Free The Conglomerate: A Luxorious Tale by Danielle Santiago Page B

earlier to make sure the serving stations were set up correctly. Said she was going home to change clothes and she’d be back.”
                  “I hope she isn’t somewhere passed out. That chick didn’t even go see her doctor today.”
                  “That doesn’t shock me.” Joey mumbled.
     
                  Zay was angry at the way Joey had handled him. He wanted to flip the fuck out on her and Dawhar, but he would never disrespect her place of business in that manner. The two double shots of Hennessy he’d just knocked down were beginning to cloud his judgment. If he had one more double shot he was going to forget that he was at his wife’s business. Therefore, he decided to leave. He walked up behind Joey and said in her ear, “Yo, I’m out.”
                  Joey turned to face him, “but you just got here.”
                  “And, why you worried? You don’t want me here. Dawhar will keep you company.”
                  “I need you here,” she said embracing him by the waist. “I’m sorry about the way I came at you. It has been a crazy day and I was a little on edge. Please forgive me and stay awhile.” Zay was a little apprehensive, but since Joey did apologize, he hugged her and agreed to hang around a little longer.
                  Bobby, one of the Enclave’s security guards, rushed into The Penthouse and ran over to Cee, Joey, and Zay.
                  “We need you outside now,” he said distressed. “Something bad happened.”
                  “Bad like what like what?” Joey asked.
                  Cee noticed that the Bobby had dark red wet spots on his shirt. Suddenly she realized that Petey had not come inside. “Did you see my husband out there?”
                  “Yes,” he said unable to look her in the eye.
                  “Is he okay? ”
 He shook his head.
                  “No.”
    Cee ran past the elevators to the stairs. She hurried down the stairs followed by Bobby, Zay, and Joey.
                  Outside smoke was flowing into the night sky. It was hard to tell if it was coming from the L Room or Luxurious. Cee grabbed the security guard's shirt.
                  "Where is my husband?"
                  "Come," he guided her to the side of the L Room. She became horrified at the sight of her husband unconscious out on the ground bleeding profusely. Rich, the security guard, lay next to him lifeless and covered in blood. Cee went over to Petey.               "Noooooo," she screamed madly then dropped to her knees beside her husband and cradled his head in her arms. "Oh baby what happened to you?" Tears filled her eyes. Cee could hear the ambulance and fire truck sirens approaching. She knew that they were close, only seconds away, but it felt like forever.
                  Joey was in shock, the scene was overwhelming and upsetting on so many levels for her. Petey, her friend since high school, and Rich her employee laid severely wounded if not dead. To add insult to injury, the Luxe Enclave had just opened for business. The publicity was going to be horrible, but at the time bad publicity was least of her worries with two human lives possibly lost. Zay ran out to the parking lot then came back with four paramedics. Firefighters stormed the L Room with a water hose. Suddenly the grounds were swarming with Charlotte Police. They immediately pulled Bobby and two other guards to the side to find out what was happening. Joey went over and listened intently as the Bobby gave the police a rundown.
                  Bobby told the police, “Petey told Rich and me that he saw someone on the side of the building. When he took us over to the spot, there was a man with three lit Molotovs. He tossed one through the window, we all yelled out YO STOP ,