Always smarter than Valentino’s wannabe pimp ass, I’d organized and operated his escort service. Managed his thirteen girls for a year. Now they were my girls, all millionaires, no longer prostituting. Valentino had more than enough time to run like a bitch. All talk, no action. Valentino wasn’t a coward. He was out gunned. He’d be back. I’d be prepared for his return. Next time I wouldn’t have a heart. No talking. I’d shoot to kill.
I pointed my gun at Benito. He hadn’t moved.
“Lace,” Benito pleaded. His eyes softened. “Just give Valentino back his money. He’ll give me half and I’ll take care of you. You deserve that much from me. I met you first. My brother doesn’t love you the way I do. I know you better than he ever will.”
Valentino yelled, “Nigga, this ain’t Deal or No Deal. Lock that bitch in and let’s go.”
Benito whispered, “Give us the money, Lace. I could never hurt you. Can’t you see I still love you? I’d die before I’d kill you.”
With no gun, he was right. Aim. Click. Turn. Fire. Four bullets shattered the front windshield.
Benito reached for my legs. Pulled me out of the car. Scrambled into the passenger’s seat as Valentino sped off with the SUV trunk door in mid-air.
Damn, their gun was on the ground and Valentino’s cell phone and mine were in the trunk of their SUV. “Huh.”
No money. No phone. No transportation. Two guns. I stood in the middle of a deserted parking lot, placed my gun back in the holder. Tucked their gun behind my back, inside my pants.
“It’s too hot for this shit.”
Stilettos clicking against the black sweltering asphalt, sweat dripping from my head, rolling behind my ears, down my neck, I walked a mile through the Atlanta ninety-degree heat wave to the I-75 on-ramp and held up my thumb.
CHAPTER 1
Red Velvet
On my knees, I cried, “Noooo,” holding on to Onyx’s leg. Crawling up her body, I held Onyx’s toned biceps, her jet-black skin flawless, nerves raveled. I screamed in her face, “Where is she? Tell me right now.”
Gasping, Onyx whispered, “Velvet, I’m so scared. Right before you walked in here I heard gunshots.” Fueled with anger, Onyx’s large eyes swept hard corner-to-corner. “Valentino demanded his money back. Wants me to get it. I don’t know what to do…she might be…”
I let go of Onyx, matched the intensity of her hatred for a man I hadn’t met, then asked, “Gunshots? Who the fuck is Valentino? Where is he? I’ma kick his ass.”
Helpless. Standing in Honey’s office of Sweeter Than Honey, I had to rescue her. I owed her so much. I was grateful for Honey. I was her first client. She’d tracked down my son’s father, gotten me seventy-two grand in back child support from Alphonso, the sleazebag who’d raped and impregnated me, then demanded I not call him ever again cause he didn’t want his wife to know he’d fathered our son Ronnie. Honey believed in my dreams of starring in the movie Something on the Side, went with me to Los Angeles to confront Ronnie’s father. I’d come to Honey’s office to share my joy. I’d gotten the part. I had to thank her for all she’d done for me.
Onyx’s eyes closed. Tears streamed over her cheeks, staining her sleeveless mint-green silk blouse. Her mouth opened. Blackberry lips parted, exposing chocolate gums and white teeth. Circling her long black ponytail in her palm, she jammed the phone to her ear. She was taking too long to say something. I snatched the cordless phone from her hand.
Frantically, Onyx waved her hands at me. “I was listening. Waiting. Don’t hang up. Honey said, ‘Don’t hang up.’ I think she’s still on the other end. Oh, God help us please.” Onyx paced the floor, circled her desk. Rubbed her palms on her skirt.
I pressed the phone to my ear. Heard a lot of static like someone was hissing, fumbling, or shuffling.
Onyx cried, “He’s going to kill Honey if he doesn’t get his money back.”
“I’ma call Grant. Grant is a real man and he’ll kick Valentino’s ass,” I said, scrolling through my cell phone contact list.
Onyx shook her head. “I just talked to him before you got here. He’s on his way.”
“That’s what’s up. I’ll call Sapphire then,” I said, pressing the letter S.
“She’s on her way too,” Onyx said.
I yelled into the cordless, “Hey! Valentino! Answer this damn phone. This is Velvet, motherfucker.”
The slamming stopped. Silence crept into my ear. Chills crawled up my spine tensing my neck. Then I heard a man’s voice. “Who in the hell is this?”
“This is Red Velvet and I’m going to personally beat your ass if you harm Honey,” I told him. “Punk.”
Calmly, he said, “Put Onyx on the phone, Red Velvet.”
“I’m running this show. You talk to me.”
“Okay, Velvet. Is red your favorite color?” he asked.
“Yours?” I countered. “Stop wasting my time. Where in the hell is Honey?”
“You mean Lace. If we don’t get our money, she’s either dead or going to jail,” he said. “I’ll personally drop her ass off on the sidewalk in front of a mortuary and trust me, you won’t be able to identify her body. Or I’ll take her to a police station after I cut off her arms and legs. You decide since you’re in charge. Or you can give me my money in exchange for your precious Lace St. Thomas or I’ma put your ass on a stroll until you earn my money.”
I had to think this out fast. I gestured at Onyx. She took the phone.
“Valentino, give me forty-eight hours. You’ll have your money wired to whatever account you give me. I can do a wire. I can’t get cash out of Honey’s account.”
“What? Are you crazy?” I said, snatching the phone from Onyx. “We ain’t giving your ass one dime, you hear me? No Honey. No money. You wanna talk? Meet us tonight at Stilettos Strip Club at eight o’clock and don’t be late. I want to meet your retarded ass in person.”
“You’re a hot head. Liable to get yourself killed tonight. I’ll be there. Eight o’clock but your forty-eight hours start right now,” Valentino said, then hung up.
Onyx stopped crying, started sniffling.
“We need Sapphire Bleu,” I said. “She’ll take care of Valentino.”
We had the law to protect us. Sapphire was a cop and she was Honey’s friend.
Onyx sat on her desk. Held my hand, then said, “I owe Honey my life. We all do. The other eleven girls too.”
“Where they at? The other girls. They could help us.”
“Out working. Trying to convince prostitutes to stop selling their bodies. We were all escorts in Vegas. High paid escorts. And Honey was our madam. Honey started this business in Atlanta to help women get off their backs. Now she’s the one who needs our help.”
I exhaled trying to devise a plan to Honey. What if Valentino didn’t bring her to Stilettos? What if he didn’t show up?
Hoping to reassure Onyx, I said, “We’ll find Honey. Believe that.” I was fascinated, curious about Onyx. “What was that like? Being an escort. You know lots of females have sex for free, let men use them. Must be better getting paid. How much did you get paid?”
Onyx stared at me, cold, hard. “A woman would be better off auctioning her soul to the devil than letting a different man stick his dick in her mouth…pussy…asshole every night. Sometimes two, three, four men a night. Back-to-back-to-back. Two thousand a night isn’t worth it when you end up shot in the head like my best friend Sunny. One day before her twenty-first birthday, Valentino killed her because she wanted out.” Onyx broke down in tears.
Oh, damn. What if Valentino was serious about killing Honey?
I hugged Onyx. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Onyx trembled in my arms, spoke as though she hadn’t heard me. “Honey could’ve left us in Vegas, came to Atlanta by herself, took her millions, started a new life without us. But she didn’t. Gave all of us airline tickets. We all came right away, except Girl 6.” Onyx eyes widened. She picked up the cordless, dialed a number, then said, “Girl 6, get
your ass back to the office. Now.”
Eyes shifting. Bottom lip tucked between her teeth.
“You think Girl 6 set Honey up?” I asked.
“Don’t know. But I’m definitely going to find out.”
CHAPTER 2
Grant
The second Onyx told me Honey was in trouble, I was on my way to Atlanta.
Never got out of my car in front of my parents’ home in D.C. Backed out of the driveway, drove to Washington/Dulles International, parked in the short-term lot, not caring how long my car would stay there. I owned a second home in Buckhead furnished with everything I’d need.
No luggage, hands free, I zigzagged across three lanes of congested airport traffic, slapped the hood of a car that almost hit me, woman looking down text messaging. Better keep her attention on the road before she killed someone. I ran to the ticket counter, pulled out my credit card.
Life without Honey wasn’t happening.
I’d never met a woman with so much fire, enthusiasm, drive, determination, beauty, sex appeal, bedroom skills, and a bodacious booty. She’d ruined me for all other women. Honey was the only one for me.
The agent smiled, greeting me, “How may—” Before she said, “help,” I handed her my driver’s license.
“I have a life or death emergency. You’ve got to put me on your next direct flight to Atlanta. I don’t mean your next available, let me make myself clear. I must be on your next flight leaving for Atlanta.”
Her smile vanished. “Give me a minute, Mr. Hill.” Her acrylic nails swiftly tapped the keys.
“I might not have a minute. Please, hurry.”
Her head stayed bowed. Her eyes lift toward me. She continued typing.
“I apologize. The woman I want to marry is missing and I have to find her.”
Her smile returned. She typed faster. “Here,” she said, handing me a gold first class boarding pass along with my I.D. and credit card. “Wish we had more men like you. Your flight departs in twenty minutes. Hurry.”
“Thanks!” I said, running to security checkpoint. My jacket flapped under my arms like a bird taking flight. I emptied the contents of my pockets—wallet, cell phone, keys—in a white bowl, held on to my boarding pass.
My phone rang on the conveyor. I snatched the tray.
“Excuse me, sir, you can’t reach into the X-ray machine,” a man in a TSA uniform said.
Best to ignore him to avoid misdirecting my anger. I hadn’t checked my caller I.D. before anxiously answering, “Hurry, I’ve got two minutes.” I stepped aside allowing another passenger to go ahead of me.
“Hey, bro. Won’t take but a minute,” Benito said. “I need some money.”
“Where are you?” I asked him.
“Hanging out in Atlanta for a few days. So can you help me out?” he asked.
“Atlanta?” I said.
“Yeah, I’m in the ATL, bro. You know me. I’m a transient. Atlanta. Vegas. D.C. Never know where I’ll show up.”
I felt my blood pressure rising. Wanted to question him about Honey. Didn’t want to give him time to make up lies if he knew the truth.
“I’ll call you back in two hours,” I said, then hung up.
Placing the bowl on the conveyor, along with my shoes, belt, and jacket, I walked through the metal detector. I had to get a security clear card. Should’ve been at my gate by now. I ran to the shuttle, stood the entire ride. The first one off the shuttle, I ran to my gate, barely beating the last call for my flight.
“Orange juice, please,” I told the attendant, settling into 1B, the same seat I’d sat in when I’d met my Honey for the first time. A different woman was next to me now.
Her black skin glistened. Long hair flowed over her shoulders. Skirt rose a few inches above her knees, exposing her bare legs. Open-toe shoes revealed an impeccable pedicure. Hadn’t seen black strips with diamonds across the tip of toenails. Elegant. She smelled sweet, like candy. The kind of fragrance that would ordinarily draw me real close to a woman. Make me introduce myself. Not today. Regardless how sweet she was, she wasn’t sweeter than Honey.
“Here’s your juice,” the attendant said.
The cabin door closed. I fastened my seatbelt, shut my eyes. Wanted to cry. What good would that do? Wondered how much Benito knew about Honey’s disappearance. If he was involved. Hated having to communicate with him, but my brother was my only lead.
I felt the lightest touch on my shoulder, opened my eyes.
“I don’t mean to bother you, but you seem like a man who enjoys sports,” the woman next to me said.
I exhaled. Nodded. Closed my eyes again.
“I’d like to offer you two box suite tickets to see my son play tomorrow night in Atlanta,” she said.
Answering her without opening my eyes, I asked, “What’s his name?”
Quietly, she said, “Darius Jones.”
I sat up, looked at her, “You mean the Darius Williams who changed his last name to Jones?”
Her lips parted, smile captivated me. I took a deep breath.
She nodded. “Long story. Short version, my son changed his name back to Jones after my husband died. His biological father is—”
I interrupted her, “I know, Darryl Williams, pro-basketball player.” I smiled back at her. “You are gorgeous. Stunning.”
“Thanks. My name is Jada Diamond Tanner,” she said, handing me her card.
I dug in my jacket pocket, handed her my card. “I’m going to Atlanta on an emergency. The woman I want to marry is in danger. I have to do all I can to save her. I love her.”
Jada’s eyes filled with tears. “My husband felt that way about me before he died. My Wellington wasn’t a perfect man, but the one thing I knew for sure was my husband loved me with all his heart. Doubt I’ll ever love like that again, but I haven’t given up. If there’s anything I can do to help you find her, you have my number.”
Had no idea what compelled me, but I leaned Jada’s head on my shoulder, held her hand in mine, and comforted her until our flight arrived in Atlanta. My instincts indicated Jada was one special woman.
Everything happened for a reason. Was I in search of Honey to have a wife? Or was my heart simply in search of a true love?
Enjoy the following excerpt from
Sweeter Than Honey
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CHAPTER 1
Lace
“You’re never going to be more than a trifflin’, lyin’ lil’ slut! You make me sick! My God, I wish I woulda followed my first mind and aborted your ass instead of listening to that deadbeat lying-ass motherfuckin’ daddy of yours. I can’t believe you up in here under my nose tryna fuck my man! Why can’t you be more like your sister? Get out of my house and this time stay the hell out!” were the last words I’d heard my mother say before she slammed the door in my face.
Was she referring to my baby sister? The golden can-do-no-wrong child?
What had I done this time?
It wasn’t my fault that on my sixteenth birthday, my mother’s fiancé saw in me what most men saw: a young, cute, innocent face, a firm, cellulite-free ass, perfect, plump, perky tits, and long legs stacked with a virgin cherry that they desperately wanted to burst. Well, he wasn’t positive about the virgin part until his hard calluses, dirty hands, and jagged fingernails slipped inside my pink panties. His stale morning hadn’t-brushed-his-yellowish-brown-teeth breath exhaled in my face as he squatted in front of my pussy. He poked, probed, gazed up at me, smiled, and then said, “Aw, man. You really are a preemie,” kissing my virgin lips while checking twice for confirmation.
“Ow, you’re hurting me,” I said, shoving his forehead. As I crossed my legs, the scratches on my kitty stung worse than paper cuts.
That incident happened over thirteen years ago, but psychologically it hurts like he violated me yesterday. To this day I can’t stand men with dirty or rough hands or bad breath or yellow teeth.
“I’ma tell Mama,” my sister had sa
id, standing in the doorway, covering her big mouth.
I snapped, “Stch. Go tell Mama ’cause I ain’t do nothing wrong!”
Truth was I was very afraid, fearing Mama would side with Don and Honey. The only reason I’d let him find out I was untouched was that my mama constantly accused me of being a whore and a slut, so I wanted to prove her wrong. My sister was the fast one, sneaking boys into her room after Mama went to sleep, going to jail for petty theft, and staying out all night on the weekends smoking weed.
With any reason not to feed us or to have the house to herself with Don, Mama didn’t care where we went or how long we stayed. I guess my being the opposite of my sister hanging around the house reading books or listening to music most of the time invaded Mama’s privacy.
Don’s eyes widened. He swiftly sucked air into his mouth, snapping his head toward Honey. When he pushed me, I fell to the floor screaming, “Mama!”
My mother, Rita, raced into the family room, bypassing Honey. Rita stared down at me. Hatred narrowed her eyes that never blinked. I spread my legs, hoping she could see what Don had done to me. This was my chance to have him confess he was wrong and confirm I was pure. But he didn’t. I lay there trying to figure out why a grown man would take advantage of a minor and why my mother would let him.
Sinking into the gray carpet, I felt my ignorance giving me away to the streets when my mother deemed me competition as opposed to her little girl. True, most times I was guilty of something, but not trying to have sex with my mother’s man or the boys I went to Flagstaff High School with.
My heart exploded like a bomb when Mama believed her husband-to-be’s words, “Rita, get rid of her…your tramp of a daughter just offered me her pussy,” over mine. “Mama, I swear I didn’t, he’s lying. He stuck his finger between my legs. Go on, tell ’em I’m a virgin. Honey, you saw him. Tell Mama what he did,” I cried, spreading my legs wider this time. Instantly I’d become a casualty of compassion.
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