Money Devils 1

by Ashley

“Just be ready. We need you to get to the laptop. This damn dinner was $100,000 per plate. I want that list,” Sutton whispered. “We’ll let everybody get good and faded, we’ll sit through dinner, and then we make our move. Honor, you’re up.”

  Sutton watched as Honor took a seat at her table. It wasn’t by chance that she was seated right next to the man of the hour.

  Lathan Naples was a tech juggernaut. With the design of his new social app, Connexxxion, he was taking the industry by storm. Sutton had spent months vetting him. She knew everything about him, from his credit score to his mother’s maiden name. Sutton could recite his social security number backward, and she had kept track of every single flight he had checked into during the past twelve months. No detail had gone unnoticed, down to his fetish for designer socks, which he wore tonight. Pink ones with green polka dots, a bad choice if Sutton had to say. She even knew the names of the two dogs he kept behind the gates of his Napa Valley mansion. A single man with no kids, he was one of the most eligible bachelors in the country.

  Sutton smirked when she saw Honor introduce herself. He was taken at first glance. Most men were. Rarely did Honor give men the honor of gracing them with her attention, but she granted Lathan a gracious smile as he pulled out her chair for her. Her curves were hypnotizing, and her skin shimmered like sand under moonlight. Her femininity was admired by everyone at the table, but the contrast of the sleeve of art covering her left hand and forearm confused them. She was both good and bad, a paradox of morality, riding the line between what people assumed her to be and who she truly wanted to be. A bad bitch had just been seated at the table and everyone was in awe.

  “She’s a star,” Luna said into the microphone.

  “That she fucking is,” Sutton whispered. She spun abruptly, headed to her table, and crashed right into one of the guests. Champagne spilled all over the man in front of her.

  “I’m so sorry,” she gasped. A passing server stopped immediately, and Sutton grabbed a cloth napkin off the tray. She pressed it into the fabric of the designer suit.

  “It’s fine,” the man muttered, taking the napkin from her hands and wiping the drink from his lapel. “It’ll give me a reason to break out of this shit early.”

  Sutton lifted her focus from the suit to the man. Her light brown eyes widened slightly as she stood upright, settling on him. The sternness in his crinkled brow made her heart wrench in alarm. Like she was in trouble with this man, like she had offended someone who was used to nothing less than high regard. The champagne to the fabric of the cranberry Dolce suit certainly was a bit disrespectful.

  “Nice eyes,” he said.

  It was always what people noticed first. Skin the shade of tree bark, and eyes the color of autumn leaves, Sutton was stunning. Her eyes sparkled at first glance.

  “So I’ve heard,” she responded. “You can send me the bill for cleaning. If it’s destroyed, my assistant can have it replaced.”

  Her eyes were on Honor and she smirked in satisfaction. Her sister was already charming the entire table. Sutton dropped her card in the front pocket of the man and then moved around him. He was a sight and Sutton’s thoughts veered toward inappropriate as she bit her bottom lip, wondering if he tasted like almonds since his skin matched the color of them. His scent followed her as she walked away. She glanced back, wishing she could indulge in the bit of flavor he added to the otherwise bland guest list, but she wasn’t there to fraternize. Business required absolute concentration, especially in her line of work. She found her table and took a seat as she anticipated the night’s events. If all went as planned, they would leave here with a bag.

  * * *

  “You’re amazing. You’re so beautiful. It’s hard to focus on anyone else in the room.”

  Honor LaCroix. Bad bitch. That bitch. Not his bitch, so the hand on her thigh beneath the table annoyed her soul. His net worth rang up like a cash register in her head, however, keeping her patient and motivating the forced smile on her face.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying the visual,” she answered, voice super sweet, extra sugar. “Everything is really beautifully done. I can’t wait to see the reveal of the next generation of your company’s flagship phone. It’s a real game changer, I hear.”

  “You hear right,” Lathan bragged. “We’re cutting edge in communication right now. The reveal tonight will be stunning.”

  Brag much? Honor thought, but her smile never slipped.

  “You’re such an innovator. Of course, I was a fan of the product, but being lucky enough to be seated next to the man himself, I’m even more impressed. I can’t wait to see it.”

  It didn’t matter the type of man, they all loved her stroke, both dick and ego. Honor was the best at finessing men. There was something about the way she fanned their flame that made them crazy about her. She knew how to make a man feel like a man. Lathan was so engaged that he had turned sideways to face her direction, eyes solely on her as one hand draped over the back of her chair.

  She fingered the necklace on her neck, running her thumb beneath the chain and causing the pendant to rise and fall against her cleavage. His eyes followed it.

  “My mother gave it to me. It’s made of amethyst.” She leaned forward and lifted her neck, sweeping her hair over one shoulder to move it out of the way. “You want to see? It’s really beautiful. Touch it.”

  Lathan reached for the necklace and Honor smiled. “It’s perfection.”

  “It really is,” she said as she stood to her feet. “Would you excuse me? I need to find the ladies’ room.”

  The sway of her hips commanded his attention until she was out of sight.

  “Got it,” she said as she fingered the diamond earring. She pushed open the restroom door just as Luna was coming out, swapping the necklace without missing a beat.

  * * *

  Luna hurried to the elevator and pressed the number three. “Did you get a good print?” Luna asked.

  “His hands were all over it,” Honor answered. “Hurry and get the list so I can get the fuck out of here. He’s disgusting.”

  Luna peeled off the thin layer of hospital-grade skin adhesive and then delicately laid it over her pointer finger. It was the same thing they’d used to get into the event under fake identities. According to the guest list, the LaCroix sisters were never there at all.

  As the elevator doors opened, she slid out, discreetly moving down the hallway until she reached the double doors at the end. She pressed her thumb to the pad and waited until the digital lock turned green before pushing her way inside.

  “I’m in,” she reported.

  “The laptop is there?” Sutton asked.

  Luna rushed over to the desk. “It’s here,” she confirmed. She opened it and used the same fingerprint to access the machine.

  “Download the list,” Sutton said.

  Luna inserted the flash drive she carried and then her fingers danced across the keyboard. “Working on it,” Luna answered. “I just need a little time. He’s keeping track of all the guests. Every single person who he fingerprints at the door pops up on this screen,” Luna reported. “Their driver’s licenses appear as soon as they enter.”

  “Just hurry,” Sutton said. “Get me what I need before the speech starts. He’s headed to the stage now.”

  Luna’s fingers tapped the keys as she broke through the firewall, scanning the files that were supposed to be hidden in plain sight. To the average eye, they would have been undetectable, but to the Carnegie Mellon top alum, the firewall stood no chance. She pulled up the list and began to upload it to her flash drive.

  “Oh my God, Sutty, the names on this list…”

  “I know,” Sutton said. “I can only imagine. Pigs are comfortable rolling among filth. Copy the list and the origin and then get out of there. I’m about to ruin this man’s night.”

  * * *

  Sutton arose from the table and her long legs carried her across the dance floor as she headed for her mark. Lathan Naples might ha
ve been a genius, but he was a monster as well. The vice of this rich man was about to make the LaCroix sisters even richer women. His app was becoming the most popular social media trend globally. It allowed people to communicate worldwide with just a touch of the purple icon on their phone screens. It was also built to facilitate anonymous groups for men who indulged in sex with children. The groups were invite only, and their only form of communication was conducted through Connexxxion. Their host was none other than Mr. Lathan Naples himself; and in about three minutes’ time, the LaCroix sisters would have every single name and private direct message that had ever been sent within the group in their possession. The price for their discretion? Five million dollars … each.

  Before she could make it across the room, she felt a tug to her fingertips as she was pulled in the opposite direction. Before she knew it, she was in the arms of the man in the nice, but now wet, suit. She looked at him through the skeptical slits of her eyes.

  “When you move too fast, you might slip,” he said. It wasn’t what he said, but how he said it that made Sutton stay put. This was no ordinary guest. She noticed the tattoo under his shirt collar and then took in the ink on his hands as they held hers.

  “I don’t slip,” she answered. “And I don’t dance.” She pulled away.

  He pulled her back. “What do you do, then, Sutton LaCroix?”

  She stopped, swaying. The card she had given him had her alias, not her government name. She was at a loss for words. How did he know? And more importantly, who was he?

  “Don’t worry, I keep secrets real well,” he said. He left her in the middle of the dance floor as he moved around her. Sutton’s eyes followed him, and he nodded in acknowledgment as he fell into a conversation with the city’s mayor.

  Oh, he’s arrogant, she thought. She would have been amused had there not been so much at stake.

  She turned her focus back to Lathan; but before she could take one step, Luna’s voice filled her ear.

  “We’ve got a problem.”

  Sutton turned and covered her mouth with her clutch as she held the earring to reply.

  “Don’t tell me that.”

  “The fingerprint scan at security just pulled up Ashton LaCroix,” Luna informed her. “It pulled up her government and rap sheet. She’s flagged by security.”

  “What?” Honor chimed in. “How is she here right now?”

  Luna’s eyes found the door and sure enough, their baby sister was walking into the building. She was stunning in a rose-gold gown that hugged her body like Saran Wrap and her hair was long and flowing in huge Hollywood glam curls. She was breathtaking and Sutton was both proud and enraged at the same damn time.

  “It’s off,” Sutton said.

  “What? We can still finish the play,” Honor hissed.

  “You know the rules. We control the environment. Ashton is a problem. Get out of there now. Meet me in the south bathroom.”

  Sutton’s six-inch heels clicked across the marble floor as she made her way toward Ashton. She didn’t stop to speak as she passed her, and Ashton didn’t acknowledge her. They were like strangers passing in the night.

  “Bathroom. South elevators. Now,” Sutton whispered without missing a beat.

  The crowd thinned as she navigated her way to the restrooms farthest from the ballroom. When she pushed her way inside, Honor and Luna were already waiting.

  “What is she doing here?” Honor asked.

  “I don’t know,” Sutton said, pinching her brow as she paced.

  “Isn’t she supposed to be in Miami?” Luna asked.

  “I don’t know,” Sutton answered again. She was burning a hole in the floor. Back and forth. Forth and back. She couldn’t wrap her mind around Ashton’s reappearance.

  “Is she working someone here? She has to have a mark. Who’s her mark?” Luna asked.

  “Damn it, I don’t fucking know!” Sutton snapped.

  The bathroom door opened and the 5´5˝ beauty walked in, silencing them. Tension filled the room as Sutton, Luna, and Honor squared off with their youngest sibling.

  “I swear if you weren’t my sister, I’d be all over your ass right now,” Honor said.

  “Wow. That’s how you greet family? I haven’t seen you in years. I can’t get a welcome home before you bite my head off?” Ashton asked.

  “Ash, you just fucked up a whole bag! You picked the worst possible time to show up,” Luna added.

  “I’m working my own job. I’m not here to fuck anything up,” Ashton said. “I’m just looking for a rich sucker to fill my time.”

  “Tired of chasing drug dealers in Miami? What? You fucked up down there and now you’re here to bring bad luck on us?” Sutton asked.

  “I’m not in the way. You can still do whatever it is you came here to do,” Ashton defended.

  “Only we can’t,” Sutton shot back. Sutton peeled off the silicone imprint that was over her thumb and flicked it at Ashton. “As soon as you scanned your goddamned thumb, your entire record came up. We’re wearing fake prints. We were never here, but our fucking baby sister’s name is on the guest list. They flagged you, Ashton! You’re hot. You know the rules. If anything doesn’t go as planned it’s a done deal. You’re a liability.”

  “Surprise, surprise, isn’t she always?” Luna said, sighing. “I couldn’t get the entire list to download before I had to get out of there. What are we going to do?”

  “We’re back at square one. The night we’ve been planning for the past twelve months is dead. Good job, Ashton,” Honor said.

  “What’s the play, anyway? Maybe I can help. Who’s the mark?”

  “Lathan Naples. He’s a pedophile with pedophile friends. Your grand entrance interrupted my download. There’s a list of names that’s worth cash money.”

  “You bitches and your high-tech-ass schemes. I can get the list. It don’t take all that to get in a room with a man and his laptop. Throw the nigga some pussy and—”

  “You’ve helped enough,” Sutton answered. “We aren’t running playground tricks, Ash. We’re not throwing pussy at niggas for chump change. This isn’t a hustle. It’s a corporation. We fix shit.”

  “We break it first, though,” Honor said as she leaned in to the mirror to refresh her lipstick.

  “We create the problems then solve them,” Sutton stated.

  “For a fee,” Luna added.

  “I’m the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company. We’re good at what the fuck we do. We aren’t winging it. Do me a favor and go home. We’ll see you in the morning. If you’re back, you need to know the rules.”

  Sutton stormed out of the restroom. Luna followed. Honor took her time completing her look before adjusting her breasts and doing a shimmy in the mirror. She smudged her lipstick and then turned to Ashton.

  “See you at brunch, baby sis. Same time. Same place,” Honor stated. Honor walked to the door and opened it. She paused. “Oh, and Ash?” Ash lifted misty eyes to her older sister.

  “I’m glad you’re home.”

  * * *

  Ashton stood outside of the venue waiting impatiently. The dinner was long over and only the elite of the guest list remained inside. She shuffled anxiously as her glamorous dress swayed with every movement. She checked the time on her phone. “Great,” she hissed. The drizzle of the unexpected rain turned a bad night into an unbearable one. She huffed and marched back toward the building. She was soaking wet by the time she made it to the grand foyer.

  “Ma’am, the function is over. We can’t let you back inside.”

  Ashton blew out a breath of exasperation. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she snapped. “It’s pouring outside.”

  “I’m sorry, miss, it’s protocol,” the guard informed her.

  “My driver left. There was some mix-up and he picked up the wrong passenger. I just need to wait for an Uber. It’s ten minutes away,” Ashton pleaded.

  “Miss, if you don’t leave, I’m going to have to have you escorted off the premises.�
��

  The sound of laughter echoed through the empty halls as a group of men sauntered toward the exit.

  “Now, miss.” The guard grabbed her forearm and Ashton resisted, pulling away. His aggressive tone garnered attention from the group.

  “Hey, is everything okay out here?”

  The man of the hour, Ashton thought. About goddamn time.

  She had waited intentionally to catch him leaving. Straitlaced men couldn’t help but play Captain Save-a-Ho when they saw a beautiful woman in distress.

  “I’m just trying to wait somewhere dry for my Uber,” Ashton said.

  “Hey, man, let her go. That isn’t necessary. It’s fine,” Lathan said.

  Ashton was released and she gave Lathan a grateful smile. “Thank you. It should be here any minute.”

  Lathan stopped walking and let the rest of the men exit without him. “I have a minute. I can wait with you,” Lathan offered.

  “Thanks, but I’m really okay,” Ashton replied.

  “How about I wait anyway. Make sure this guy doesn’t give you a hard time,” Lathan answered.

  Ashton nodded. “Okay.”

  “So what did you think of the app?” Lathan inquired.

  “I think it’s made by a bunch of Silicon Valley brats who have no idea how social media has cursed the human race. They don’t have an ounce of personality, so they create these alternate digital realities to hide behind.”

  “Wow, that’s…” Lathan paused and rubbed his smooth baby face. “… presumptuous, don’t you think?”

  Ashton shrugged. “Maybe, or maybe they jerk off to pretty girls at their computers because they’ve immersed themselves behind screen names and JavaScript.”

  Lathan chuckled. “You’re a tough critic. I didn’t catch your name.”

  “Tracy,” she said, extending her hand. “And you might be?”

  “The Silicon Valley brat who created Connexxxion,” he stated. “Lathan Naples.”

  Ashton winced and covered her face with both hands. “I just made a complete ass of myself,” she groaned. “I’m so sorry.” He laughed and lifted his hands in surrender.