Say You Need Me (7 page)

He tried door after door and found lavish bedroom after lavish bedroom. The last and fourth one was the only one that looked lived in. Darrell stepped inside, checking out the large room as he did. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then again, Darrell had no clue what he was looking for.

He spotted an answering machine on the night table
beside the king-sized bed. Excitement tickled his stomach. The machine might hold some type of clue. He strolled toward it. A green light flashed, indicating there were messages. He hit the play button.

Beep.
“Cecil, baby,” the first message began. “It’s Donna. Where are you? You’ve been avoiding me, baby, which is very, very bad.” Giggle. “Call me.”

Beep.
“Hey, Cece.” That was another woman. “I miss you, sweetheart. I guess you’re still out of town, huh? I hope your mother’s okay. Call me when you get back.”

Christ, Darrell thought. Cecil, a thirty-one-year-old adult, was using their mother as an excuse for being out of town when she’d been dead for ten years. When was his brother going to grow up?

Beep.
“Cecil,” yet another woman’s voice began, “I’m going
crazy
waiting to hear from you. Where are you, baby? Mmm…I need to see you. I am
so
horny. Call me as soon as you get this message.”

Good grief, Darrell thought. Where did Cecil meet these women?

“…But you can’t hide. You crossed the wrong person this time and now you’re going to pay.”

Darrell was startled out of his reverie by the words of the subsequent message. His heart slammed against his ribcage. After a moment of shock, he quickly hit the rewind button. After a few seconds, he once again pressed play.

Beep.
“You can run, Cecil, but you can’t hide. You crossed the wrong person this time and now you’re going to pay.”

The person’s voice was distorted, and he couldn’t tell if
it was a man or a woman speaking. But there was no mistaking that this was a threat.

Darrell hit rewind and listened to the message again. A myriad of emotions swirled inside him, from anxiety to concern to confusion to downright dread.

Was this an idle threat, or a deadly serious one? And was the person behind this threat the person who’d sent Cecil into hiding?

That had to be the case. How likely was it that Cecil had more than one person out to do him harm?

Dumb question, Darrell realized. He could only imagine how many people his brother had crossed. In reality, there could be any number of women angry enough to hurt him.

Darrell tuned out the next couple messages, but perked up when he once again heard the distorted voice. “I knew you were full of shit, Cecil,” the message began. “You can’t avoid the inevitable. I
will
find you. And you
will
pay.”

Beep.
“Cecil, it’s Donna. Where are you hiding, sweetness? Call me. I miss you.”

Beep.
“Darrell, if by any chance you came looking for me and are hearing this message—oh, shit!”

A chill swept down Darrell’s back at the sound of his brother’s voice. Anxious for a follow-up message, Darrell let the machine continue playing, but there was nothing more from Cecil—only more messages from hot and bothered women.

He rewound the tape until he heard his brother’s message again, hoping he’d pick up on something he’d missed the first time. But of course, there was nothing more to the message than what he’d heard.

“Damn!” Darrell exclaimed.

“Darrell.”

The feel of Serena’s hand on his back startled him, and Darrell whirled around. He hadn’t even heard her approach.

“Sorry,” she said, pulling her hand back.

Darrell ran a hand over his hair. “It’s okay.” Though he suddenly wasn’t sure if he was referring to the fact that she’d surprised him, or the fact that he hadn’t minded her touching him. Unlike last night, her touch on his back was a gentle caress, a comforting one, one he actually liked.

How long had it been since he’d felt the comforting touch of a woman’s caress? Too long. All this time, he’d told himself that he didn’t need that special touch again, but now he knew how wrong he was.

As he stared down at her, he couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like if she trailed her fingers along his jawbone, over his lips, into his mouth…

Darrell’s gaze dropped to her hands. She had delicate hands and long, nicely manicured nails. Darrell liked nails, liked to feel them tease his skin.

The jolt of sensation to his groin startled him—and forced his brain to start working again. Whoa. He dropped a hand to cover his sudden hard-on. Thank God, Serena didn’t seem to notice.

Why on earth had his thoughts wandered in
that
direction? Disappointed with himself, he shook his head.

Hell, maybe he
had
gone and lost his mind. Why else would he actually fantasize about Serena softly stroking his face? The first no-no was that she’d slugged him—he had to be nuts to have any sort of fantasy about a woman who’d done that to him. The second no-no—and perhaps
the bigger one—was the fact that she’d been involved with his brother.

The same brother he was here in Miami to find. Darrell had best keep his priorities straight.

Besides, if Cecil and Serena had clicked in some way, then Darrell and Serena most certainly would not. He and Cecil were as different as night and day.

Once again, his brain wrestled with the reality that Serena and Cecil had been involved. Sure, Darrell could understand Cecil’s interest in her—her expensive jewelry. But what had this seemingly sweet woman seen in his brother?

Maybe her prim and proper exterior hid a wild side. An image of Serena dressed in a racy black bra and panty set made Darrell’s groin start throbbing again.

“Darrell, what’s going on?”

Oh, I’m just imagining what you’d look like without clothes on.

Yeah, it was official. He had lost his mind.

“Darrell?”

The unmistakable look of concern in her eyes instantly killed the fantasy. Thank God. The last thing he ought to be doing was fantasizing…even if his body was telling him something completely different right now.

He cleared his throat. “How much did you hear?”

Serena crossed her arms over her chest. “Enough to be worried.”

“I knew my brother’s antics would get him into serious trouble one of these days, but this is worse than I thought.”

“You think…” Serena’s voice trailed off. “You think it’s really serious?”

Darrell blew out a ragged breath as he contemplated Serena’s question. He walked the few short steps to the window, glanced outside at the people on the beach below. Finding his brother would be like finding a needle in that sand, if what he feared was true. Cecil had pulled a disappearing act once before, when he’d tried to escape a woman who’d claimed he’d fathered her baby. He hadn’t reappeared for months.

“Obviously, my brother crossed the wrong person this time.” He faced Serena and added, “This time, I think someone wants to kill him.”

Kiana grabbed the receiver on the first ring.
“Hello?” she said anxiously.

“Hey, Kiana.”

“Geoff!” Kiana exclaimed, relief flooding her. “God, Geoff. Where have you been?”

“What’s up, sweetie?” Geoff asked. “I got your messages. They sounded pretty urgent.”

“I called you a couple times. You didn’t get back to me, and then when I heard that cop got killed…oh, Geoff. I’m so glad to hear your voice!”

“It’s nice to know I’m missed.”

Kiana inhaled a deep, satisfying breath, then released it slowly, the first relaxed breath she’d had in hours. “Where are you, Geoff? And why didn’t you get back to me?”

“I’m out of town,” he told her. “In the Keys with a couple guys from work.”

“Oh.” She paused. “You heard about the cop that was killed? He worked in the Grove.”

“Yeah, we heard. I’d met him a couple times, but didn’t know him. He was at a different station. Man, that’s sad.”

While Kiana felt awful for the fallen officer and his family, she suddenly felt stupid. Once again she had practically worried herself to death, only to find that Geoff was okay. She knew what he’d say if she told him about her sleepless night. He’d say what Serena would—that she’d almost sent herself to an early grave for no reason.

While dating, Geoff had always told her that she worried too much, but she couldn’t help it. Though the fact that he was safe in the Keys right now proved exactly what he’d always told her—that she needed to relax and deal with crises only if and when they happened.

“So, what was so urgent?” Geoff asked.

Suddenly, nothing seemed as important as the reality that Geoff was okay. “I guess it’s not that urgent after all,” Kiana said. “Serena and I ran into Cecil last night on Miami Beach. Talk about a weirdo. He sat at the bar flirting with her, after everything he’s done. We called the cops, and they arrested him. I’m still waiting to hear from Serena with any more news.”

“Hey, that’s great.”

“Yeah. We’re hoping he still has the necklace. I’m sure Serena will find out soon.”

“Anything else?” Geoff asked.

Kiana’s stomach did a nervous flip-flop. “Why? You have to go?”

“Yeah, actually. Me and the guys want to get in some diving today.”

“I see.” It didn’t make sense, but Kiana felt a measure of jealousy. The last time Geoff had been in Key West, he was with her. Had he met someone else now that he was down there without her? Was that why he was in a hurry to get off the phone?

“I’ll give you a call when I get back to town,” Geoff told her. “Okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” Kiana replied.

Then the dial tone sounded.

For a moment, Kiana held the receiver to her ear, not quite willing to believe that Geoff was no longer on the line. Normally, she was the one who said good-bye first. Often, she had to pull teeth to get Geoff off the line.

Clearly, that wasn’t the case anymore. Did that mean he’d finally gotten over her?

Not that this should bother her. For months, she’d been telling Geoff to get on with his life—without her. So why did she feel a niggling of disappointment now?

Kiana replaced the receiver and hopped off the bed. She had a freelance article to write about dating in the new millennium. She’d be better off concentrating on that than thinking about Geoff.

Serena watched Darrell turn away from her and walk to the window, the large muscles in his back flexing as he moved. For a long while he stood still, simply staring outside. But she knew he wasn’t taking in the stunning view.

She felt the strongest urge to touch him again, to make his pain go away. But with the way he’d whirled around so quickly at her previous touch, coupled with the strange look he’d given her afterward, she didn’t dare.

Instead she clasped her hands together and asked, “Do you have any idea what Cecil did?”

Darrell didn’t turn. “No doubt he conned someone else out of a small fortune, just like he did to you.” He slammed a fist against the glass. “Damn him.”

Serena flinched at this outburst. For the first time, she put herself in Darrell’s shoes. He wasn’t looking for Cecil the scam-artist, but Cecil the brother he loved. And he was afraid.

“Maybe it’s not as bad as you think,” Serena said.

Darrell did turn then. “Usually, Cecil is able to talk women out of their money as easily as he talks them out of their pants. They don’t even realize he’s using them, that’s how smooth he is. What he did with you—outright stealing from you—is out of character for him. But then, maybe I’ve been deluding myself all this time.”

“You love him,” Serena said, stating the obvious.

“He’s the only family I have left.” Darrell spoke with a finality of tone, letting Serena know that’s all he would say on the subject.

Still, questions tumbled in her mind. She wondered what had happened in their lives, and why Cecil was so different from Darrell. Maybe she was still naïve, but so far, Darrell seemed to be a man of principle, a man who would rather give the shirt off his back than steal one. And he obviously had a deep sense of family loyalty, since he’d come from Orlando to try and find his adult brother and help him out of whatever mess he’d gotten into. Serena got the impression Darrell had been doing that all his life.

“Let’s go,” Darrell announced.

“Go?” Serena asked, surprised. “I thought you wanted to check—” She stopped short when Darrell stalked past
her. She followed him out of the bedroom and to the front door. “Darrell, maybe…maybe Cecil will call again.”

“He’s got another place,” Darrell told her. “One in Coconut Grove. Maybe he’s there.”

Cecil had another place? Gosh, Serena hadn’t known him at all. He’d told her he had an apartment in Kendall, close to where she worked. That’s the number she’d had for him, plus his cell and business numbers—all of which had been disconnected shortly after he’d disappeared from her life.

“I take it you know how to get there,” Darrell said, turning to her as he opened the door.

“Yeah. The Grove is on the way back to my place.”

Serena stepped into the hallway, then Darrell closed and locked the door. He was silent, distant, and Serena didn’t know what to say to bridge the gap. What could she? She didn’t wish Cecil dead, but other than retrieving her family heirloom and her money, she didn’t have a vested interest in whatever might happen to him. Darrell did.

Serena couldn’t relate. Her sister, though a little melodramatic at times, had never been in trouble with the law. She’d always been a good sister to her. Her parents, God rest their souls, had been the best two parents anyone could ask for. They’d died in a boating accident on their wedding anniversary fourteen years ago. After that, her grandmother had raised her and her sister, and again, she’d been a wonderful parent. Serena couldn’t have asked for a more close-knit family.

She and Darrell were silent on the elevator ride downstairs, quiet on the walk back to the valet. Serena dug the valet ticket out of her purse.

“You sure you have nothing better to do?” Darrell asked her.

Stopping, Serena faced him. “Not today.”

Darrell shrugged. “All right.”

“Here’s the valet ticket.” Serena passed it to Darrell.

“Wait here,” Darrell said. “I’ll head over to Miguel.”

Before Serena could say a word, Darrell was off. And she felt helpless. Helpless to make this situation better. In fact, she had to be making it worse by adding pressure to find her missing property.

Darrell stepped up to the valet counter. As Miguel smiled at him, he handed him the ticket. “We’re ready to head out of here.”

“So soon?”

“Yep.”

Miguel looked down at the ticket, then back up at Darrell. “Sir, would you prefer I bring up the Viper for you?”

“The Viper?”

“With it being such a beautiful day, I figured you might like to take it out.”

“Uh, yes. Yes, I’ll take the Viper for a ride.”

“Hang on to this ticket,” Miguel said, passing it back to Darrell. “Just give me a few minutes to get your car.”

As Miguel headed in one direction, Darrell headed back to Serena where she stood at the building’s front doors. She saw the ticket in his hand and asked, “Aren’t you getting my car?”

“Nope. Miguel suggested I take the Viper out for a spin, so I agreed.”

“Oh.” Serena frowned. “What about my car?”

“We can leave it here. Or, if you feel like taking off, you can grab your car and we can head our separate ways.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that quickly,” Serena said.

“As long as you’re sure. I don’t want to put you out.”

“Your brother put me out when he stole my necklace,” Serena retorted. Then, “Sorry. I guess I don’t have to belabor that point, do I?”

“You’re just telling the truth,” Darrell replied. “It won’t do me any good to stick my head in the sand.”

Serena nodded absently. She’d have to try and be a little more sensitive. Yes, she wanted the necklace back, but Darrell didn’t deserve her wrath.

Changing the subject, she said, “Well, I’ve never been in such a snazzy car before. I’ll enjoy this.”

“Of course.” Why wouldn’t she? Darrell had never known a woman who didn’t enjoy anything that had money written all over it.

But then another thought hit him. “You’ve never been in this car before?”

“No.”

Well, Cecil did have two cars that Darrell knew of, so maybe this wasn’t so unusual. “How long will it take us to get to Cecil’s house in Coconut Grove?” he asked.

“Depending where he lives in the Grove, anywhere from twenty minutes—”

“Wait a second,” Darrell said, interrupting her. “What do you mean, ‘depending where he lives’? Don’t you know?”

“Nope,” Serena replied matter-of-factly.

“You haven’t been to Cecil’s house?”

“I haven’t.”

Darrell narrowed his eyes on her, just as a shiny black Viper whipped in front of them at a fast rate of speed, pulling to a sudden stop a few feet ahead of them. The license plate read “2FINE.”

“Too fine?” Serena shook her head.

“No one ever accused my brother of being modest.”

Miguel put the Viper in reverse, parking in front of them. As he hopped out of the car, he gave Darrell a sheepish grin. “Sorry, sir. Guess I got a little carried away.”

“No problem,” Darrell said. He started for the open driver’s side door. Miguel hurried past him to the passenger door, which he opened for Serena. He closed Serena’s door and was back at the driver’s side before Darrell had fully gotten inside.

Miguel took hold of the handle. “Enjoy your day,” he told Darrell.

“Thank you.” Darrell passed the man the last ten he had in his wallet.

“You’re very welcome, sir.”

“Later,” Darrell said to Miguel. The moment Miguel closed the door, Darrell hit the gas and whizzed the Viper onto the street.

“Whoa.” Serena gripped her seat at the edges. She’d never been in such a powerful car before.

“Which way?”

“Turn left onto Collins,” Serena told him, pointing to the street just ahead.

“This is a beautiful car,” Darrell commented. “God, the lifestyle my brother leads makes me feel like a pauper.”

“What do you do?” Serena asked.

“I…” Darrell paused. He stopped before telling her that he owned and operated a small hotel in Orlando. Most women saw green when they learned what he did, and he wasn’t ready to share that information with Serena. “I work at a hotel.”

“Oh.”

Darrell turned to her. “You sound disappointed.”

“No. Just surprised.”

“Like I told you, I’m nothing like my brother. And I certainly don’t have his bank account.”

Serena simply stared ahead and nodded. Darrell felt the familiar disappointment tickle his gut. Yeah, she was just like the rest of them. Hell, maybe she’d been attracted to Cecil’s flash and pizzazz, hoping he had a pretty penny. He did, of course, but he wasn’t the type to share. He was the type to take.

It wasn’t like Darrell had a right to be upset with her—she hadn’t pursued him for his cash. Yet he was. It’s just that from the moment he’d laid eyes on her, he’d thought she was different from the other women he’d met. To learn that she wasn’t was unsettling.

His mind went back to their unfinished conversation. “Not that it’s any of my business,” he began, “but I’m having a little trouble figuring out your relationship with my brother. You haven’t been to his condo or to his place in Coconut Grove.” Darrell paused to glance at her. “You
were
involved, weren’t you?”

“You mean dating?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, we were dating.”

Darrell paused. “So, he always went to your place? Didn’t he invite you to his? And if he didn’t, didn’t you find that a little strange? I mean, I’d think that would be the first clue that you should…be a little wary.”

“I thought your brother had a small apartment in Kendall. That’s all he told me about. And no, I never went there.”

“And you didn’t think that was weird?” Darrell asked again.

“He invited me once, but I told him no. I liked him, but we were taking things slowly,” Serena replied. “Your brother respected that.”

Cecil
, take things slowly? If Serena hadn’t slapped him silly, he would have bet money that she’d been involved with a different Cecil Montford.

“In light of everything that’s happened, I’m glad we
did
take things slowly.” Serena sighed. “I thought he was a nice guy, one who shared my interests. I—I thought he had potential. But obviously, I didn’t know him at all. Oh,” Serena suddenly said. “Turn right at this light. This will take us to the 395. Then we can head south to the Grove.”

“Sure.”

Darrell turned where instructed, then glanced at Serena. She gazed out the window.

She was upset. Darrell couldn’t blame her. Who wouldn’t be, after learning that someone they trusted had lied to them?

He felt a burst of anger. Of all the low, dirty things his brother had done, this was one of the lowest. Serena was a nice woman, a working woman. Had his brother lost even his basic sense of human decency? Clearly, he no longer had a conscience, not if he could rip Serena off without a second thought.