Sweeter Than Honey

by Mary B. Morrison

  “Fuck Benito. His leeching ass ain’t never did shit for me.” I called Lace on her cell.

  “Yes?”

  “Bitch, get your ass over here right now,” I said, then hung up, not giving her a chance to end the call first.

  I swear if these hos didn’t make me so much money I’d fire all of ’em.

  Three of my baby sharks swam in a perfect circle following each other. I pressed the button on my remote, and the feeding door retracted. I inhaled the salt water. Their jaws peeled outward, exposing their long, sharp teeth. I should’ve fed Sunny to them instead of trusting Benito to bury her, but I couldn’t let my pets devour my love.

  I didn’t have love for Lace, but I did have lust and most importantly a G like me had dick control. One lie outta her tonight and I wouldn’t have to feed my sharks for another week. At least she had sense enough to have Reynolds’s body buried in the desert where the scorching sun would bake his ass into the sand and the desert ants would eat away his flesh. Reynolds’s only remains, his bones and teeth, would crumble like dust if anyone touched him. That was the kind of wisdom I needed from Benito.

  No doubt Lace would get away with that murder rap unless some new DA tryna gain popularity was assigned to the case. I’d be the first to slip an envelope full of money under the table and raise my right hand to testify ’cause the bitch scrambled my video signal that night long enough for her do damage, then flee the scene as though she were never there. Clever bitch did exactly what I’d wanted her to. Let’s see how she gets past me tonight without trippin’ over her lies.

  If it weren’t Sunny’s body, I would’ve told Lace to dispose of her instead of Benito, but Lace had fucked up again by parking her car at IP.

  “Knock, knock,” Lace said, walking up to my study. She stood inside the doorway, letting her shoulder lean against the ledge.

  “Come, in. Have a seat,” I said, making sure she sat facing the bookshelves.

  I followed her roaming eyes, until they stopped where the First Lady once stood, paused, then continued to the opening in the floor. Suddenly she looked away only to return her gaze to both locations seconds later. Then Lace’s eyes scanned the bookshelves again.

  “Something wrong?” I asked.

  “No, naw. Other than the fact that you forgot to close your tank. Everything’s good. I need to go do my inspections, what’s up?”

  “Don’t!” I yelled, then whispered, “Play me for stupid. I watched you let them get dressed without doing any inspections. Where’s Sunny?” I asked, walking over to Lace, watching her ass every second.

  “Sunny’s in the limo. Why?”

  Oh, now this bitch really thought I was as dumb as her man. Grabbing her legs, I snatched her ass out of the chair. Bam! Her head, her ass, and her gun hit the floor at the same time.

  “Bitch, stop lying! Where in the fuck is Sunny?”

  “I told you, she’s in the limo.”

  “Bitch!” I yelled, holding my heart.

  Lace’s stiletto was a motherfuckin’ weapon. Falling backward, I almost landed in the tank. Lying on the floor, I looked up at this Wonder Woman, Cleopatra Jones bitch standing over me pointing a gun at my forehead, but she didn’t scare me.

  That was impossible for Sunny to be in the limo, but what if somehow, someway, Sunny was alive and I didn’t kill her? What if the bullet only grazed her head and her heart? Maybe that’s why Sunny’s body was gone when Benito went back to get it. Stranger things had happened. I thought, What the fuck are you trippin’ off of, nigga? You put the second bullet in her, then watched her take her last breath.

  “You know something I don’t? Or that I should?” Lace asked, putting away her gun while roaming through the shelves.

  Standing up, I massaged the back of my neck, then said, “Okay, bitch. If she’s in the limo, bring her to me.”

  Stopping less than an inch from my face, Lace said, “Sure.” Her hands grasped my dick; then her lips met mine, as she meshed her gumdrops into my chest.

  With her tongue swirling around in my mouth, there wasn’t much I could say, but a lot I could feel. With me working with Lace’s fine ass every day, secretly wanting her all the time, my dick must’ve felt like a piece of lead in her hand. Removing her thong, lifting her skirt, then tossing her leg into my arm, Lace opened my boxers and slipped my dick into her clambering pussy, then moaned, “I’ve always wanted you.”

  Here we were, two murderers in heat. Neither one of us trusted the other, but I had no fuckin’ idea her pussy was this good. Hell, I should put her on a stroll. “Don’t move,” I insisted, lowering her leg. Retrieving a condom from my desk, I guided Lace to the caramel chair, put her face in the seat, and fucked her doggie-style because I hated looking into a woman’s eyes while fucking. Doggie-style kept the focus on the orgasm, not the bitch. All that missionary fucking was too emotional.

  Lace sucked my fingers and when she turned her face to the side, I couldn’t believe I kissed her.

  I stroked Lace long and deep until she started moaning, “Mmm, oh yes. Now, this is the dick of a real man. Oh yes. A real man.”

  Lace repeated those words like she was in a fuckin’ trance. But so was I. The deeper I fucked her, the larger my dick felt. I wanted to come so bad but didn’t want to lose the sensation.

  “You mind if I get this big-ass nut out of the way?”

  “I’m ready whenever you are, Daddy. Come for Mama.”

  Speeding up the pace, I fucked the shit out of Lace, banging her head against the cushion until, “Urgh! Urgh!” My legs trembled, then became weak. Bracing my hands on the arms of the chair, I needed shoulder strength to lift my body.

  When did all this shit happen? I thought, glancing at the now-closed tank and the place on the floor where Lace’s gun was. This bitch was slick and my ass was too weak to challenge her.

  Lace stood. Lowering her skirt, and fingering her hair, she said, “I’ll be right back,” glancing over her shoulder as she strutted in those stilettos that never left her feet.

  Pouring a glass of scotch, I sat my naked ass in my theater chair reconsidering paying Benito to kill Lace tonight. I might want to hit that good pussy one more time.

  “Here she is.” Lace’s voice resonated from behind me.

  I really didn’t want to turn around ’cause I knew Lace had probably hired some new bitch to replace Sunny.

  “Well, you wanted to see her. She’s here.”

  Slowly I swiveled my chair, facing her. “Aw, fuck no!” I scrambled in my seat, my feet shuffling on the Persian rug. Pointing at that bitch who couldn’t possibly be Sunny, I backed into the bookcases. My arms spread wide, slamming into books. Pages fluttered as books splattered beside my feet. My heart punched my chest. “Oh, shit! You tryna kill me. Get that bitch outta here!” I yelled, gasping for air, holding my chest.

  Softly she asked, “Anthony? Is it you?” letting me know that was definitely Summer. Then who in the fuck had I killed?

  I took a long deep breath until my stomach couldn’t stretch out another inch, then exhaled. “Lace! What the fuck are you doing fucking with my heads?” I wanted to get my gun and shoot both of those bitches.

  Pointing at Summer, I second-guessed whether the woman standing in front of me was truly Summer, then said, “Bitch, let me see your teeth. Fuck that. I don’t need to see your fuckin’ teeth. You killed yourself. What in the fuck is going on?” I yelled, “Get the fuck outta here. Both of you.”

  Opening her arms, Summer walked toward me. If I coulda slid between the pages of a book, I would’ve.

  “I’m sorry I lied about killing our baby. My daddy made me do it. AJ is four years old now. He looks just like you, Anthony.”

  Lace interrupted and said, “Aw, hell no. Stop right there,” just in time to save Summer, because I swore if Summer would’ve touched me I was bashing her face in.

  “What, baby?” Lace questioned, frowing at me. “And who in the fuck is Anthony?” she asked, rattling Summer. “Now I know you�
��re on drugs. Sunny, let’s go.”

  “Yeah! Whoever she is, get that bitch outta here and don’t bring her back! You’re wrong for this shit, Lace! Dead wrong!”

  CHAPTER 33

  Summer

  Lace 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?”

  CHAPTER 34

  Lace

  Men were simple.

  I knew his fuckin’ ass would show up unannounced to fuck Sunny. He couldn’t wait to ge
t 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.”