by Ashley
“Man, you sound like the old man. You gotta relax.”
“No, nigga, you relax!” West said, raising his voice, getting totally out of character. He’d temporarily reverted to his true origins. He was decades removed from anything street, but at times it came out. It was very rare, but when it happened, August knew he was dead serious.
West noticed himself getting loud and looked around as he clenched his teeth, so much so that his jawline muscles were on display. He gathered his composure and cleared his throat. In a lowered tone, he added, “We are running a billion-dollar company and you try to find a way to sabotage it every chance you get. You gotta tighten up.”
August had just popped a few pills, so he wasn’t listening to anything West was saying. His mind was on that ass that was a few feet away from him.
“A’ight, man. I hear you,” August replied to appease his adopted brother.
West looked over at one of the workers and stuck two fingers in his mouth, whistling to get their attention. When the worker looked, West put up one finger, signaling the sign for gas. The worker instantly headed to fetch the rolling gas pump that could supply enough gas for the speedboat to make it back to shore. West put his hands on his belt buckle and shook his head at his careless brother. The rig worker approached the edge and began to prep the rolling gas station to fill the speedboat.
West looked over at August and talked in a low tone. “Get out of here before you cost us a violation. I’ll be by later this evening,” West said quickly.
“A’ight, bet,” August said just before he took a huge swallow of champagne. West walked away, leaving them at the edge, and headed toward his father who had continued giving their visitors a tour.
* * *
The sun was just setting against the purplish and orange-hued sky. The view from the downtown Houston condo provided a perfect skyline of the city. The glass front provided no privacy for the people inside. However, they didn’t care who watched. In the middle of the studio-styled layout was a king-sized bed. An ebony woman with a huge ass slowly rode August’s face. Her thick legs and thighs were spread and his mouth lined up perfectly with her love box. His hands rested on her cheeks, massaging them as she waved her body in a snakelike motion. Her short hair was cut in a Caesar style and her baby hair rested perfectly along the edges of her hairline. She looked like a chocolate version of Betty Boop with her big, full lips that were painted in red lipstick, and her big, fluffy eyelashes stuck out an inch from her eyelids.
She moaned as she moved her hips in circular motions, ferociously grinding against August’s pale face. It was the same girl from the boat earlier that day, but she was the one driving this go-around. She motorboated his face as he licked away. A petite-framed Latina woman was giving him oral while massaging his sack. She used her free hand to please herself as she rested her body against his thigh. They were all in unison as soft moans and slurping sounds filled the spacious high-rise. As the Latina girl took August in and out of her mouth, she looked up at the big, chocolate cheeks grinding and she rubbed them, following it up with a firm smack. An echoing slap sound resonated. This made the ebony girl moan in pleasure and subsequently turned her on even more.
As their threesome was underway, they were so tuned in to the sexual acts that they didn’t see the man walk into the middle of the room. It was West. He looked away, not wanting to see what was going on. He let himself in because he had a spare key to his brother’s spot. He didn’t know he would be walking into a full-fledged orgy.
“Okay, that’s enough,” West said as he turned his back to the action and stared out of the window onto the city’s horizon.
“Agh!” the ebony girl yelled as she hopped off August and covered herself with the bedsheet. The other girl shrieked as well and jumped in terror. August sat up in confusion and saw his unwanted visitor turned away from them. He still had the woman’s nectar dripping from his mouth as he frowned, trying to figure out what was going on.
“What the fuck, bro?” August yelled as he threw his hands up.
“Young ladies, it’s time to go. Sorry to interrupt.” West turned around and waved toward the door. Both girls looked at August and tried to make sense of what was going on. He quickly backed his brother.
“You heard him. Get lost.” August stood buck-ass naked and walked across the floor, heading toward the bathroom. He didn’t have a care in the world and let his Johnson swing freely. He didn’t put up a fight because he knew exactly why West was there. The stunt he’d pulled earlier was the reason, because West never visited the condo.
West didn’t say a word, waiting patiently for the women to get dressed and leave before he addressed the situation. He followed them to the door and opened it for them, nodding to them as they exited like the true gentleman he was. As soon as he closed the door behind them, he barged directly to the shower where August was. His brother stood under the running water with his hand resting against the wall, letting the water cascade down his body.
“What the fuck were you thinking, man? That had to be the dumbest shit you’ve ever done and with your track record … that says a whole fucking lot.”
“I know, West. I know,” August said as he shook his head in guilt.
“‘I know,’ my ass. Do you know I had to promise the head inspector a million-dollar donation to his wife’s charity just for him to overlook your bullshit? Huh?”
“I fucked up,” August admitted. He turned off the water and looked at West. West grabbed a towel and threw it at August’s head before he walked into the living room. August followed while wrapping the towel around his waist. “I was drunk as shit,” August revealed.
“And high! I saw that shit in your eyes. Your pupils were big as pennies. Who the fuck drinks and gets high before noon?” West asked, shaking his head in disbelief, trying to make sense of August’s stupidity.
“Did you see that bitch’s ass?” August imaginatively outlined the girl’s hourglass shape with both hands. He tried to make light of the situation to ease the tension. He ended it by playfully humping the air. West couldn’t help but crack a smile and they both burst out laughing.
“Pops is hot though, bro. You have to move smarter. You are making the family business look bad. This isn’t some mom-and-pop operation that you can just play with. This oil business is a multibillion-dollar industry and Sinclair Enterprises is at the top of it. You have to think before you act sometimes, bruh,” West said in a concerned tone, rather than one of condescension.
“I know. I know. I’ll go and talk to Pops in the morning and smooth shit over,” August said, not being new to having to clean up a mess that he had made.
“Good, because he’s on fire, you hear me?” West said as he walked over to the china cabinet that was in the corner of the flat. West began to pull out a small glass and then poured himself a glass of Scotch. August slipped on a pair of slacks and began to think about things other than his fuckup.
“Yo, you going to New York this weekend?” August asked as he buttoned up his shirt. He assumed West would be there considering his brother had a few athletes under contract who were projected to go in the first round of the NFL Draft.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. The Lions have been blowing my phone up, saying that they might move up to get Jay,” West said, referring to his quarterback client who was projected to go between the fifth and seventh pick.
“That fucker has a cannon for an arm,” August said as he put gel in his blond hair.
“Yeah, he does. He just has to stay healthy and make it to that second contract. That’s where the real money is.” West finished up his drink and set his cup down, pointing at his brother as he headed toward the exit. “Make sure you clean up that shit with Pops. That million-dollar donation has him tight. And check on Ma too. She asked about you this morning.”
A sports agency was one of his many business ventures and he was one of the very few African Americans who was head of a reputable one. Although August knew his brother h
ated going to public functions where there would be a lot of sack-chasing women and younger crowds, West understood it was a necessity for acquiring future clients. He was getting money at the highest level on many fronts, and representing athletes and negotiating their deals was one of them.
“Love you, bro,” West said as he disappeared into the hallway, leaving August there alone. August began to think about how he would turn up in New York too. So in August Sinclair fashion, he pulled out his phone, planting the seeds for any groupies he might have on the East Coast. He instantly opened his Instagram account and prepared to go live. He put up the camera and pointed it back at himself for the best possible angle. He waited for a few seconds before he spoke to let his followers join in first. He patiently watched the numbers climb by the second. He had over a million followers and a strong social media presence. He didn’t do anything to be famous … he just was. All the socialites and entertainers followed him because of his extravagant lifestyle and his willingness to show it.
“Okay.… A’ight, so look. New York this weekend. I’m looking for a few of the sexiest ladies in the city to jump on the Private with me. What up?”
“What up, RiRi?” August said as he saw a famous female singer had logged on and watched along with the others. The pop star sent him a heart eyes emoji in the comments for everyone to see. August grabbed his other phone and began to shuffle through his playlist, finding one of the singer’s latest songs. He pressed play and made it sound on his Bluetooth speaker while playfully swaying back and forth. He was vibing to her new popular song. In return, his viewership climbed and climbed rapidly. Before he knew it, many celebrities and influencers were giving him shout-outs in the comments and cheering him on as they all listened and watched him. He made his way to his dresser drawer and opened it up, exposing rubber band–wrapped money in neat stacks completely filling the drawer. He pulled out a stack of all hundreds and placed it to his ear boastfully. This continued for the next few minutes as he played more songs, getting a text from the singer with a link to some unreleased tracks. She’d asked him to play snippets on his live and August was doing just that. She knew his influence would get the buzz going for her upcoming album. She used August’s influence for her album awareness. This was something money couldn’t buy. It worked like a charm because everyone was tuned in to see what new music was on the way.
“Who wanna go to New York with me this weekend? Let me know. Share this video … tag me. Let’s go.” He burst into playful laughter, tossing the money into the air. The bills slowly fell like snow onto his condo’s floor. He looked at his viewers and over a half million people were tuned in. He logged off and began putting his plans into motion for the weekend in New York. He was about to make it legendary.
* * *
“You see this shit?” Luna asked as she held up the phone, showing August on his social media as he flaunted money. He had just gone live and invited random girls to go to New York with him. The girls were at the LaCroix Group offices preparing to head out for the day and Gadget had stumbled across something interesting. August Sinclair. Luna always stayed on top of who and what was trending; and since she saw this man trending once again, she logged on to see what he was talking about.
“Look at this white boy’s numbers,” Honor said as she watched them climb by tens of thousands by the second.
Honor stared at Luna’s phone screen. “Who is that?”
“August Sinclair.”
“He’s playing that new RiRi record and people are going crazy. Look, it’s almost at a million viewers.” Honor held her phone up and pointed to the corner of the screen where the view count was displayed.
“What does he do?” Sutton asked, loading up her briefcase to end the day. She stood behind her desk as her other sisters were visually invested in August’s live feed.
“That’s the thing. No one knows. He just flashes money, yachts, and jets on a daily basis,” Honor said, trying to best describe the lure of his popularity. “He’s always in pictures with the Kardashians in Calabasas. Plus, he is always front row at all the nationally televised Lakers games.”
“Those fifty-thousand-dollar seats?” Sutton asked, getting more and more interested by the second. She didn’t like to not be in the loop of the movers and shakers of the entertainment industry. She knew celebrity row was a great place to get clients, referring to the Lakers’ courtside seats.
“Yep, he’s there every time, front and center where the cameras can see him,” Honor confirmed.
“Gadget, who is this guy? Look…” Sutton said. However, Gadget had already popped open her laptop and begun to type. She cut her sister off, already knowing what was going on.
“I’m on it, sis. Okay … here he is.” Gadget slightly turned her screen so her two other sisters could see. “His name is August Sinclair. Heir to August Sinclair Sr., who is CEO of Sinclair Enterprises. Which is—”
“The biggest oil rig in Texas,” Sutton interjected as her ears perked. She walked around her desk, her eyes glued to Gadget’s computer screen. She knew immediately what company Gadget was referring to when she heard the name. This was a company she’d had on her radar for years but never had too much intel about them. Sinclair was a tight-knit, family-owned company no one knew too much about, other than the Sinclairs were one of the wealthiest families in Texas. Her mind instantly began to spin and work overtime, seeing a possible entry point for their firm. A client like this was what firms aspired to get. Sutton understood the chess move of acquiring a client of that magnitude, not only for the potential business, but also for the future acquisitions of more big-name companies.
“It says here that he has a net worth of two point four billion dollars, just himself alone,” she added.
“Oh yeah,” Sutton said as she began to ponder the possibilities. “Where did he say he was going this weekend?”
“New York,” Honor answered while smiling, already knowing what her sister was thinking.
Sutton smirked and ran her tongue across her teeth. “Gadget, get a full profile on this guy. I want to know everything about him. Where he banks, where he eats, where he fucks, and who he’s fucking. I need to understand what type of person he is and what are his vices. This is our way into Sinclair Enterprises, ladies.” Sutton leaned back on her desk and crossed her arms. She was already orchestrating a plan inside her mind.
“I’m on it.” Gadget started to type away, beginning her intel. Her first task was to search the black market and get his financial records to understand how much he really had in the bank. After that, she would create a virtual paper trail and take a full analysis of his spending patterns. This would allow them to understand him more as a person. Gadget would deep dive into August’s life and by the end of it, they would know and understand him better than he knew himself.
“Guess we are going to New York this weekend?” Honor asked as she smiled. Sutton looked over at Honor and winked, confirming their next target.
CHAPTER 5
“Tell me again why we didn’t rent a PJ?” Honor asked as she sat in the airport terminal, legs crossed, with her eyes glued to her phone.
“Because niggas who rent private jets eventually work at Walmart when they hit fifty-five because they did stupid shit with their bread when they were young,” Sutton said.
“Ha!” Luna shouted in laughter. “The fucking accuracy.”
“First class will have to do, dear sister,” Sutton said, smiling as she shook her head. Honor had always been high maintenance. Thanks to their father, she had been introduced to Louis Vuitton at three years old; by twelve, she was carrying her first Chanel. Only the best for his girls. Sutton had always preferred the money over the gifts. Five thousand dollars on a handbag or five racks in her bank account? Even as a kid, she saw the value in a dollar. She liked to see her money sit and collect interest. The dividends excited her more than the attention of a luxury bag. Those habits had followed her into adulthood. And now, she had both.
The
girls giggled as Sutton lifted her wrist to check the time. “Where is this girl? We’re about to board.” She looked around the crowded airport. Ashton was late. “Call her and see where she is.”
Luna placed the call and hung up seconds later. “Her phone is going straight to voicemail.”
“Attention passengers on Flight 732 headed for New York, we are now boarding our first-class passengers.”
Sutton stood and grabbed her carry-on. “I guess she’s not coming. One thing about Ashton, she never misses the chance to disappoint.”
Honor shrugged and Luna stood speechless as they made their way onto the flight.
* * *
Ashton rushed through the airport, dodging the other travelers around her as she made her way to her gate. “Please be delayed, please be delayed,” she whispered. She knew if she didn’t make it to New York, she would only be proving Sutton right. Her sisters already thought she was unreliable. She would never live this down. Her thigh-high stiletto boots clicked against the tiled floor as she approached gate D12.
“Wait! Wait! My sisters are on that plane!” she screamed as the gate worker went to close the door.
“I’m sorry, the boarding door to the aircraft is closed,” the woman said.
“But it hasn’t taken off yet. I’m right here. Please don’t let this plane take off without me on it,” Ashton said, pleading because the last thing she wanted was to be at odds with Sutton again.
“Once the aircraft has been sealed, we can’t open it. It’s above my pay grade, ma’am.”
“Don’t ‘ma’am’ me,” Ashton said, rolling her eyes. “When is the next flight out to New York?”
“Not until the morning,” the woman said. She typed on the keyboard of the computer that sat in front of her. “All of our remaining flights are in a sold-out situation. We have a flight that departs at six fifteen A.M.”