Fire and Desire (BWWM Romance) (16 page)

With each accusation masked as a question, her heart sunk. Having her pride, Emily stood tall and moved forward.

“Isn’t it a fact that anything goes was the motto in another place you worked?”

With the door in sight, Emily pushed past the overzealous reporters. They continued shouting questions at her back.

A tall salt-and-peppered hair man stepped in front of her blocking her path. “Miss Washington, allow me to introduce myself. I’m the prosecuting attorney for Fulton Count.” He stuck out his hand and smiled for the cameras as if he was posing for the cover of
GQ Magazine
. “The city of Atlanta will not allow something like this to exist. You won’t tarnish our city’s good name or embarrass us.”

“Tarnish your good name.” Her mouth dropped. “The city does enough of that on its own!” She regained her confidence.

He leered at her. “Nonetheless, Miss Washington, or would you prefer Mercedes? That’s your stage name, isn’t it? The city has decided to lock your doors until a formal hearing can be done.”

He stepped to the side and stretched his arm out toward the door. Chains and padlocks wrapped around the handles, baring access.

“You bastards! I’ve done nothing wrong! If I were a man, you wouldn’t even be thinking twice about this!” Her body shook, and her breathing became shallow. If one more reporter shoved a microphone or tape recorder in her face, she was going to punch their lights out.

A muscular arm reached out, pulling her away from the crowd. Her face was shoved into a wide chest, shieling her from the flash of the cameras with their body. She followed her rescuer’s lead as he navigated her through the crowd.

“Are you okay?” Antonio relaxed his grip.

Hazel eyes of concern gazed down at her. She choked back a sob. Words wouldn’t come out.

Antonio opened the door to the passenger side of his truck. Emily got inside and welcomed the safeness of the closed door. Her eyes scanned the crowd of people casting evil stares at her.
How did this happen? How do they know particular details on the inside of my club? Why am I being labeled a madam? How in the heck did they know what time I was going to show up?
She slumped into the leather seats.

“It’s going to be okay.” Antonio patted her leg and pulled off.

The ride back to the house was a blur. Emily was startled by Antonio opening her door. Gently lifting her from his truck, he carried her into the house and headed straight for the bedroom. He placed her on the bed before removing her shoes one at a time. Antonio placed her feet in his lap and rubbed them.

Her tension lessoned, and she was able to speak. “I just don’t understand how someone came up with the idea that I’m running a prostitution ring. My girls are purely entertainment. There’s no sex involved. What’s the problem with a beautiful woman making some lonely man’s day?”

“Have you done something to anyone to make them want to get revenge?” Antonio’s eyes scanned her.

“I haven’t done anything to anyone. Heather tried attacking me because of her sister. Oh my God, do you think it’s her?” She scrunched her eyebrows together. “She doesn’t know who she’s messing with if she thinks I owe her and is trying to ruin me.”

He shook his head. “I’d think she’d be too busy mourning the loss of her sister.”

“There is no one else.” Her eyelids grew heavy.

“Don’t worry about it then. This too shall pass. You’re a smart woman and will figure it out.” He kissed her forehead. “Get some rest before you give yourself an ulcer. I’m going to stay right here with you and keep you safe.”

Antonio was her modern day Prince Charming, coming to her rescue at the precise moment. Emily couldn’t imagine how she would’ve made it through the day without him by her side.

Emily tossed and turned all night long with images of being hauled off to jail. In the morning, she awoke with a feeling of numbness. Antonio had an early meeting and left shortly after her eyes fluttered open. If she didn’t have to get up and wire some money to her mother, then she would’ve stayed sleep for another week, no matter how many nightmares she had.

She dressed and made her way to the bank.

“What do you mean my account is frozen?” Emily questioned the ghetto-fabulous teller. She loathed this branch, but it was the closest to her house. The demographics of Atlanta amazed her. You can live in a prominent area but drive two blocks, and you’d be smack dab in the hood.

The woman halfheartedly tapped on the keyboard. Emily had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Who the heck allowed a bank teller to have her hair snow white on top and black on the bottom resembling a skunk? To make it worse, the teller had a gold tooth and long curved fingernails with wild designs on them that matched her outfit.

“It says here, on the computer, that your account is frozen due to an investigation.” Her southern drawl dragged out the words. “You need to have a seat for a manager.”

Knowing better than to try and pry any more information from the teller, Emily made her way to an empty chair. Several equally ticked off customers were waiting ahead of her. She sat patiently as each person was called in.

“Next.” A dangerously skinny brunette in a pink tweed business suit with her hair swept bun and black glasses sitting on the brim of her nose stood, eyeballing Emily. The lady looked as if she belonged in a corporate office downtown, demanding someone to get her a latté rather than a manager of the small branch bank.

Following her into a back office, Emily glanced around at the plants and neatly placed pictures of the lady and her family. The pictures were so perfect they resembled the ones that come in the frame when you purchase them from the store. Emily took a seat facing the desk, and the woman walked behind it.

“Emily, may I call you Emily?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s fine. I want to know exactly why my account is frozen.”

“It could be one too many bad checks or something to that matter.” She looked over the rim of her glasses as her hands sped across the keyboard.

“I really doubt that since I’ve never bounced a check, and I have over three hundred fifty thousand dollars in that account.”

“I see.” She frowned. “And how did you come into that much money?”

“It’s a business account which I’m sure you already know.”

Cold gray eyes met Emily’s. “It shows here your funds are under investigation. The only other time I saw that is when funds were achieved by illegal means. What is it you said you did again?”

Emily would’ve slapped the smirk off the stuck up lady’s face if she wasn’t holding her funds hostage.

“I didn’t say, but if you must know, I own an internet business in the field of adult entertainment. All of my money is by legal means, thank you.” Emily arched an eyebrow. “Now can you release my funds? I can show receipts, legers, and reports of all my business dealings.”

“Oh my, that’s not for me to decide. You have to go to court for that. I hope you have a lawyer. Have a nice day.” The woman stood and showed her the door.

“Bitch,” Emily mumbled under her breath. “You bet your cheap suit I have a lawyer.” She whipped out her cell phone and dialed.

“Hello,” Keisha answered.

“I need a good lawyer.”

“I’m already on it, sis. I saw the news and received a phone call from Antonio. Angela’s the best at our firm. She’s in her mid-thirties and has never lost a case. She’s a beast in the courtroom. I’ve had the pleasure of seating in on a few hearings. She had even left a few judges speechless from her skills and knowledge. I’ll text you her number. She’s expecting you to call on Monday.”

“Okay, thanks. I’m at the bank and will call you back.”

“Sis.” Keisha caught her before she pushed the end button.

“Yes.”

“I love you, and it’ll be okay.”

“I love you too. Bye.”

Emily walked back over to the tellers. When one was available, she withdrew funds out of one of her two other accounts. Both were in her son’s name and she the signer. She wasn’t hurting for money, she was simply irritated.

After finishing up at the bank, she called Antonio.

“My account has been frozen,” Emily said after he picked up his cell.

“Did they say why? Do you need some money?” His voice was calming.

“No, Keisha has me taken care of, and Janet owes me too,” she lied. For some reason, she didn’t want anyone knowing about the other accounts.

“Are you sure? I can meet you if you want me to.”

“No. I’m pissed off but okay otherwise. I have a few things I need to take care of. I’ll call you later.” She sighed as she pulled into the parking lot of her next destination.

“What things? I’m free to go with you.”

She bit her lip. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now. I’ll be okay, baby. Talk to you later.” She ended the call.

Emily didn’t have any other errands. She just needed space to gather her thoughts and sort things over. She moved like a zombie through the customer service line at WalMart so she could send the money through Western Union. A vibration in her purse brought her back to reality.

“Hello.”

“Miss Washington, Edmond speaking. I saw you on the news. Looks like you’re having a bit of trouble. I wonder who could have turned you in.” He laughed. “Makes you rethink the company you keep.”

“What they are saying isn’t true, and I have no idea who would tell those lies on me.”

“No matter. I still want your business. It seems like you won’t get to use it. How about I buy you out? Otherwise you can wait months to fight to get it opened, if the courts allow it. This being election year, I seriously doubt if you will win.” The condescending tone he used equated to nails on a chalk board.

“Are you trying to bully me into taking your offer?”

“No. I’m simply stating the facts. You have no further use of the building so why waste your money?”

“Screw you, Edmond.” Though her voice was lowered, she made sure to put emphasis on her words.

“No, darling, that’s what’s being done to you. Now call me when you wake up from your childhood fantasies. They’ll never let someone like you own property downtown no matter what you try to do.”

“Someone like me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Her voice went up an octave. If the people in the line were bored earlier, they were definitely getting some entertainment right now. Emily was acting exactly like the type of person she couldn’t stand, someone loud talking on the phone like no one else was around.

“Young, a woman, black, must I continue? Just because you’re a white man’s concubine doesn’t get you any closer to the big house. Call me when you see the world for what it is little girl.” He hung up the phone.

She felt prying eyes on her.

“What? You act like you’ve never seen anyone having a bad day.”

They turned around. Two more people and it was Emily’s turn. She handed the clerk the paper and successfully wired the money. Emily crumbled up her receipt, shoving it in her purse before storming out the store. If a bus came and ran her over, she wouldn’t have been surprised. Someone definitely had it out for her, and she was going to find out who.

She dialed Shayla’s number.

“Please take a look into my club and tell me who the heck is making inquiries into taking it over. Better yet, if you can tell me who owns most of the downtown property. This jerk named Edmond is trying to bully me into selling him my spot,” Emily fast talked as she made her way through the parking lot and back to her car.

“Hello to you too. I saw the news and it looked like political B.S. to me, nothing more than a bunch of hype before elections. Who’s Edmond?”

She jammed the key in the ignition and started the car. “Some bastard that I declined to let in on my business. I knew he was going to be trouble if I dealt with him. It’s more than some bull crap. They froze my account, but you know me, I always have plan B. I started making withdrawals and changed where the website earnings were deposited a few weeks back when I noticed my numbers weren’t matching up, but that is another story.”

“I’ll see what I can find out for you. Give me a day or two.”

“Thanks, girl, and sorry for sounding like a crazy person. I’ve just been going through some things.” Emily felt bad for not even asking how her friend how she was doing.

“I’m your girl. If you can’t complain to me, then who can you? Let me get to making some phone calls. By the way, you may want to take a look at the newspaper,” Shayla said.

“Do I want to?”

“You do.”

Emily gritted her teeth and hung up. More fuel was being added to the fire. She made a stop by the local market to purchase a paper and made her way home.

Not quite sure if she really wanted to see the headline, she hesitated before opening it. The front article was bad enough without going any farther. They’re been another senseless killing.

Turning the page, Emily felt her knees buckled. In big bold letters, the title read
The
Little Shop of Whores.
“The city of Atlanta is not happy with idea of an ex-adult entertainer, who now owns an adult website, owning a club in the downtown area. Allegedly, the club is a front for prostitution…”