Sweeter Than Honey (21 page)

L
ace was more than Anthony’s madam; she acted more like his woman or his wife.

I didn’t know much about the pimping industry, but I knew what having to hide my emotions of loving someone felt like. The way Lace escorted me into Anthony’s office squeezing my biceps, the way Anthony sat there in front of us naked like he had more than his socks on. The way Lace tried to control me, standing beside me with her hands on her hips, exposed her insecurities. I felt Lace was questioning Anthony in her own way by using her body language to ask, “Do you want her? Or me?”

In my moment of standing in the presence of Lace and Anthony, I realized Sapphire was right. Anthony didn’t kill Sunny, Lace did. Lace was jealous of Sunny, in love with Sunny, and in love with Anthony. She wanted it all, but I know Sunny, and my sister was no bisexual freak and she wasn’t having it. That probably made Lace angry.

Lace wanted Anthony for herself and I felt like she wanted me too the way she’d frisked me all over. But did Sunny ever want Anthony? I couldn’t blame any woman for falling for Anthoy. The minute I saw my baby’s daddy, I wanted him back in my life and I wanted Anthony to meet his son. But the way Lace screamed, “What baby?” let me know for sure she was pissed at Anthony for not telling her he had a kid.

Lace was quiet during the ride to wherever we were on our way to next. With all the dizziness winding in my head, I couldn’t figure out why she had so much to say earlier and nothing to say now. Maybe like me, Lace was trying to make sense of everything including why Anthony didn’t have on his underwear. That was disrespectful.

The thing that frightened me the most were those sharks. The aquarium was beautiful, but when I saw those pointed teeth I wanted to scramble, but the shock on Anthony’s face distracted me. An innocent, naive girl from a small town who had no idea what went on outside Henderson, Nevada, was coaxed overnight into prostitution. Sapphire had promised if everything went as planned I wouldn’t have to do this again. But with so much happening so fast I had to remember to ask Sapphire where that football player was who’d followed me home.

I’d only been in this business for a few hours and I was ready to quit. I hoped this mystery of who killed my sister was resolved soon so I could get back to my parents, my baby, and my classes. I didn’t mean to sound insensitive, but trying to mourn my sister’s death in the midst of all this was giving me a migraine. The thought of being on track to graduate after completing my last semester gave me something positive to focus on. Grad school outside Las Vegas, hell, outside Nevada, was definitely appealing, but I didn’t want to take my son with me and I couldn’t leave him behind.

Thus far everything had worked out exactly how Sapphire explained it would. Sapphire was strikingly beautiful. Her small petite frame was perfect. I couldn’t see that the first time we’d met at the steak house ’cause she had on that sweatshirt, but at the casino tonight she was dressed different. She had large, sexy eyes accented with a sparkling blue shadow. Her lips were a shiny but light shade of pink. And her hair floated over her shoulders. Sapphire reminded me of Jada Pinkett-Smith when I saw
The Matrix 3.
Sapphire was a woman who was strong, sexy, and feminine all at the same time.

When Sapphire took my family to identify Sunny’s body, I cried for what must’ve been twenty-four hours straight. I was still crying on the inside. Or at least it felt like it. My stomach ached, my head hurt, and Lace was right, I was on drugs. But not crack or speed or cocaine or anything I’d become addicted to. I was on an unknown sedative that Sapphire said would control my emotions and prevent me from overreacting.

Before we arrived at the bar, Sapphire had rehearsed my script with me over and over like I was starring in a Broadway play, until I’d gotten every line memorized. But once Lace took me to the man she referred to as Valentino and I’d known as Anthony, I’d started ad-libbing. Hopefully I hadn’t ruined anything for Sapphire. Maybe I could get the sex part right and remember what the john Sapphire brought to the hotel earlier this afternoon had taught me on how to please a man. I’d never sucked a dick before and thank God Sapphire didn’t make me have anal sex like the guy tried to convince her.

“How’s she supposed to give her clients some ass if they ask for it? Come on, Sapphire, she’s a virgin booty. Let me break her in.”

Sapphire calmly said, “Forget it.”

Before leaving the hotel room, he kissed me, then said, “You’re a keeper, doll.”

His words resounding in my head suddenly made me shivering cold. Now here I was in a limo full of prostitutes I didn’t know except for Onyx and Starlet whom Sapphire had introduced me to on one occasion as Sunny’s friends.

I kinda liked Onyx more because she took on the role of big sister when she’d said, “You can count on me. Here’s your sister’s cell phone. I’m sure she wants you to have it. Oh yeah, and Sunny told me to make sure her parents know she was a good girl. Relay the message for me, will you? My number is in there.” She’d touched the phone one last time before I’d put it in my purse, and then she continued. “If you need me, call me. I got your back at all times.”

I wondered if she meant it but prayed I’d never had to find out. Starlet was quiet and clearly took her direction from Onyx. The blindfold was too tight, so I was relieved when they escorted us into the whorehouse and removed the satin coverings.

Well, here I was in a sinful place silently praying to God asking for His forgiveness. I had to help Sapphire get her promotion by solving her biggest case. She said I’d be helping other girls not to end up dead like my sister. Although Lace, Sapphire, and Anthony had their own motives, I did this for Sunny.

When we entered the place, I’d never seen so many men in my life who were eagerly waiting to fuck women. Had my sister slept with all of these men? I wanted to cry but the drugs wouldn’t let me. My pussy started twitching as Onyx led me to what she’d referred to as Sunny’s room, the Presidential Suite.

“Wait here. Your john will be in in a minute. If you need help, just press this button on the phone. You won’t hear anything, but I will.”

I wobbled around the room in the highest pair of heels I’d ever worn. The shortest dress I’d never wear in public. And the most makeup I’d ever had on that Sapphire had painted my face with. My blond hair swayed behind my back and I still smelled the fresh strawberry fragrance the stylist conditioned my hair with. A few enhancements to my wardrobe and hair along with a body scrub to make my skin glisten and a massage made me feel like a woman.

Lounging in the swing, I wondered,
Was this my sister’s?

The drugs made me feel weird. Like another person was inside my body. Touching the silver thong wedged between my lips, I traced my new acrylic French-manicured nails over my pussy and I tingled all over with pleasure. My pussy got hot. Slipping my finger under the thong, I eased it inside me. I was wet. Really wet. Spreading the moisture on the tip of my clit in small circular motions, I started trembling.

“Oh my God. Oh my God, I’m coming?”

That was my first orgasm while playing with myself. Did my sister do this in front of a different man every night? I guess if that’s all she had to do to save all the money she had in her bank account, this wasn’t so bad.

“That’s right, come for Daddy.”

“Ah!” I leapt from the swing, tugging at my dress. My ankle twisted to the floor. “Who are you? Why do you have on that mask?” I asked, thrusting the swing in front of me.

“I came because I must know who you really are. Come to Daddy. I won’t hurt you.”

The voice was one I could never forget but had to ask, “Anthony James, is it you?”

M
en were simple.

I knew his fuckin’ ass would show up unannounced to fuck Sunny. He couldn’t wait to get here. I imagined the second we left his mansion, Valentino slid from his study all the way down his hallway straight into his shower still wearing his orange socks. A little extra attention to his genitals, underarms, and brushing his teeth, followed by gurgling. Ripping the cleaner’s plastic off his clothes he would get dressed en route to his car. Shortly after security escorted the girls inside IP, Valentino came driving onto the property in his navy-colored Benz like he hadn’t fucked me an hour ago.

Once I gave him some of this good pussy, I knew Valentino would feel empowered, but in actuality I had the power because whenever a man thought he had the upper hand, his game got real sloppy. Like B. Although I didn’t know exactly what made B slam me into the side of the tub, I knew something or someone had gotten into his head because B was weak. Any man who let a woman provide for all his needs was weak.

In retrospect I was an infatuated enabler. I was in love with the man B represented, not the man B was. Then when things obviously didn’t go according to his plan, all of a sudden his confessions were supposed to make me forgive him. Fuck that. A bitch who forgets gets trapped in a maze of financial, emotional, spiritual, and sometimes physical ass kickings every day again and again until she figures out a way to outsmart her man.

Watching Valentino’s jacket flap in the wind, I had to stop him before he skipped inside.

“Excuse me, you got a minute?”

Doing the sideways shuffle over to my car dressed in yellow from head to toe—hat, suit, tie, and shoes—he said, “I’m glad I caught you. Don’t go anywhere near my house until I call you. You’ve got some serious explaining to do about seducing my dick. I told you never to fuck with my dick or my money. You must be tryna get fired.”

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.