Love Me Carefully

by A. C. Arthur

  Easing away so that she wouldn’t wake, he moved around the basement, resuming his search for an escape. She was important to him, her life was important to him, now more than ever. He had to make sure she was safe. He’d deal with his mother and he’d deal with Donald Douglas, but for now, the first thing on his mind was getting Leah out of here.

  He returned to corners they’d searched previously, moving things lightly and with the least amount of noise as possible. Both repetition and frustration threatened to overtake him but persistence eventually prevailed. There was a box of tools behind the bathroom door, a place he was sure he hadn’t personally searched earlier. And in that box was a crowbar.

  With quick steps he took the stairs two at a time. He positioned the crowbar near the door latch and began working it loose, all the while being as quiet as he could. He didn’t want to wake Leah until they were home free.

  Terrell gave an audible sigh at the sound of cracking wood and with a deft shove watched as the basement door opened before him. Dropping the crowbar, he ran down the steps to wake Leah. She was still asleep, cuddled into a ball. Her arms cradled her peaceful looking face.

  He stopped, bent down and ran his fingers lightly over her cheek. He’d told her she was beautiful, yet that one word didn’t seem enough to describe her. She stirred. “Baby?” he whispered.

  Shaking her shoulders gently, he dropped kisses along the line of her jaw until she moaned.

  “Terrell?” she asked groggily.

  “I’d better be the only one kissing you awake,” he replied lightly.

  Leah opened both eyes, focused on the man who had brought her such pleasure. “Hi.” She smiled up at him.

  “Hi, yourself. Come on, get up and get dressed.” He pulled the blankets down, purposely averting his eyes. They didn’t have time for another round, no matter how much he wanted her. He’d vowed last night that the next time he lay with her naked would be in a bed, with enough protection to keep them there for a good long while.

  “Where are we going?” They were still in that damned basement and, as far as she knew, they didn’t have a way out, but she was rapidly pulling on her clothes.

  “We’re going home. ” Grabbing her boots, he slipped them on her feet.

  “But how?” She stood still, staring at him in obvious disbelief.

  He swelled with pride as she looked to him for the answers. He wanted to kiss her pouty lips, but knew that would only delay their departure. “I got the door open.” He tweaked her nose instead.

  A broad smile spread across her lips, and those sexy eyes lit up with pleasure. “You did? When?”

  He almost ran to the steps but stopped short at the sight of two men, guns in hand, coming down the stairs. Leah bumped into his back and gasped when she saw them.

  “It’s okay, baby. Just stay behind me,” Terrell instructed her.

  “Hold it! FBI!” the first man to stop at the bottom of the stairs yelled.

  “FBI!” the man immediately behind him echoed.

  Terrell stood perfectly still, not sure if these guys really were FBI or some of Donald’s men.

  “Who the hell are you?” Jeffery roared at the man standing across the room. “How did you get in here?”

  “I…I’m Terrell Pierce and this is Leah Graham.” He kept Leah shielded by his own body, but knew they had seen her because he’d felt her head peeping around him. “We were abducted and locked down here yesterday.”

  “Abducted?” Marty moved closer to Terrell. “Put your hands up, both of you,” he ordered.

  Terrell and Leah put their hands up in the air.

  “I’m going to ask you again, how did you get here?” Jeffery still had his gun aimed directly at them. The name Pierce hadn’t been lost on him, and he wondered about the man’s true involvement in this case.

  Leah rolled her eyes and Terrell spoke.

  “Just like I said before, we were abducted by Donald Douglas and his big goon friend. They drugged us and left us here early yesterday morning.”

  “Why would they do that?” Jeffery eyed them suspiciously. Gaining access to Donald’s house had led him to the two people who’d most likely been the last to see him. There was definitely something above and beyond their operation going on here, and these two were going to help him figure out what.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “So let me get this straight.” Jeffery sat on the edge of the couch in Donald’s living room. “You and Ms. Graham, who’s the wedding planner for Donald Douglas and Rosetta Pierce’s wedding, were tailing Donald. You saw him and another man go into a strip club, then come out and go into an alley with five other men. You followed them into the alley, where you heard several gunshots before running back to your car.

  “When you got back to your car and would have pulled off to return home, Donald and his friend almost crashed into your vehicle, at which time he spotted you and pulled you and Ms. Graham out of the car. Then they took you both to Leakin Park, where they drugged you and brought you here to lock you in his basement.”

  Terrell nodded. “That’s correct.” The detective’s recitation of the events sounded so unreal he wouldn’t have believed it had it not happened to him.

  “So why didn’t they kill you too?” Marty asked.

  “I suspect because Donald’s about to marry my mother.” Terrell glared at the shorter detective, the obviously less experienced one, he surmised. “That would put a major glitch in the wedding plans, don’t you think? ‘Ah, I’m sorry, honey, but I had to kill your son.’”

  Holding up his hand, Jeffery stifled Marty’s next comment. He was in no mood to watch two grown men bicker. “Mr. Pierce, please, we’re trying to conduct an investigation here. Okay, so you woke up here. Do you know where Donald is now?”

  “I heard them say something about a boat leaving from the Inner Harbor,” Terrell said. Leah sat on the chair beside him, her hand firmly held in his. She hadn’t spoken much since they’d been rescued from the basement. He planned to talk to her as soon as they were alone. Things had changed between them, and he wanted to make sure they both had a good understanding of just how much.

  Leah listened to the men talking around her. She’d heard enough to know that the FBI was looking for Donald and had obtained a search warrant to get into his house. That wasn’t good. She wondered how she had gotten involved in this whole mess. How could planning a wedding lead to witnessing a murder and being abducted?

  Still, none of that rivaled the embarrassment she now harbored. Memories of what she’d allowed Terrell to do to her last night were still vividly fresh in her mind. So much so that she was having a hard time focusing on the two agents who were talking to them. Terrell held her hand firmly in his, a gesture of comfort, no doubt. But what must he think of her now? How could I have let him go that far? She took a deep breath. Oh, please, like I really could have stopped him once he got started.

  Terrell probably thought that the FBI and the millions of questions made her nervous, which in a way they did. She’d never had any run-ins with the authorities. That was totally her brothers’ territory. So sitting here—in Donald Douglas’ living room of all places—being interrogated, was a bit disconcerting. Terrell was his usual calm self, answering their questions and even giving one of the agents attitude. She wasn’t sure what that was about, but at this point didn’t really care. What she wanted more than anything else at this moment was to be allowed to go home, take a long bath, climb into bed, pull the covers over her head and hide for a while. That’s what one did when they’d thoroughly embarrassed themselves in front of a man.

  “Okay, we’re going to take you two home to get some rest. But I’ll have to advise you not to leave town or anything like that. I want to meet with you again tomorrow to go over some of your story one more time.” Jeffery stood, tucking his notepad into his jacket pocket.

  “That’s fine. Whatever you need, I’ll be glad to help,” Terrell was saying. “I’ll be staying with my mother.” He had to t
alk to Rosie, so he planned to make her house his first stop once he made sure Leah was settled into her place. “If you’re investigating Donald, that means he’s dangerous and I don’t want her left alone until he’s caught.”

  Terrell stood to shake Jeffery’s outstretched hand. Leah seized the opportunity to move away from him. Distance was better, she told herself.

  “Your mother is Rosetta Pierce, right?” Marty asked Terrell.

  “Yeah, I told you that already.” Terrell really didn’t like Marty. He wasn’t sure why—hell, he was sure. The guy had been looking at Leah like she was a five star dessert since the moment he’d entered the basement, and he didn’t like it one bit.

  “Your mother hasn’t been seen at the shop, so she may be with Mr. Douglas.” Marty seemed to take pleasure in giving Terrell that bit of information.

  “What?” Terrell began to pace the floor, cursing fluently.

  At Marty’s words, Leah immediately returned to Terrell’s side, grabbing his arm to still him. She turned to the agent. “Are you saying that Donald has taken Ms. Rosie with him?” she asked.

  “We can’t really say she was taken. We don’t have any proof of that. And if they’re engaged, it’s safe to assume she consented to the trip.”

  Terrell pushed his glasses up further on his nose. “My mother would have told me if she was going away. She wouldn’t leave without telling someone,” he said more to Leah than to the agents.

  Leah rubbed a hand up and down his arm. “It might have been a last minute thing. Don’t think the worst. If Donald didn’t hurt us, he won’t hurt Ms. Rosie.” She kept her eyes on his, wanting so badly to take away the pain she clearly saw etched in them.

  When he didn’t respond, she extended her arms, waited for him to react and when he did, she simply held him. A moment ago she’d concluded that distance was best for the moment, until she’d had time to figure out last night. But in an instant none of that seemed to matter. All that mattered now was the man in her arms. His mother was in danger, of that they were certain. He needed someone to help him get through this.

  He needed her.

  “He loves her, Terrell. No matter his other faults, I’m sure of that. He won’t hurt her. Trust me,” she whispered as her hands rubbed his back. Leah was startled to find that she believed her own words. She’d seen Donald and Rosie together. He clearly adored the woman. No, she didn’t think Ms. Rosie was in any danger.

  Terrell couldn’t speak. He’d needed somebody, he’d needed her, and she was right there. Last night he’d asked her to trust him and she had. Now she was asking him to do the same thing. He didn’t like the idea that his mother was possibly with Donald, but he’d put enough drama into Leah’s life and he wouldn’t add anymore. “You’re probably right,” he whispered, then pulled slightly back from her. “Again.” He gave her a wry grin.

  Inside, he knew he had to find them. He had to make sure for himself his mother was safe, and then he had to warn her about Donald.

  * * *

  Donald’s excuses about what had happened to him last night on the cruise were insufficient, but after two hours of arguing, Rosie decided to give it up. He wasn’t going to tell her anything more than he already had, so she’d have to keep her suspicions to herself. If something wrong were really going on, she’d find out soon enough. Besides, what else could she do? She was in a foreign place with no one to turn to but Donald. No, she’d keep her mouth shut for the time being—and her eyes open.

  Her decision, however, was short-lived. As soon as they docked, the man Donald had been with on the stairwell appeared. Cable was his name, she remembered. He was tall and broad and dark. He looked damn near evil, she thought. He and Donald conversed in private for a few moments before Donald came back to inform her that Cable would be traveling with them because his parents had a house in Negril. Rosie could care less where the man was going, or where his parents had a home, but she bit her tongue and rode in silence to the airport.

  Once there, Donald discovered that there was no small plane available to charter and announced he’d now have to rent a car. Rosie was furious at the thought of now sharing a two hour drive with the strange man.

  “If you wanted a threesome, you should have found yourself another woman,” she told Donald before Cable got in the car.

  “We’re just giving the man a ride, Rosie. That’s all, calm down.” He spoke to her in that slow, placating voice he’d used last night, and Rosie suppressed the urge to scream.

  Negril was beautiful. Its white sand and sapphire blue water beckoned to her, and her heart leapt with joy as childhood memories burst into her mind. When she was young, her grandfather had taken her to the beach a couple of times, and she’d loved it. Now she lived in the city, so it was public pools for her each and every summer. She wondered absently what it would be like to live on a beach, on this beach, with her husband.

  The sky was filled with big, puffy white clouds streaked with golden rays from the sun. There was a light breeze moving throughout the palm trees, rippling the water. Inhaling deeply, she sucked in the tropical air, letting it course through her very soul.

  “Do you like it?”

  “It’s pretty,” she said simply, but couldn’t keep from staring.

  Donald chuckled at her attempt at boredom. He knew she liked it, he could see the lights dancing in her eyes. She was excited. This was good. Maybe she’d be excited enough to want to stay here forever.

  * * *

  Using his key, Terrell let himself into Rosie’s house. As he stepped into the foyer he inhaled the undeniable smell of Rosie, of home, of stability. Closing the door behind him, he fought the urge to plow his fist into a wall. Was she safe? Had Donald taken her against her will? These questions had plagued him from the moment Agent Blum told him his mother was most likely with Donald.

  Leah had said that Donald wouldn’t hurt her, and Agent Tobias was pretty sure of that fact as well. At this moment Terrell didn’t care what either one of them said. He wanted his mother home, safe and sound, with him. And as far away from Donald Douglas as he could get her.

  He’d already called Seth, his investigator friend, and had him researching the ships leaving the Inner Harbor in the last two days. Seth could get a complete guest list and let Terrell know exactly where Donald had taken his mother.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, Terrell headed first to the shower. After all that had transpired in the last two days, he needed to shower, needed to refresh his mind so he’d think clearly enough to save his mother. But once he stepped under the spray of hot water his entire body came alive with thoughts of Leah and the previous night.

  Her body was as gorgeous as he’d pictured it to be. Even in the dim light of that basement he’d seen her clearly. And she’d given herself to him willingly—she’d trusted him just as he’d asked her to. Closing his eyes, he dipped his head under the nozzle and let the water pour over him. He could still smell her intoxicating scent, could taste the sweet nectar that he’d feasted on. He hardened painfully. Last night he hadn’t been prepared to properly love her, but that would come in time. He had big plans for Ms. Graham, plans that they were both going to enjoy.

  Grabbing the soap, he quickly scrubbed his body. After getting out of the shower, he brushed his teeth, almost choking on that awful toothpaste. After all these years he was shocked to learn that Rosie still used Aqua Fresh. He grimaced at the memory it brought back of medicine mixed with mint taste.

  Grabbing his duffle bag, which he’d retrieved on his way to Rosie’s, he pulled out his laptop and plugged it into the wall. While it booted up, he slipped into clean boxers and donned jeans and a clean t-shirt. Moving over to his mother’s dresser, he searched for some lotion that wasn’t too girly. Just like the toothpaste, Rosie hadn’t changed her brand. Terrell poured the creamy lotion into the palm of his hand and began smoothing it up and down his arms and over his face, the smell of cocoa butter wafting through the room.

  His laptop beeped,
signaling that it was ready for his password. Punching the keys quickly, he waited for the appropriate program to boot up. He had limited information but was sure this database would come up with something. He keyed Leah’s name, the city and the state and waited for a response. In seconds an address appeared on the screen.

  Finding a pen on his mother’s bedside stand, he jotted the information down and stuffed it into his pocket, determined to let Leah Graham know exactly how he felt about her.

  * * *

  Leah walked into her apartment, thoroughly relieved to be back in her own familiar place and out of danger. She switched the lights on and threw her coat on the sofa. As she turned to go into her bedroom she was startled to see an African fertility statue sitting on top of her television. Tilting her head to the side she wondered why it was in that particular place. Because it was tall and a bit bulky, she distinctly remembered putting it on the bookshelf.

  Shaking her head, she lifted the heavy piece from the television and put it back on the bookshelf. Maybe I moved it, who knows? All she could think about right now was a nice hot bath. Then she’d be ready to deal with the world and all the things that had changed in it.

  She passed the answering machine on her way to the back room of her apartment and decided to at least listen to the messages, even though she wasn’t planning on returning any calls until after her bath. Most were from Nikki, a few from Melinda, some from her mother, who was clearly agitated that she hadn’t been there when she needed her, and two from Leon.

  Definitely deciding she’d deal with the messages later, she went to the bathroom, turned on the water and poured in her favorite vanilla-scented bubble bath until the bottle was empty. Closing her eyes, she let the soothing aroma tickle her senses as she tried to relax while the tub filled.

  So much had happened in the last forty-eight hours her mind didn’t even know where to begin. The best starting point was probably that first kiss, the day Terrell had come into her office looking serious yet debonair. He’d thrown his jacket on the chair as if it belonged there while he’d watched her with those smoldering eyes of his. Even shielded by glasses she’d still felt their intensity as they followed her around the room. Before meeting him, she’d taken one look at the picture at Ms. Rosie’s station and assumed he was your classic nerd. Then she’d met him at the party and realized that nerds were coming in better looking packages these days. His quiet strength had called to her, pulling her closer and closer…