The Conglomerate: A Luxorious Tale (19 page)

             
“The security feed from my office.” Joey replied.

             
“What’s on the footage?”             

             
Joey saw Dawhar and the other police aiding Leska to her feet like she was the one that had been violated. “How about we all go watch it together.”

             
Cee, Joey, Evan, the two detectives, three uniform officers, Dawhar, Leska, and the other football wife all gathered in Joey’s spacious office. Holding the remote in her clammy hand, Joey was a little apprehensive about showing the footage in front of everyone. She was about to relive the pain, humiliation, and embarrassment in front of everyone. Joey knew that Dawhar should be the one wearing the shame so she released her anxiety and pressed play.

             
Cold beads of sweat popped on his forehead as the footage began with him and Joey entering the office. While the situation unfolded on camera Joey kept her eyes locked on Dawhar. Leska gasped loudly when she saw the assault on Joey begin. Every officer glanced angrily at Dawhar then turned their attention back to the screen.

             
As the worst moment of her Joey’s life continued to play out, Zay and Jason stepped into the room. Joey’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Catching wind of what was circulating online; Zay came to confront his wife. The sight of Joey’s face horrified him, but not as much as what he saw on the screen. At first he thought that he had to be having a nightmare,
this can’t be real.
Frozen by shock, Zay stared watching his wife being brutally violated.

             
Sickened by what she was witnessing Leska gagged hard, she covered her mouth to keep the vomit from rushing out. She bolted from the office with the football wife chasing behind her.

             
Zay’s shock quickly thawed and his anger erupted as he barreled toward Dawhar with Jason right by his side. The police jumped between the men breaking up anything before it could even begin. “Cuff him,” Blankenship pointed at Dawhar. “Get him out of here.” One officer placed Dawhar under arrest while the other three blocked Jason and Zay’s access to him. Zay yelled at Dawhar.

             
“You know what it is when I see you pussy ass nigga!”

             
“Fuck you and that bitch,” Dawhar shot back.

             
“You a dead man walking and that’s on my kids fuck nigga!”

             
The arresting officer hurried Dawhar out the office. The remaining uniforms stood by the door to ensure that the brothers remained inside until Dawhar had been taken off the property. Zay went to his wife; lifting her chin with his finger he examined her bruised and swollen face. He had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to keep from exploding again.

             
“I’m okay,” Joey said softly.



            
 
“Don't lie to me.
”



            
 
“Mrs. Tappens,” Det. Blankenship said. “I need to get a copy of that footage and for you to come downtown to give a formal statement.”

             
“I can download you a copy,” she replied. “But I don't want to press charges.”

             
Completely taken aback, “Why not?” he asked. “After we all just saw.”

             
“And you also saw me get him back. I’m good. If he hadn’t come to you with his lies, I would’ve never have told you.”

             
“Well,” the detective sighed. “That footage alone is enough for the state to bring charges without your statement.” He reached into his interior jacket pocket, “here’s my card if you change your mind.”

             
“Okay,” Joey took the card with no intention of ever using it. “And one of my partners,” she thumbed over her shoulder at Evan and Cee, “can get that footage downloaded for you.”

             
“We’ll go do it now,” Cee said walking out with Evan.

             
Turning his attention to Zay, Blankenship said, “Sir I know that you are very upset, but please don't do anything stupid once this guy is freed on bond. If anything encourage your wife to press charges and let us do our job.”

             
Zay responded with a nod, but the veteran detective knew that he only did it to appease him. The fire burning in Zay’s eyes told Blankenship that there was going to be some sort of retaliation. On the way out Blankenship said to a younger uniformed officer. “If I saw my wife on that tape I wouldn’t give a damn about this badge. I’d kill the scumbag with my bare hands.”

             
Once the police cleared out, Zay asked Joey, “What was Dawhar doing in your office?”

             
Tearfully she responded. “Baby I swear to you nothing shady was going on at all. I promise I’ll explain to you, I just want to get out here.” Although Zay was a little suspicious on why his wife was alone with Dawhar, it pained Zay deeply to see her in this condition. He tossed his keys to his brother. “Take my car.” he wrapped his arms around his wife’s shoulder. “Let’s go home.”

             
At the house Joey watched as Zay paced the floor furiously expressing his anger.               “I should’ve been got at his disrespectful ass a long time ago when I saw that he was checking for you. The way he looked at you, I told you to watch yourself around him. Now look what happened.”

             
“You’re blaming me?” Joey squealed then sobbed uncontrollably.

             
“No, not at all,” Zay sat next to her on the couch and pulled her head into his chest. She curled up and rested her body against his. “Stop crying Joey, I didn’t mean it like that,” he kissed the top of her head. “Dawhar always had lust in his eyes when he looked at you. I knew if given the chance he would try you. I didn’t think he would rape you, but he is one of those entitled niggas. That’s okay I just hope he feels entitled to the bullets that I’m going to put in him.”

             
Joey sat up and faced him. “You can’t kill him.”

             
“Why not? He bleeds just like the next nigga.”

             
“If you thought the shooting at the L Room brought heat your way, imagine if Dawhar ends up dead. Our lives will be under a microscope.”

             
“I can handle whatever comes my way and he is going to get dealt with though, just to let the next nigga know ain’t shit sweet over here.”

             
“Is killing him about him hurting me or protecting your rep?”

             
“It is all about you,” Zay raised his voice. “And our family. If I let this shit slide some young robber on the come up may think he can get some cash from me by grabbing you or the kids and I won’t do nothing. That’s why I’m going to shut that shit down right now.”

              Aware that her husband’s anger was too fresh for compromise, Joey decided to fall back. She picked up the remote and powered on the TV to watch the six a.m. news that she watched every morning. “Oh my God,” her mouth fell wide open from the shock of seeing an eyewitness news reporter standing in front of the Luxe Enclave. The border across the bottom of the screen read: NFL Star Charged with Sexual Assault.

             
Joey turned the volume up as the reporter began to speak,
“Good morning this is Natalie Ramon reporting live from the Luxe Enclave where the upscale Penthouse Sports Bar is located. It is at this exclusive member’s only club that alleged Tiger’s star cornerback, Dawhar Bradley, sexually assaulted a female employee. Due to the nature of the crime, police are not releasing her name or position. CMPD did release this fifteen second snippet of the assault. The victim’s image has been completely blurred out. I must warn you the footage is very graphic.”

             
Joey winced when the most horrific incident of her life flashed across the screen.               Zay snatched the remote from her and cut the TV off.

             
Shaking her head Joey mumbled.

              “This is getting worse and worse.”

             
“The local news is nothing; ESPN will have Rachel Nichols out there by lunch time today.”

             
“Ugggggggggh,” Joey groaned. “I can’t deal with this shit right now. I wish I could just get away.”

             
“That’s exactly what you should do. You know what that is what you’re going to do.”

             
“I can’t just up and leave who’s going to run the clubs?”

             
“Bev and Isadora,” he answered. “Your managers have been doing a great job. It’s a perfect time to get away. The kids’ spring break starts Friday.”

             
“Yes it would be nice to spend some quality time with the kids.”

             
“We’ll take them to Atlantis, bring them back home, and then go to Miami for a few days before the gala and chill on one of the yachts; just me and you.”

             
“I’m cool with that, but our last trip with the kids was in the Bahamas.”

             
“I didn’t say the Bahamas.”

             
“You just said Atlantis.”

             
“Yeah, Atlantis in Dubai.”

Chapter Six

“Mom, who is that you’re texting with?” Taleah asked.

“None of ya bizness little girl,” Cee smirked sitting at the table in Del Frisco’s Double Eagle steakhouse wi
th her triplets. Cee’s younger children were in Dubai with Joey and her family. To show her appreciation for the terrific help that the triplets have been with the younger kids, Cee had treated them to a shopping spree earlier in the day.

             
After Petey’s passing the girls moved back home, commuting an hour each way daily to Winston Salem for their classes at Wake Forest. The trips helped their younger siblings with homework, cooked for them, and drove them to their extra-curricular activities.