Southern Charm (Southern Desires Series Book 5)

by Jeannette Winters

  Instantly her phone rang. She wasn’t sure what she was going to ask, but she needed to bounce a few things off someone. Randi wished she had a woman’s perspective. Unfortunately, the only people who knew the truth about her were men. They conveniently were able to remove any emotional aspects to the situation.

  “I need everything you can find out about Nate. Past and present.”

  “I thought you were looking for information regarding Wyatt,” Kevin said.

  “That picture you sent me isn’t Wyatt. It’s his brother Nate.”

  “Wow, she got …”

  “Don’t.” She could guess he was about to utter a stupid remark. Randi wasn’t going to hear any trash talk about her sister. Just like you would’ve defended me, Sis.

  “Easy. I wasn’t about to say whatever you think I was going to. If I did, I’d have to sleep with one eye open for a month ’cause Marina wouldn’t tolerate it,” Kevin said, laughing lightly.

  “Sorry. I guess I’m sensitive when it comes to Maggie.”

  “She was your sister. You should be protective. Hell, if anyone ever spoke shit about my kid sister, Casey, I’d kick their ass.”

  Randi appreciated Kevin trying. He was missing the mark, but it was more than she expected. “Kevin, what I don’t understand is why did Nate go along with Wyatt? I said I was Wyatt’s girlfriend, and he never corrected that. Is it possible that he and Maggie weren’t as close as I believed they were?”

  There was a pause on the line, and she knew Kevin was struggling for an answer. That meant he agreed.

  “My question would be why Nate was there at all. He wasn’t at the funeral from what you said. So why did he show up later?”

  “I don’t know. Wyatt kind of surprised me with that too.”

  She could hear the clicking of the keyboard as Kevin did some research. “Looks like he flew in the morning after the funeral. Last minute booking. Also flew back out that same day. What happened when you met him?”

  Randi wasn’t really paying much attention to him. At that time she was concerned with Wyatt. Now she realized her mistake. I should’ve been watching them both.

  “I guess he was playing the game with his brother. Neither of them really asked me anything too personal that only Maggie would know. Nate easily could’ve brought up something about their time dating, and I would’ve choked. He would’ve known right away something was wrong.”

  “Unless, he knew without asking,” Kevin said plainly.

  “Kevin, Maggie and I are identical twins.”

  “Maybe someone in love can see what no one else can. Just a theory but, damn, it sounds good. Shit, I hope that isn’t a side effect from the vaccine?”

  “What isn’t?”

  “Thinking like a woman.”

  Randi burst out laughing. “The world should be so lucky.” Although she was teasing him, what he said made perfect sense. Nate knew she wasn’t Maggie. That meant Wyatt knew it too. So today when he kissed her, touched her, it had nothing to do with Maggie.

  That should’ve made her feel slightly better, but it only brought on an entirely different question. Who do they think I am, and why not say something? It led back to the question of who knew Maggie was in North Carolina in that lab. Maybe it wasn’t Nate, but could it have been Wyatt? Was he angry at Maggie for dumping his brother? He would have inside connections, just like Mark.

  She didn’t want to believe either of them could be involved. Nate because he meant everything to Maggie and Wyatt because he . . . just couldn’t have hurt her sister. Not the way I feel when I’m with you. You’re not that type of person.

  “Kevin, where is Mark?” Something told her he wasn’t overseas as she’d first thought.

  He didn’t answer.

  “Do you trust me or not?”

  “I can’t tell you where he is. Let’s just say he’s looking for something.”

  “Or someone?”

  “You need to stay where you are. Be ready to move because, if he’s right, he might need backup he can trust.”

  You mean me? “What about his team?”

  “Like I said, he’ll need you.”

  Randi felt her gut sink. Was Kevin saying Mark was questioning the loyalty of his own team? Certainly, after everything they’d been through together, nothing could break that bond. Yet, she knew someone had informed JT about the safe house and then set up the hit in Providence. And how would they have found where we’d taken Marina? That lab was top secret.

  If Mark was questioning who he could trust, he was setting a trap. Why didn’t he tell her? She’d have helped him any way he asked. Maybe because he’s not so sure I can be trusted either. After all, I’ve been lying for six years. And still haven’t told him everything. I wouldn’t trust me either.

  “I’m here if you guys need me.” She meant that but wasn’t going to hold her breath, waiting for the call.

  “Thanks.”

  “Tell Marina I was asking about her. When all the dust settles, and you’ve been cleared for contact again, I’d like to see her.”

  Randi had kept her distance from people for so long but had connected with Marina while she was under her protection.

  “I’m sure she’d like that too. Remember she’s been locked up here with only me for weeks.”

  “Poor woman,” Randi teased. Yet, she wished she had what Marina had. A man who loves me so much, he’d do anything to protect me. She didn’t want him to pick up on her emotions any more than he already had. “Call me when you have what I need on Nate.”

  “Roger.”

  Putting the phone down on the bed beside her, she closed her eyes and pictured her dear sister. Maggie, what am I supposed to do? I can’t tell Nate that you died. If he loved you so much, I don’t want to see that pain.

  Tears streamed down her face as she rolled over and hugged the pillow, burying her face in it. It’s bad enough to see my own.

  Wyatt had dropped her off at the hotel and wasn’t going to follow her inside. There was a shitload of stuff he’d wanted to say, but none he could voice. He was pissed off that she could so causally assume Maggie’s identity and not seem to be troubled by it at all.

  He did everything he could to get a reaction from her. Even though she was pretending not to want him, her body was telling him she did. I don’t even know who the fuck you are. Yet, he was the one who initiated it.

  Now alone, he could finally retrieve the numerous missed calls. They were all from Nate. Not surprising as he’d told him he better keep him up to date with everything he found out. I’m a hard ass like that, but I get results.

  Wyatt totally ignored the voice mail and decided to dial Nate directly.

  “What did you find?”

  “Exactly what I told you in the voice mail. Oh wait, let me guess, you deleted them without listening.”

  He didn’t miss the sarcasm in Nate’s voice. That didn’t mean he was going to waste his time addressing it either. Wyatt was filled with discontent on many levels, and he wanted to snap someone’s head off. Even yours, so watch your step.

  Wyatt didn’t want to admit she was getting to him. He’d never had an issue with separating business and pleasure. I’m not about to start now.

  “Nate, I …”

  “Got it. Where do you want me to start? What I found out about what happened in Providence, or what I found out about our impostor?”

  He wanted to reach through the phone and pull the information from Nate. He wanted to hear every single thing about her, but he needed to remember why he was in Hawaii in the first place. Johnson. “Talk about the shooting.”

  “Well as we suspected, Johnson was there. The DNA confirmed that. A high-level government official obtained all the forensic data and replaced it with their own.”

  A sweeper team was rarely used in the US but was very common overseas when needed to cover up a special operation. Still, no official documentation was logged anywhere. Not even a sealed file. That’s not protocol. “How did you get t
his info?”

  “Not being law enforcement has its perks. Bribery doesn’t seem such a dirty word. Of course, you just paid a shit load of money for what I’m about to tell you.”

  He had no patience for Nate. Thankfully Nate already knew it.

  “Looks like the four guys that were killed were part of a terrorist group that was linked to the two guys killed in Savannah, Georgia a while back. Guess who lives in Savannah?”

  “Collins.”

  “Bingo. And it seems Mark’s brother, Kevin, was the pilot of the second chopper too. Seems that family is getting around and doing so under the radar of both law enforcement and the US military. How is that possible?”

  Wyatt wasn’t sure. It would take someone very high on the chain to give Collins the leeway he’d had. Or he’s working totally outside of the law, and that’s dangerous.

  Although both men were well-trained in combat, those odds weren’t in their favor. “Was there anyone else there besides Kevin and Lionel?”

  “Two sets of footprints headed in the direction of the first chopper. Both were identified as belonging to women.”

  “You think Maggie or whatever her name is, was there?”

  “I know it for a fact. My source pulled footage from a celebration the town has each month in Providence. Kevin was there with a woman, her name not yet located. But the one with Lionel was our mystery girl.”

  With Lionel? “You mean she was?”

  “No. They were acting as a protection detail from what I could tell on the footage. Even Kevin seemed to be on high alert. The only one who didn’t seem tense was the woman with him.”

  More pieces to a puzzle but none connected except Mark Collins. “I need to see everything you have. Email it to me.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  “Now tell me about her.” He made sure his voice was monotone.

  “It’s not what you think. Not sure it makes it any better. She’s Maggie’s sister, Mirranda Graham.”

  “Her sister?”

  “Yes. Identical sister. I did some digging, and Mirranda died in a drowning accident six years ago.”

  “So why do you think this is her?”

  “I don’t think it. I know it. She is not Maggie. Why she is pretending to be is your job to find out.”

  “I need you here.”

  “Wyatt, I can do a lot of things, but I’m too close to this. Seeing her is like . . . seeing a ghost. I’ve got your back if you need me, but this is yours to handle.”

  He knew he was asking more than he should, especially from family. That didn’t change the fact someone had to confront Mirranda and get some answers. What Nate wasn’t taking into consideration was the connection with Collins. Was Mark aware she wasn’t Maggie? If so, why’d he have her so close to his kid brother? And was she the reason Johnson got killed? Maggie was a Marine. I have no idea what the hell Mirranda is. Besides a liar.

  “I’ll get the answers on this side. You find out who was with Kevin. My gut is telling me she is the missing piece to what went down,” Wyatt barked into the phone as though he was back in the Army, addressing his old team.

  “Wyatt, don’t be too hard on her.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if I’m right, the woman who truly died six years ago was Maggie. Mirranda was everything to Maggie. No matter what you think might be going on, she’d never have hurt her sister.”

  Wyatt could hear his brother pleading on Mirranda’s behalf. Obviously, Nate’s judgment was clouded by his old feelings for Maggie. It was going to be all on him to figure this shit out. “Just get me the files and let me do my job.”

  He hung up the phone, tossed it onto the passenger’s seat, and headed back to the hotel. Before talking to Nate, he’d wanted distance. Now he wanted to look into her eyes and ask some fucking serious questions. You think I made you uncomfortable earlier. Just wait, Mirranda. You haven’t seen anything yet.

  Chapter Six

  She thought she’d never cry herself to sleep again. Years ago Randi had put up walls, sealing herself from all emotions. It’d been survival mode, and without it she would’ve crumbled as she forced herself to associate with some of the cruelest people she’d ever imagined.

  It was all in the name of justice. That’s what she said for many things she’d done and said over the years. Most of it was directly related to Maggie’s murder. What she was doing with Wyatt wasn’t. It was unfair to Wyatt, to Nate and, most of all, to Maggie’s memory.

  I don’t care what game they’re playing. I started it, and I never should have. How I get out of it or explain it without throwing Mark and Kevin under the bus is something I need to figure out fast. The shenanigans end here. The world can believe I’m Maggie, but Nate deserves to know the truth about what happened to her.

  Randi didn’t want to pass the information along through Wyatt. She needed to have that conversation face to face with Nate. It wasn’t as simple as telling him she was gone. There were feelings and reasons why Maggie did what she did. It took a long time for Randi to understand it herself. Years of walking in a Marine’s boots. They’re not mine. They belong to those who’ve earned them. Every time I’m around someone from the Corps I cringe in shame. They might not ever know why, but I do. They represent honor. What do I represent?

  She didn’t need Mark or Kevin’s approval. She didn’t report to either of them. Their paths had crossed several times, and they shared a bond only those who fought in battle together could relate to, but each had their own lives. They made their own choices. Randi tossed and turned all night, haunted by memories of Maggie. Her laughter and smile and her endless striving for what was right. Randi knew coming clean with Nate was exactly that: the right thing to do.

  Randi didn’t need to come up with some elaborate excuse when she asked Wyatt for Nate’s number. For all she knew the cat was already out of the bag, so the best thing at this point was to be frank. All he could do was say no. If that happened, she’d utilize her resources, Kevin and Mark. I’d rather not explain why I want that information, so here’s hoping Wyatt’s in a better mood today.

  Taking a deep breath, she knocked on his door and waited. It was early, and she probably should’ve called first, but once she’d made her decision to do this, nothing was going to stop her.

  She knocked a second time, causing the door to open slightly. Had she been so concerned about what to say to Nate that something as obvious as a slightly opened door had gone unnoticed? Wyatt didn’t strike her as a person who’d leave his hotel room unsecured.

  Suddenly the lack of the weapon she’d become accustomed to feeling pressed against the small of her back made her feel vulnerable. Her heart was pounding. All she could picture was Wyatt lying on the floor, shot in the back of his head just like Maggie. Kevin and Mark believed this wasn’t over. If the killers had seen Wyatt with her yesterday, it was possible they grabbed him to get information. Wyatt wasn’t the type of man to go down without a fight.

  She’d spent hours last night reading about his time in the Army. There was no doubt how far he’d go. He’s not one to be taken. Not alive at least. Randi might be his only hope now. Please let me be in time.

  Holding her breath, she gently pushed the door slightly ajar while listening intensely. All was quiet. That could be a good or bad sign. She wouldn’t know until she searched the room.

  Pushing open the door a little farther, she scanned the room. Everything seemed to be in order. From her first analysis, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, besides the door being slightly open. It was possible she was paranoid. All these years of looking over her shoulder and people dying around her gave her good reason to think the worst.

  Randi was hoping to change her life by changing the way she thought. This was probably a good time to start that. He could’ve gone out for a morning run. The hotel staff could’ve left it open when removing a breakfast tray.

  Both were legit scenarios, yet her gut didn’t buy either. That’s as likely as Wyatt lea
ving the door open, hoping I’d stop in for a visit. Although that would’ve been sweet, it was not realistic. There was so much between them that needed resolved. When there’s no trust, there’s nothing. She’d given him no reason to trust her at all. He hadn’t given her anything either. Just another reason that coming to his room was a mistake in the first place. Maybe this is a sign for me to turn tail and run.

  She could just as easily close the door, go back to her room, and call. There was no reason for her to enter. Except for the pulling in my gut.

  She swung the door open and prepared herself for anything. The room was larger than her own but looked like it was vacant. Even the bedspread was smoothed perfectly. Wyatt didn’t seem to be one to bother with such things, so leaving the door open had to be housekeeping’s fault.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she walked over to the sliding glass doors that led onto a balcony. She didn’t have one in her room. One quick look won’t change anything at this point.

  Randi walked across the room and reached behind the heavy drapery for the cord to pull it open when she heard something behind her. Damn it. Wyatt’s back. She needed to think quickly; how she was going to explain being in his room uninvited? Couldn’t stop thinking of you, seems inappropriate but partially true.

  She wasn’t going to start this conversation with any more lies. They’d already shared enough of those. If nothing else came out of today, she’d be able to leave his room with a clean conscience. That’ll be refreshing.

  With her hand still on the cord, she gave it a tug, opening the drapes and letting the morning sunshine brighten the room. This door had also been left open. Peeking onto the balcony, she saw a local newspaper on a table with a half empty cup of coffee. Glancing over the balcony, Randi saw the sunrise beginning to peek over the water, and she was tempted to walk out and enjoy the lovely view. Maybe our conversation should be held on the balcony. First let’s see how happy he is to find me in his room because this blissful moment might end abruptly.

  Randi didn’t want to think negatively, but happiness was no longer a part of her life. It was so much easier to expect the worst. One day I’ll be proven wrong, and things will actually go right.