Rock (which was short for Rachael, “Rock-Hell”, like that big-tit actress whom Rock despised) walked into the dark, dingy strip joint. She knew the place well from the many previous business meetings so was on full alert. The jobs she got here were always profitable, and always dangerous. The challenge of carefully controlled arson for insurance excited and thrilled her.

She was the best in the business and had a reputation for no deaths and few investigations. She chose a seat against the wall and waited for the guys to show up. The dancers on the stage made for some nice wallpaper to fill up her waiting time. Normally she was the last to show up, but this time she had some time to survey the filthy, noisy, chaos of the bar in greater detail.

Now, for the first time, she really checked out the dancers. They were the standard skinny, bump and grind types. Not much enthusiasm to their moves, just doing a job for the most part. Except maybe for a young one at the back of the stage who looked like she was trying to have fun. Rock looked closer and noted that she was indeed too young, just a baby really. Not that Rock was a matron at the ripe old age of 20, but this girl could not be much more than 15. True she had good-sized tits and a nice ass, but she had such a baby face though she had caked it over with makeup.

“Men. Fuckin’ pigs! They would happily believe that this kid was of age, and happily fuck her knowing that she was not. Assholes! Fuckin’ assholes!” Thought Rock.
But looking at her objectively the bitch really was hot looking. She had ass-length black hair…. tall…. maybe 5’6”…pale skin…. and she knew how to dance in those killer heels.
A male body moving towards her table interrupted Rock’s train of thought. It was Alex, the guy who often arranged her ‘jobs’.

Alex sat down and followed her line of vision and smiled. “O, that’s Candy, Fred’s new whore. Cute isn’t she? Maybe he’ll lend her to you for the night.”

“I’m not interested in used boy-toys.” Rock growled at him as she snapped her eyes away from the dancing girl. “Besides, she looks like serious jail bait.” Rock wasn’t sure why she was suddenly so pissed off!

“Oh, you know Fred. He gets the little runaways, gives them a space to live and then works their asses off…at least he doesn’t beat them too bad, or get them hooked like some of them do. The kid would do worse alone on the street.” Laughed Alex as another man approached the table. “Hey Fred…How’s goin’? Roc’s stuck on your new little slut…”

“Fuck off. “ hissed Rock. “Tell me what’s up or I’m out of here!”
Fred pulled up a chair and the negotiations started. Rock’s attention was drawn away from the dancers and focused on the details of the proposed contract when a shriek broke their concentration as the kid was tossed over some knuckle-dragging Neanderthal’s shoulder and carried towards the ‘back room’. Rock clutched the edge of the table fighting the fury that burned in her gut at the look of terror on the girl’s face.

Alex laughed “Your bitch won’t be able to talk for a week by the time she’s done blowing that asshole.” “Yeah,” shrugged Fred. “An occupational hazard. I hope the cunt remembers to fix her makeup before she goes back on stage this time. Now where were we? ”
They started talking as if nothing had happened. Rock fought for control of her anger.
“Calm down,” she scolded herself, “ don’t lose it, there’s lots of kids, thousands of kids in the biz. It happens all the time…don’t lose it…. not here. Let’s just get this over with quickly!” Rock focused on the men’s words, memorizing times, locations, etc. She wanted to puke…. or kill… either would be a release.

The guys were staring at her, waiting for an answer.
“Yeah, okay I’m in.” Roc rhymed off a few details. They nodded with satisfaction.
Behind the guys, Rock could see the young girl climbing back on the stage. She looked shaky with her smeared lipstick and mascara-blacked tears drying across an angry red handprint that burned on her left cheek. She was not able to even fake a smile for the fuck-ups in the first row this time.

Before she could think about it, Rock turned to Fred with ice in her voice and murder in her eyes. “How much for the kid?”
“Well now Rock, for a good friend like you, I would just give her to you for the night.” Laughed Fred
“No, you misunderstand. How much for her life?” Rock whispered dangerously.
Fred laughed at her, leaned back in his chair and drawled, “Make me an offer.”
Rock’s eyes narrowed and she regarded him as one would a piece of rotting meat. “Okay…how about….. You give her to me…. and I won’t burn your filthy club down with you in it?” She said with an icy calm voice.
Fred drew his hands back as one does when a gun has been pulled. For Rock, having a reputation as a psychopathic pyromaniac had its advantages.

“You can have the bitch1 I can get a dozen just like her in any alley or donut shop anytime.” Grumbled Fred as if he really didn’t care.
“I’m glad to see we can still do business,” drawled Rock sarcastically. “Get the kid over here now.” Rock could not stand to be here much longer.
Fred let out a shrill whistle and the dancers all stopped and looked…Just like deer, thought Rock with a perverse sense of amusement. He signaled for Candy to come over. She bit her bruised lip and climbed down from the stage, walking gingerly between the tables, pushing past the men that grabbed at her ass, tits, and crotch.
In a few minutes she was standing in front of Fred, arms folded tightly across her ample chest with a worried look on her face. Fred stood up and shoved Candy towards Rock who grabbed the girl and sat her on her knee.
“You’re Rock’s property now; she owns you. If I ever see you in this joint again I’ll kick your ass right back out into the street.” Spat Fred.
Fresh tears welled up in the kid’s eyes as she looked from face to face.
“Go get dressed and come back here.” Said Rock quietly to the girl. But she didn’t move.
Fred laughed, “Hey you get the girl, not the wardrobe. What you see is what you get. She lives in costume…now get the fuck out of my club before you really start fucking up my profits!”

Rock took off her old denim jacket and put it on the kid and motioned for her to do it up and then grabbed the girl’s wrist and pulled her through the club. This time no one grabbed at the girl. Good thing, Rock was looking for a fight and would happily have killed any one of these assholes.

Safe in her Camero, Rock broke the silence, “What’s your name kid?”
She looked at her hands folded in her lap, “They call me Candy Cane.”
“What’s your real name though?” probed Rock.
“Sarah”
“How old are you, Sarah?”
“18” came the monotone, well-practiced lie.
“Don’t lie to me bitch”
“16” she said chewing her swelling bottom lip.
“If you lie to me again I will slap you so hard you’ll still be spinning at breakfast.” Hissed Rock. She was not in the mood for twenty questions.
“I’ll be 14 next week.” Whispered the girl.
Rock whistled, so the girl really was just a baby, 13 and stripping and hooking. Shit! Of course, Rock never thought about the fact that at that age she had been sleeping in the subway, surviving on B&E’s and delivering drugs and guns for the local dealers.
Rock opened the door to her apartment. It was a small place, like a large hotel room, which it may well have been years ago. Now it was just a cheap run-down apartment in a, shall we say ‘diverse’ neighborhood. It was clean, spacious, and always had the heady aroma of tobacco, pot and patchouli in the air. It was home.
She closed the door and pointed to the washroom. “You stink of male sweat and sex and it makes me wanna puke! Get in there and shower. Wash several times, and when you’re clean, wash your clothes and my jacket.”
The girl nodded sulkily and kicked off her shoes.
“I’ll be out for awhile…don’t open the door for any reason. And don’t go out. I’ll be back…soon.” barked Rock.
When Rock heard the shower running and splashing, she stepped out into the hallway and locked the door behind her. She needed smokes and a few minutes to collect her thoughts
What the hell had she done! The last thing she needed was a jailbait, tagalong kid sister! Why did this girl mean so much to her so quickly? She wouldn’t dare fall in love. Everyone and everything she had cared about had left, been killed or broken. Even a pet was an invitation for heartbreak in her life and that just couldn’t be allowed. Besides, Rock preferred mature women; safe, strong women who knew what they wanted and would lick her boots to get it!
In the store Rock chose a toothbrush, hairbrush, and a comb; with Rock’s short buzz cut she certainly didn’t own these things and Sarah’s long hair was a mess and would require detangling tools. She then picked up a pack of smokes, gum, and throat lozenges, figuring that she had all the necessities. She paid for her stuff and wandered to the local greasy chicken outlet. Mmmm… she would have to order a dinner for two for the first time in her life! How ironic.
What was she thinking!! She hoped the guys weren’t too pissed-off with her, but fuck’em if they were! They’re assholes of the worst kind she thought. Business is the only thing that makes their type “useful’!
Rock picked up her bag of food and things and headed home. She wondered if the kid really wanted to be with her…or if she was actually better off with her? Well she was stuck with her for now. When Candy was older she could go elsewhere if she wanted. Rock resolved to play ‘big sister’ for a while.
Better take her to the clinic tomorrow. With all the fuckups who have been using her at the club, she was probably a walking disease factory. Yuck… the clinic first thing. Then she would take her shopping for clothesand then see about getting her back into school.
The air in the apartment was misty from the shower. Sarah’s g-string was hanging from the edge of the table, and Rock’s jacket was hanging neatly on a hanger from the showerhead. Sarah was curled up under the sheets. How strange it seemed to have a girl who strips for a living being shy to be naked in private. What a weird world!!
Rock walked over to her closet and pulled out an oversized T-shirt and tossed it to Sarah. Be damned if she was going to have chicken crumbs in her bed! She pulled out the food and toiletries and set them on the table. “Here kid, you’ll need the brush and stuff, and I know you must be hungry. The candies are…uh…if you get a cold or a sore throat or something.” Rock was not sure how to address the fact that she assumed Sarah’s throat might be raw from giving blowjobs in the back room.
After supper, Rock put Sarah to bed like a mother might a small child. Sarah did not argue or fight, she just curled up and went to sleep.
Rock was too hyped to sleep so she turned on the TV, rolled a joint and sat back to smoke it and to try to clear her head a little bit. Her meditation was disturbed by puppy nightmare sounds from the bed. Sarah was whimpering, twitching and crying in her sleep. Rock’s heart melted as she lay down beside the kid. She cuddled her to her breast, stroked her hair, kissed her forehead murmuring “It’s okay, sleep baby, it’s okay.”
Was it something about the soft mewing at her breast…the shuddering lithe body in her arms…or the smell of clean woman skin next to hers? Rock knew something impossible and frightening had happened. She was in love. SHIT!