked the more I had. Why hadn’t Summer mentioned a twin back when we were dating? Or was she lying? But I had watched a bitch kill herself. But how or why could Summer’s twin end up working for me as religious as Mr. Daniel was?

  “How do you know your twin is dead for sure?”

  Tears streamed down Summer’s flushed cheeks as she cried. “I saw her body.”

  “When? Where? Who showed it to you? Where’s she at now?”

  Hugging the swing, Summer started crying louder, but I didn’t give a fuck about that sentimental bullshit right now. I needed my fuckin’ questions answered. Cupping her hands, I begged, “Talk to Daddy. I have to know.”

  “Sapphire. Oops, I wasn’t supposed to tell you her name. That’s not her name. I can’t remember what her name is. All I know is that I saw my sister at the morgue. She was shot twice. And I hope the bastard that killed her burns in hell! Her funeral is tomorrow. It’s all my fault. I never should’ve let her leave home.”

  Summer backed into the corner. Her back slid against the wall until her ass touched the heels of her feet.

  I wanted to reach around the leather straps, bend over, and slap the fuck out of Summer. Her emotions were all over the place and a G didn’t have time for the nonsense. One minute calm, then screaming, then calm again, all the while crying every other word out of her mouth between sniffles.

  “Baby, it’s all right. What you should’ve done was told me five years ago that you had a twin and you really should’ve told me that you didn’t abort my son.”

  If Summer had told me the truth back then, Sunny would be alive. Our lives would’ve been different. I would’ve been different.

  Fuck. For once that nigga Benito wasn’t lying. For once his dumb ass had his facts straight. I’d break him off something later for his loyalty.

  Summer’s voice deepened and her eyes widened, then scrolled up staring at me before disappearing behind her lids. I swear all I saw was the whites of her eyes and that shit freaked me the fuck out. That bitch looked possessed.

  “Now answer a question for me,” she growled angrily. “Did you or did you not kill my sister?”

  Moving the swing from between us, I told the truth. “No, I swear I did not kill your sister.”

  “Then do you know who did? Because when I find out, I’m going to kill them the same way they killed Sunny.”

  Summer wasn’t brave enough to hold a gun, let alone pull the trigger. She nestled her face between her knees.

  Calmly I answered, “No, I don’t. Look at me, Summer. All I know is I’m happy you came back to me. I need you. Let me hold you in my arms again. Come to Daddy. Let me make love to you, baby.”

  I knew just how to stoke Summer’s cheeks, gently kiss her lips, massage her neck, which I could’ve snapped for her making that threat, but I cradled her into my arms because if only for one night this was the love I needed in my life. The strength I needed to hold on to in order to let all that other shit go. I led my baby to the bed, and we lay together in silence for a moment.

  Interrupting the quietness, I said, “Summer, I’m gonna marry you. Let’s make our own twins tonight.” I searched Summer’s body, relieved I didn’t see any of those egg-killing birth control patches, then asked, “Are you on the pill?”

  Summer shook her head as tears streamed from her beautiful big, brown, innocent eyes. I definitely recognized the personality difference from her sister, but if Sunny was here too, aw, shit, that would’ve been amazing to fuck both of them at the same time. Sunny was a woman. Summer was a girl trapped inside a woman’s body. Great balance for a threesome.

  Focusing on my baby, I was happy that Summer didn’t resist me. Whatever drugs they’d given her to set me up worked in my favor.

  Easing the straps over Summer’s shoulders, I kissed her nipples, grazing my tongue over the tip. “Lie down, my love. I’m here for you and I’m never letting you get away from me again.”

  Removing the packet of white powder from my pocket, I saturated my tongue, parted Summer’s thighs, then pressed the magic chemicals against her clit. Instantly Summer’s juices flowed. Glancing up at my bitch, I watched her eyes roll to the back of her head. Lifting her hood with my tongue, I mashed more powder on her clit.

  “Anthony, that feels so good I can’t stop coming.”

  “I know, baby,” I said, dabbing the powder on my dick before climbing on top of Summer.

  Spreading her legs, I eased inside. “Damn, baby, you’re tight.”

  Inching my dick along her cushioned walls, I wanted to make love to Summer, not hurt her. And I was serious, I wanted her to have my baby again. Just knowing I had a son made me proud. I couldn’t wait to see him, hold him, toss that lil’ sucker in the air. That was my seed and this was my lady.

  My dick finally curved into Summer’s pussy pocket. Pressing as deep as I could, I moaned, “Come with me, baby. Come for Daddy.”

  I didn’t want to hold on to this nut. I wanted to explode every sperm in my nuts deep into her stomach.

  Locking her legs around my ass and wrapping her arms around my shoulders, Summer kissed me. “I love you, Anthony. I never stopped thinking about you. You were always good to me.”

  “And you were always good for…Urgh!” I grunted several times, shooting all the come I could thrust inside Summer, praying for her to have my child. “I love you too, Summer. Always have. Always will.”

  Gazing into my eyes, she asked, “You mean that?”

  “Yes, I really do.” And I did. In my special way.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  “Go the fuck away,” I said. “A nigga can’t have a moment of peace and relaxation. Whatever the fuck it is handle it. That’s what I pay you motherfuckers for.”

  Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.

  “Stay right here, baby. Do not get up and spill my seeds. Let me see who the fuck needs an ass whuppin’.”

  Quietly stepping to the door, I leaned my eye over the peephole, then stood there for a moment. Shit outside the door was too fucking quiet for a G.

  “Police! Valentino James, we know you’re in there! Open up!”

  Scrambling, I quickly put on my pants, shirt, and shoes. Should I take this bitch with me as a hostage, or leave her ass here? Because
her drugged ass is going to slow me down.

  “Hurry up,” I said, tossing Summer her dress. “Put this on.”

  “What’s going on?” Summer asked, trying to put on her shoes.

  “Bitch, you gon’ break your damn neck.” If I didn’t break it for her. “You can’t walk, let alone run in those shoes. Here, put on my socks.”

  “They don’t match my dress.”

  Bam! Bam! “You’ve got three seconds! One, two—”

  By the time that fuckin’ cop got to three, I’d slipped behind the clothes in the closet, made my way through my hidden door, down three flights of stairs, and to my underground tunnel.

  “Hurry up, girl, you gon’ get us killed,” I told Summer, regretting I’d taken her with me.

  Easing my way through the secret door, we stepped into my private home I’d never told anyone about, not even Lace’s nosy ass. I bet that bitch was behind this shit. That or she’d fucked up and led the police to me, ’cause those motherfuckers knew my name and exactly where I was. I guess all my bitches were locked up by now too.

  Or, I thought, staring at Summer, “Bitch, did you set me up? Think before you open your motherfuckin’ mouth, because if you had anything to do with this, you’re one dead bitch. Who in the fuck is Sapphire?”

  CHAPTER 36

  Lace

  Life was less risky at the Pussyland Ranch. I’d be safe there, but there was no way at the age of thirty I could go back to fucking men to make a living.

  I’d learned so much since Rita had kicked me out of her house. Girls who were given every material thing they wanted were cool as long as they didn’t want their parents’ love. True love, that is.

  People, men, johns, families with money somehow thought they could buy affection, some saying, “Aw, honey, I’m sorry I have to fly off again but happy anniversary, I bought you a new car. Good-bye.” Not caring, not even noticing if the person was truly happy with the car. She might have been happier with a candlelight dinner sitting next to, not across from him. A stroll in the park reminiscing and creating fond memories would’ve given her an emotional tune-up that might have exceeded the joy of her having yet another material object of affection while she struggled by herself to raise their children.