Southern Delight (Southern Desires Series Book 3)

by Jeannette Winters

  Maybe if I have reconstructive surgery, I’ll feel differently, but right now, I don’t want him ever looking at me like he had before. I can only picture his expression when he realized it was me under this damn blonde wig. And I can’t forget the look in his eyes when he sat at the table watching me. It was like he was looking deep into my soul, and I couldn’t hide. I hated it. I can’t go through that again. I want to live in my sweet memories of what it was like when his fingers ran through my dark brown curls before my hair all fell out. He remembers it too. There is no future. Don is not Mark. Friends are all we’ll be, however I’m not sure I can be that either.

  “I’m really happy for you, but Don and I are not the happily-ever-after type of love story. It was one magical week, and we connected, but not like you two.”

  “Then I guess I was reading you both wrong, because I would’ve bet this homestead that you loved that man.”

  And you might’ve been right, once upon a time. “Good thing you didn’t. You finally have it paid off. It would be a shame to lose it now.” Bailey laughed, but it was as fake as they come. “So can we change this subject now and get back to what’s important? Let’s talk bachelorette party. I’ve been talking to Sissie and—”

  “Oh God. Do not let Sissie plan anything. I don’t want male strippers showing up dressed as policemen.”

  Bailey pretended to hold a paper and pen in her hands and in the air made it look as though she crossed it off the list. “No strippers. Okay. Back to square one.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “I’m going to regret not eloping, aren’t I?”

  “If we do it right, then you bet.”

  The two women were laughing so hard that their sides hurt. It’d been too long since she’d relaxed. Maybe this week wouldn’t be as bad as she feared. And if it is, then it’s only a week. Because next week when she’s on her honeymoon, I’m going back to Rhode Island, packing up, and starting my new life. A fresh start for both of us, but I’ll be alone on my journey.

  Chapter Six

  Don woke from a restless sleep when he heard men talking in the next room. Normally he slept like a rock, but this place still troubled him. He knew Mark’s gut had told him the prior tenants were up to something, but Don never expected them to rape Hannah or to try to kill Mark. It was his first night back, with everyone in the house again, and the hushed voices from the next room left him feeling on edge.

  He got out of the bed and listened at the door before opening it. He recognized Mark’s voice as well as Kevin’s. The third sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Opening the door, he went to see what had these guys up at four o’clock in the morning.

  When he entered the room, he knew where he’d heard that voice before. When did Derrick get here? Derrick stood, leaning against the far wall, as if he could distance himself from the topic by standing far away. Mark and Kevin sat on the couch.

  “Sorry, Don. We didn’t mean to wake you,” Mark said.

  “You didn’t. What’s with the heavy topic so early?”

  “We were just about to catch Derrick up on the latest.”

  “Then get off the couch,” Don said. “If you’re getting civilians up at four a.m. to talk shop, you don’t get the comfy seat.”

  Derrick chuckled. “The couch isn’t government property,” he agreed.

  “It’s my couch,” Mark said.

  “Not for another five days, it isn’t,” Don said with a grin.

  “I can go ask Hannah,” Derrick offered in a dry, yet joking, tone.

  Mark groaned but relented. He gave up the couch and sat in one of the wooden folding chairs that looked as though they’d give way at any time. It took a minute, but Kevin followed suit.

  Derrick and Don sat on the couch, putting their feet up on the coffee table and stretching out with great pride.

  “Did two civilians just force a military retreat?” Don asked with a smug grin.

  “I think we get medals for that,” Derrick added.

  “Why do I ever listen to you?” Mark asked with a smile.

  “All jokes aside, are you sure we want to talk about this here?” Don inquired.

  Mark nodded. “The ladies are fast asleep, so I figured we’d take advantage of the privacy while we have it.”

  “Why do I have the feeling this has gone from bad to worse?” Derrick asked. He took his feet off the coffee table and planted them on the floor as though preparing himself for what was to come.

  You might want a stiff drink too. If you don’t now, you will soon. “You don’t know the half of it,” Don said.

  Even though the others were sleeping, they kept their voices as quiet as possible.

  “We have an update regarding your wife’s and daughter’s deaths, Derrick.”

  Derrick frowned. Even though it’d been almost six years since their passing, the pain on his face was as real as if it happened yesterday. Don knew everyone in the room empathized with him.

  “I thought we already had that settled. JT took a bribe to cover up the lack of maintenance on the dam. Cut and dried,” Derrick stated.

  Mark shook his head. “That is what they wanted us to believe. It is much worse than anything we initially thought.”

  “My family was killed. I don’t think it can get worse than that,” Derrick shot off sharply.

  “We found the original dam maintenance records,” Mark said. “The dam was in perfect working condition with no faults, cracks, or damage that hadn’t been properly dealt with.”

  “What do you mean by original?”

  “Someone went to a lot of trouble to plant false documents there so it’d appear the dam wasn’t maintained.”

  Derrick’s eyes were wide. “Then how did the dam break?”

  “Five-pound bricks of C-4 placed strategically throughout a structure will take down nearly anything,” Mark said.

  Derrick leaned forward, and Don thought he was going to be sick right there in the living room. It took Derrick a moment to regain his composure, but he sat back, ready to hear the rest. “Why?”

  “They weren’t after the dam. It was something else and your family was collateral damage.”

  “What was so damn important?” Derrick’s voice rose in anger.

  Don reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was tense, and Don knew he was ready to snap. Damn it. This man’s family died because of this. If anyone deserves the truth, it’s him. I don’t give a shit if it’s my place or not. If Mark doesn’t say it, I will.

  Looking Mark square in the eyes, Don said, “You or me?”

  Mark glared at Don, warning him not to cross that line again. But this was something that needed to be out in the open. Not public, but between all who were currently involved. Especially the one who’d lost everything.

  Mark turned his attention back to Derrick and continued, “They wanted something in a military lab downstream.”

  “Can you prove that?” Derrick asked.

  “I have reports indicating four Marines were shot in the back shortly before the dam broke.”

  “That could’ve happened hours before,” Derrick said.

  He could tell Mark didn’t want to get into specifics and hurt Derrick.

  “I see how it could appear coincidental,” Don added, though he knew better. Then it struck him: I wouldn’t want to be in the dark about anything if Bailey died. I’d want to know everything, and I’d tear the world apart to find the truth if I had to.

  Mark sighed. “The autopsies indicated there was a significant amount of water in their lungs. These men didn’t have time to bleed to death. They were not crushed by debris. They were gunned down moments before the dam blew. This was a precisely timed, coordinated attack and cover-up.”

  “Then why weren’t they killed? Drowned with the Marines? How’d they get away?” Derrick asked, his voice on the brink of losing control.

  “We can only suspect a chopper. This was a well-thought-out plan of attack.”

  No one spo
ke, giving Derrick time to process what he’d heard.

  When Derrick was ready, he asked, “What was the military working on in that lab?”

  “That’s confidential.”

  Derrick stood up, his hands clenched tightly as though he was ready to beat the answer out of Mark if needed. Don grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to the couch.

  “We’re on the same team here,” Don said to Derrick, but it was meant for Mark.

  “This cannot leave this room. Not even your wife Casey can know. Do you understand? If it gets out, many more lives could be lost.”

  Derrick nodded to Mark reluctantly.

  “We initially believed the lab was working on developing chemical defoliators and new gasses for trench warfare,” Mark said and looked to Kevin to continue.

  “And you might think that’s bad, but that’s just what they advertised. The truth is much worse. The lab was categorized a biological safety level four.”

  “What does that mean?” Derrick asked.

  “It’s supposed to be in a detached building in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know why they put it so close to civilians,” Kevin said. “We’re talking positive air-pressure suits, chemical showers, a room to change out of contaminated gear and equipment, followed by another shower to fully clean the body. Then another room to change into scrubs or civilian clothing.”

  Don stared at the far wall blankly, remembering the photos he took of The Mountain just last week after the call with Mark, Lionel, and Kevin. He knew it was a lab, but Kevin just described the photos he took. Are they rebuilding what they lost in North Carolina?

  “You look like you have something to add,” Mark said to him.

  “I went back to Virginia last week to take progress photos of a job site. You know which one,” Don said, trying to keep it vague. Derrick is the only real outsider here, and I don’t know him well. Mark and Kevin trust him, so that’s something, but I’m not taking a chance that he’ll take the route of vengeance and pay a visit to The Mountain. It is my life on the line here, not theirs.

  “I thought I told you not to go anywhere unless you talked to me first,” Mark said.

  Don arched a brow. “No one dictates how I run my business. And right now, this is still a contract I have an obligation to fulfill.”

  Mark’s expression said he wasn’t happy with his explanation. “That’s a gray area Don. One that could have cost you.”

  “I know. My life. My risk. Now can I get back to my update?” He purposely didn’t mention it to Mark prior to going. Although he respected Mark for what he did in the Navy, at times he forgot Don never was in the service and never would report to him. “Since then, the attacks on my company’s servers and encrypted databases have increased. Daniel and I have let them through to the first level of files. Just photos, files, financial records, but they’re going to start getting suspicious if I don’t include anything about . . . the job site.”

  “Cut the shit,” Derrick snapped. “I need to know what’s going on. I don’t know what job site you’re talking about, but if Casey could be in danger—”

  “She’s fine here. All the women are. After you guys head back to the ranch after the wedding, I’ll send Johnson back with you. He’ll protect Casey, you have my word,” Mark said.

  “If she knows the issue is far from over it will cause her a lot of stress. And that is not something I want for her, not in her condition.”

  “Her condition?” Kevin asked quickly.

  “Oh God, she looked fine. Tell me what’s wrong,” Mark demanded.

  Don was shocked by Mark’s reaction. Normally he didn’t let his concern so blatantly show. But he knew it was from Mark witnessing Bailey’s cancer and recovery process. The reality of hitting someone so young and vibrant put a person, even one as strong as Mark, on edge. Even Derrick seemed thrown by Mark’s reaction. Maybe Bailey didn’t just hide it from me but from everyone. Not sure if that’s better or worse.

  “Relax. Nothing is wrong,” Derrick said. “We’re expecting.”

  “What? You’re . . . You’re not messing with me, right?” Mark asked, taken entirely off guard by the unexpected announcement.

  “Guess no one is used to hearing any good news around here anymore. Congratulations, Derrick. Hope the baby looks like Casey.”

  “You and me both, Don, because it’s a girl.”

  “You’re serious. Casey is pregnant?” Mark asked.

  “Get ready, Mark. You’re about to be an uncle. So whatever the hell is going on, find out and stop it. I’ve lost one family. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them take another from me.”

  Mark got up, extended his hand to Derrick, and pulled him up, giving him a hug. “We’re going to get them, Derrick. I promise you that.”

  “And you also have to promise not to tell a soul or Casey will bite my head off. Trust me. You don’t want to upset her. She is an emotional wreck already and wants to wait until after your wedding to tell your parents. So if you value my life or your own, pretend you don’t know anything.”

  “Trust me, keeping secrets from my sister is something I excel at,” Mark said.

  Kevin shook his head. “Looks like Casey’s giving you some competition in that area.”

  “I’m going to be dead on my feet if I don’t get some sleep,” Don said, heading back to his room.

  “Let’s call it here, then,” Mark said. “I’ll see you all in a few hours for breakfast.”

  “Night,” Don said and retreated to his room. Once inside he pulled out a pair of running shorts and sneakers. He was pumped with anger, yet couldn’t pinpoint why. Sitting in this quiet house wasn’t going to help any. He normally wasn’t a predawn-run guy, but today was going to be the exception.

  Even as he ran his mind recapped everything from their earlier conversation. They had some answers, but the questions just kept growing. When Mark had asked him to come to Savannah to renovate Hannah’s home, he never thought it was going to be a life-changing event. Their lives are already changed, and it’s not even over. And the look in your eyes, Mark, says it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

  Don was far from ignorant about what was happening in the world. He couldn’t turn on the television without it reminding him every day. Yet that didn’t mean he was prepared for it hitting so close to home. People he actually knew had suffered in ways he’d never imagined.

  He’d heard what happened to Derrick’s previous family from Mark. It was a tragedy he never wanted to experience. An extremely painful event that he wasn’t sure he would’ve survived. Whether Derrick knew it or not, Don saw the look in Mark’s eyes. He was worried about his sister. Casey might be a strong woman, but the type of people they were dealing with had no respect for life at all. Derrick might not see it, but Don read Mark’s thoughts as clear as if they were his own: If these bastards find out Casey’s pregnant, they’ll try to use that in their favor to get us to back off.

  Don couldn’t imagine how Derrick felt losing two people who were his heart and soul. Now learning it wasn’t an accident, but murder, must be unbearable. How do you think you’re going to keep that from Casey? She’s no fool. None of these women are by any means dense or slow. If they suspect we’re hiding something from them, they’ll take matters into their own hands to find the truth.

  All he could picture was Bailey, as weak as she was, working with Casey and Hannah to expose those assholes. He was beginning to question if Mark was correct in keeping them in the dark. He knew there were things that couldn’t ever be said. It was something he was going to need to discuss with Mark the next time they were alone.

  Bailey might not be in his life, but he couldn’t, no wouldn’t, sit by and let anything or anyone hurt her. Whatever it took, all his money or his life, it didn’t matter as long as she was safe and happy.

  Even before Don knew about her cancer, he thought of Bailey. She was an amazing woman, so full of life. He could’ve pictured traveling the world with her, enjoying all she
had to offer in some of the most exotic places in the world. He hadn’t looked at anything past the enjoyment they shared when together. It was still vivid in his mind: he saw her dark mass of wild brown curls and a smile that said, “I’m the best kind of trouble.” But seeing the changes in her when he closed his eyes . . .

  Why the hell didn’t she tell me what she was going through? Even if she wouldn’t let me be there for her, I could’ve made sure she had the best care. Don may not like her choice of who she had in her life, but he was glad she hadn’t faced it alone.

  Kevin might think he’s the one for her, but he’s not. Right now, with a target on my back, I have no choice but to sit back and let him date her. That doesn’t mean I won’t do everything in my power to protect and care for her. If he doesn’t like it, he can move on, because I have worked something very important out in my mind. No one is getting in my way when it comes to Bailey Tasca. I want her, possibly for the long-term, which should terrify me, but somehow the only thing that does terrify me is not having her in my life.

  Don hadn’t heard anyone approaching until Mark called out his name. Don slowed his pace and turned as Mark quickly caught up.

  “You should’ve told me you were going for a run. I would’ve joined you.”

  “I want a run, Mark, not a marathon.”

  Mark ignored his comment. “What’s on your mind?”

  There was no way he was going to share anything about Bailey. He needed to keep things focused on what Mark excelled at, catching the bad guys. “The Mountain.”

  “Is there something you didn’t tell us earlier?”

  “Yes. But until I have proof, I’m not sure I should share.”

  Mark grabbed Don’s arm, urging him to stop running. Don knew why. Mark wanted to try to read him while they spoke. It was Don’s turn to ignore Mark.

  “Don, this is so much bigger than you can imagine.”

  I got that. What I’m worried about right now is not the many, but just the one. A very special one. “I know what’s on the line, Mark.”

  “I can’t protect you if I don’t know what’s going on.”