Stealing Candy (33 page)

Bullet was mean. He was a monster at times, but Gianna was starting to understand his ways. She missed being his favorite bitch. The one he kicked it with. She missed being his confidant. She wouldn’t stand a chance of getting back in his good graces if that white girl started making the most money.

What was the girl doing so quietly in Bullet’s bedroom? Why wasn’t he in there giving her some training? Maybe he didn’t like her. Curious, Gianna decided to sneak a peek at the new girl.

“I’ll be right back, Skittles. Wash your butt real good, okay?”

Skittles laughed to herself and playfully splashed the sudsy water, as if she were a child.

Bullet’s bedroom door was wide open.
Bitch must be fast asleep. Exhausted from training.
Bullet didn’t usually let a bitch rest when he first caught her. It would be odd for her to be laying back… chilling.

Most likely, Bullet needed to snort some lines in order to deal with the no-rhythm white chick.

Surprisingly, his bedroom was empty. There was no trail of clothes leading to the bed. No rumpled sheets. No blonde-haired girl sprawled out and exhausted from Bullet’s intensive training.

Where is she?
Gianna wondered, though she was delighted that the white girl was nowhere in sight.

She heard the low rumble of Bullet’s voice. He was talking to Bubbles. Gianna rushed back to the bathroom to tend to Skittles before she got in trouble.

As she slipped back inside the bathroom, she could see Bullet standing in the doorway of the girls’ bedroom. He was holding his leather belt.

Ooo, Bubbles gon’ get it!
She crept out into the hallway, unable to resist watching Bubbles get a whipping.

Bullet flicked the belt. “Take your clothes off. I’ma put some welts on that blubber cuz I messed your face up bad enough.”

“Why you gon’ beat me again?”

“You know why. You think one black eye is enough for tryin’ to play me?” He chortled. “Nah, ho. You gon’ get the full treatment for fuckin’ with my pimpin’.”

“But it ain’t my fault, Daddy. I ain’t know Amber was getting off at nine; that bitch told me to meet her at ten,” Bubbles explained pleadingly.

“Take your shit off. That’s the second time I done told you. Make me say it again and I’m pulling out my shank.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

Gianna felt excited as she heard the rustling sound of Bubbles coming out of her clothes.

“What should I beat?” Bullet asked in an ordinary tone of voice.

“I don’t know what you mean, Daddy,” Bubbles’ words came out in a terrified tremble.

“I wanna beat those plump titties, but you need them for work. Guess I might as well light some fire to that fat ass,” he mused, like whipping her buttocks was a monotonous task.

Stifling giggles, Gianna covered her mouth. Bubbles thought she was Bullet’s new bottom bitch. Now she knew how it felt to be on his shit list.

“You a ruthless ho,” Bullet said. “Did you think I was gon’ let that shit ride? You deprived me of adding a skinny white girl to my stable. Do you know how much skinny white girls bring in?”

“We can go back tomorrow. Catch her ass at nine o’clock,” Bubbles appealed.

Thwack!
The sudden crack of leather against flesh startled Gianna, making her jump.

Bubbles let out a scream that could raise the dead.

“Shut your big mouth before somebody calls the cop on me.”

“I can’t help it; that hurts,” Bubbles said, crying.

Curious, Gianna eased up to the bedroom door. Bullet had Bubbles lying on her tummy, her butt shaking like jelly as she shuddered in fear.

“I ain’t even get started good and you screaming like you crazy.”

“Please, Daddy. Don’t hit me with that belt no more. I’ll get you that white girl tomorrow night. I promise.”

Thwack, thwack, thwack!
He struck Bubbles three times across her ass. Her screams were so high-pitched, it was a wonder that windows and mirrors didn’t start shattering all over the house.

“Do you think I’d give you another chance to mess up my plans again? I don’t need yo’ stupid ass to catch me a ho! As long as I got my looks and keep my game tight, I’ma keep pulling in young hoes.”

Bullet noticed Gianna standing in the doorway. “She’s making too much noise. Get over here and help me. Stuff her mouth the same way Flashy stuffed yours.”

Responding to Bullet’s order, Gianna hurried over to the smelly twin bed and shook an old lumpy pillow out of the case.

“Open up your damn mouth,” Gianna snarled.

Lips sealed as if glued shut, Bubbles twisted and turned, her tortured moans emanating from her nose.

“I ain’t playin’ with Bubblicious,” Bullet said firmly. “She got two seconds before I go get my shank.”

Instantly, Bubbles, who was lying on her side, stretched out her
neck and opened her mouth wide, as if begging to be fed the balled-up cloth in Gianna’s left hand.

Gianna jammed in as much of the pillowcase as she could fit in Bubbles’ mouth. Then she grabbed a handful of the girl’s hair and pulled it hard. “Why you fuck up
my
Daddy’s money?”

Bullet took his shirt off and went to work. By the time he finished, bits of Bubbles’ buttocks were welted and bloody.

“Get up and go clean your ass!” Bullet ordered. “While you in the bathroom, get Skittles out of the tub.”

“Go ’head in my room, Lollipop. No! Hold up.” He studied her princess costume. “I don’t like that outfit. Go put on your bride shit and wait for me in my bed.”

 
 CHAPTER 39

Gianna waited for Bullet, wondering if he’d tear up her bridal costume in a fit of rage. She thought about the tone of voice he’d used when he’d told her to change. There was an unmistakable softness. Maybe he’d finally forgiven her.

“This ‘here comes the bride’ bullshit had them tricks losing they minds at the auction. One mufucka asked me if he could buy you. He said he wouldn’t take your virginity.” Bullet laughed in remembrance. “Dumb mufucka wanted to pay me a whole lot of paper to eat your box out when he got good and damn ready.”

Gianna gave a nervous smile. She couldn’t read Bullet’s mood. Didn’t know if he was still mad at her.

“I hated that man,” she said, lying. “I don’t ever want to leave you, Bullet.”

“You don’t?”

“Never.”

He sat on the bed, touched her face. “We gon’ put the past behind us. You came through for me in there with Bubbles. Showed me that even though your people got money and raised you like the Fresh Princess of Bel-Air, you know how to get gangsta when you need to. I believe you’ll kill a bitch for me if I asked you to.”

“I would,” she said softly. Tears welled in her eyes. It was the truth; she’d do anything she had to do to stay on Bullet’s good side.

“Why you crying?”

She wiped a tear. “Because I love you so much it hurts. I hate sleeping in there with Skittles. I want to be back in here with you.”

“You miss the way I used to let you fall asleep, buried under the covers with my dick swolled up in your mouth?”

She nodded.

He unsnapped his jeans. “Let’s get it poppin’.”

Gianna sat up, eager to help him out of his jeans.

“Lay back down. I ain’t ready. I wanna beat my meat for a minute.”

Gianna complied. She lay still as a statue, staring into space. Waiting for Bullet to tell her what he wanted her to do.

Surprisingly, he sat down at the bottom of the bed. “Remember that old pimp in Atlantic City?”

“Uh-huh.” She had no idea what was coming. Bullet’s disposition could go from sunshine to thunderstorm in split-seconds.

“He told me that the number one rule to pimpin’ was to never put your mouth on a ho’s stank cum hole. Eating a ho’s box out will make her think she running shit.”

Gianna was silent. Her mind raced to come up with a comment. “A ho’s pussy is too nasty for you to put your mouth on, Daddy. That old pimp gave you good advice.” She hoped she’d spoken words that Bullet wanted to hear.

“I know y’all nasty! You ain’t gotta school me,” Bullet said scornfully.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” She hoped he wouldn’t beat her for telling him something he already knew.

“Them tricks at the auction spend big bank just to lick and suck your stank hole. They got me curious, y’ah mean?”

Though puzzled, she nodded her head, pretending to understand.

“Did you wash your box out yet?”

“Not yet; I was taking care of Skittles. I’ll go do it now,” she said, eager to please him. “Do you want me to take a shower or should I give myself a whore’s bath?” Grateful for an opportunity to please Bullet, Gianna was talking fast and excitedly.

“Hold up. Lemme check you.” Unbelievably, he did something he’d never done before. He put his face between Gianna’s legs and inhaled deeply.

“Nah, you ain’t gotta wash nothing,” he told her and then kissed the delicate strip of cloth that covered her moistening center.

That unexpected act of intimacy made Gianna clench up with desire.

When his tongue slipped beneath the fabric and entered her pleasure center, she screamed out his name.

“Aw, yeah,” he moaned. “You taste sweet.” He licked and sucked greedily, while Gianna writhed out of control.

Bullet stilled his tongue. “I’ll be right back. I gotta go get my shit.”

He left Gianna with her legs wide open, her vagina pooled with overflowing lust.

He returned to the bedroom with a bag of coke.

He spent the next fifteen minutes alternating between snorting the drug and licking it off Gianna’s clit.

Finally, he entered her. Slowly and tenderly, as if being careful not to split her in two.

But Gianna didn’t know what had come over her, she shouted for him to give it to her hard…to plunge deeply.

“You don’t run shit,” he reminded her in a lethal whisper and continued slow-stroking.

Once she caught on to his unhurried pace and uncomplicated rhythm, their horizontal dance was flawless.

Later, lying in Bullet’s arms, Gianna decided this was where she
belonged. She felt loved and protected. She felt safe and secure.

Her parents were becoming a foggy memory.
Fuck ’em,
she told herself. They could have found her if they really wanted to. Bullet was the only person who really cared about her. He had taught her a painful lesson, using tough love to make her take the game seriously.

“I was wrong to be messing with your phone like that. But I was so confused. Now I know what I want…I just want to be with you,” she whispered in his ear, meaning every word.

“But I’m sayin’, though…don’t ever lie to me again. I went easy on you. My mind kept telling me to cut off your whole finger, but something in my heart made me settle for taking off just the lil’ tip.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

“Don’t play with my heart, no more.” He narrowed an eye. “I won’t go that easy on you the next time. Believe that.”

“I won’t play with your heart. I love you. I worship you!”

“Now that’s the kind of shit a pimp wants to hear.” Bullet smiled and pulled Gianna closer. He clipped her chin between his fingers and kissed her. A soulful kiss on the lips—another first.

“Damn, I can’t believe how I’m acting. First, I eat your box out and now I’m kissing you on your mouth. You got me slippin’, lil’ mama,” he said affectionately. Then his eyes went cold. “So don’t let me catch you lying or doing nothing foul.”

“I won’t. I learned my lesson. For real, Daddy.”

“We see eye to eye?”

“Yeah, Daddy.

He kissed her again.

Gianna closed her eyes, enraptured.

“You fuckin’ the game up,” he complained as he licked his lips and smiled. “You tryna flip the script?” he asked, laughing.

“No, Daddy.” Gianna giggled.

Playfully, Bullet hit her with a pillow. “Yeah, you tryna make a nigga get a job and bring home a paycheck.”

Gianna beamed at him. Bullet was so cute when he wasn’t mad.

“Yo, stop looking at me like that, with your sexy self and those pretty brown eyes.”

Blushing, her heart swelling with hope, she lowered her eyes and dreamily contemplated a life where she could get this kind of sweet loving from Bullet all the time.

They could be so happy together, if they got out of the game. They could make ends meet, if they both got jobs. Well, she wouldn’t be allowed to get working papers until she turned sixteen. But she’d do her part as soon as she could.

After experiencing Bullet’s tender touch, it was going to be unbearable to be stroked and fondled by a paying customer.

 
 CHAPTER 40