Dance or Die (White Oak - Mafia Series Book 3) (5 page)

“That has to hurt.”

“It does, but it’s a price I’m willing to pay to make these woods a state park.”

“On your other question, about me working for your father. I will never betray you, Tess. You and Helen have saved my bacon for years. I would die before I turned against you.”

“I don’t want you to die. I just want you to help me make this the finest state park in the world.”

“I’ll do whatever you need,” he promised.

Tess hung up and called Sheriff Cobbs. She could hear sirens in the background.

“It’s not good,” Cobbs stated without saying hello.

“How bad?” she asked, trembling in fear.

“They’ve been tortured. Took me forever to figure out where the bastard had them tucked away. But I finally located them.”

“They’ll make it, right?”

“Not sure…not sure they’ll want to.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s something you do not need to know.”

“All right. Can I ask you something else?”

“What?”

“Do you think Sam turned? I just talked to him and he says his wife worked with the Drenners and the cousin to coerce him into getting a contract from us, so she could claim half of it in the divorce. He said there was no mortgage on the house.”

“I told Dan that yesterday,” he snapped.

“Then you think Sam’s okay?”

He sighed heavily. “I don’t know. If Sam has some girl tucked away and Benito grabbed her…he’d flip. I would have been tempted to flip had I known what he was doing to my men.”

“If you want to recall them, I’ll understand.”

“No! That bastard just declared war, and by God, he’s going to get one!” Then the phone went dead.

Tess closed her eyes and attempted to calm her pattering heart. There was nothing kind and loving about the sheriff now. He’d frightened her just as her father did when he got angry.

She breathed in and out deeply several times. Cobbs’ anger was different. It may have been just as intense, but it was righteous. Her father was pure evil.

Once she was settled and believed her legs would carry her, she entered the living room. “Dan, can I have that lawyer’s card back?”

“He’s not cleared yet.”

“Don’t care. I can’t drag my feet on the will. I think it’s what has my father so riled.”

Dan approached her and tilted her head up so he could study her. Without another word, he led her back to her room. The moment the door closed behind them, he spoke. “What’s happened?”

“Can I have the card, please?”

He frowned but handed it over.

“Thanks, I need to call this guy now.”

Dan sat down on the trunk at the end of the bed. “I’ll wait.”

Some guys just can’t take a hint.

She sat on her bed with her back to him as she called the lawyer.

“Mr. Sedita, Sheriff Cobbs recommended you.” She then explained who she was and what her father was up to and her concerns. All the while she worried by making this call she was putting yet another innocent in harm’s way.

The guilt finally overwhelmed her. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called. My father is really angry about this will. If you became the executor, he would probably try to hurt you. Is it possible for you just to send me something that tells me what I have to do?”

“I could, but honestly, you’re better off focused on creating our new state park.”

“How do you know—”

“Cobbs gave me the full run down. And while I am very touched that you are worried about my well-being, I assure you, Benito Campinelli will not come near me.”

“You don’t know him—”

“Oh, I do. We’ve bumped heads several times now and I’m still alive because he knows better than to go after me. Benito goes after those who are weak and unable to protect themselves.”

“You’re right,” she said as she considered the attacks she knew of: Meg, the woman who bought the land from Grams and then donated it to the state as a park, the four workers…but then she recalled one who wasn’t weak.  “He killed Jonas,” she blurted out.

“Do you have proof of that?” Sedita asked.

“No, but Grams said Jonas’ failure to kill Meg would probably result in his death. She never heard from him after the day these lands became a state park.”

“Helen was a good woman. I was sorry to hear she died. It would be my honor to be her executor and I promise you, Benito will not harm a hair on my head.”

His confidence eased her conscience. “Then I’ll happily hire you.”

“I’ll email you the docs you’ll need to sign. Give them to Sheriff Cobbs and he’ll get them to me tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you,” she stated.

“It’s my pleasure, Tess.”

She hung up and turned to face Dan, but he was gone. Somewhere during that conversation, he’d left the room.

No doubt pissed at her.

She pushed herself up and returned to the living room. Dinner smelled good, but her stomach no longer cared. She entered the kitchen to check out what Jack was cooking.

“Hey beautiful,” he stated softly.

“Oh God, you’ve gone blind,” she teased and stared at the pot of chili. “That smells good. What’s in it?”

“Red meat,” he replied and pointed to a smaller pot. “Shredded chicken.”

“Thanks. What else is in there?”

“Beans, mushrooms, Canola oil, peppers, onions, and organic diced tomatoes…and Frank’s secret blend of spices and salt.”

She rubbed the small of his back. “Thank you.” She passed behind him and located the bowls, placing them on the counter, then put spoons and a large stack of napkins out as well. “Shall I open a bag of tortilla chips?”

“Absolutely.”

She filled the bowl, set it on the counter and sat down to nibble on the chips. Soon Sonny joined her while Frank and Steel remained at the table studying the graphs for the day.

Dan came from down the hall and sat beside her, speaking softly. “The person you spoke to is cleared for this situation but let me know if you plan to use him for anything else.”

Jack filled the bowls and passed them out, calling to Steel and Frank. When they ignored the call for food, Tess rose, grabbed two bowls of red meat chili and placed them by the PC that had the two men mesmerized.

Steel glanced over and smiled. “Thanks.” He took one bite and frowned. “Jack, I told you Tess doesn’t eat red meat.”

“He made Dan and I chicken chili.”

“Good job, Jack,” Steel called out.

Tess stared at the blobs on the screen. “That looks like a body laid out like a bear.”

Steel kissed her temple. “It is.” He flipped the screen to the bird mound and this one looked like a skeleton with the arms sweeping above its head.

“I hope you don’t have to excavate these bodies.”

“I think once they see the three-dimensional graphics of these mounds, they’ll leave them where they are. To move them would be sacrilege.”

Frank nodded in agreement.

Finally hungry, Tess returned to her chili, which seemed to have shrunk in her absence.

She eyed Dan’s bowl.

“Sorry, I thought you were done.”

“Thief,” she grumbled.

He tried to empty his bowl in hers, but she pushed the bowl away. “I couldn’t have eaten it all anyway. I’ve enough here.”

“You are the most rational, good-natured female I’ve ever met,” Dan stated. Then frowned. “That’s not flattery; that’s a fact.”

She wished it were true, but she didn’t feel very competent right now. Without Sheriff Cobbs’ help, her father would have stolen Grams and buried her remains by her evil husband and then taken all her money for his criminal endeavors.

She knew children were supposed to love their parents no matter what, but she couldn’t. Her father was evil, cruel, and diabolical. She hated him and his way of life.

Dan’s hand rubbed circles on the small of her back. “You okay?”

She sighed. “I wish my father…” She couldn’t go there.

“What?” Dan asked softly.

“I just wish he were like a normal father, so I could love him and want him in my life. But there’s nothing in him to love. He’s a monster, through and through.”

“Did someone say something to set you off?”

“No,” she muttered and refocused on her food.

He stood up. “Grab your bowl. We’ll talk in your room.”

Jack glared at Dan as Tess abandoned her chili and Dan ushered her from the kitchen.

Tess struggled to come up with things she could use to explain her misery, but the torture of four innocent young men wouldn’t leave her thoughts. But she’d promised Sheriff Cobbs not to tell anyone, including Dan.

She realized she was choosing Cobbs over Dan in this situation, but the truth was, the sheriff had been there for her every time. And unlike Dan, he seemed to care when innocents got hurt. She remembered he convinced her not to send Andy to file the will. Given what happened to the guys who just worked for her, God only knows what her father would have done to poor Andy.

When Dan closed the door, he led her to the bed and sat down beside her. He’d never done that before. He normally leaned on the door or sat on the trunk. She wasn’t happy with the change.

His hand rubbed her back. “Something has happened. I need to know what. I can’t protect you and Steel if I don’t know what’s going on. Have you been in contact with your father?”

“No. The road to La Motte. It didn’t wash out. Someone brought in a crane and a large truck and dug out a long section of the road, removing even the base rocks.”

“I know,” he said.

“How do you know?” He’d been with Steel all the time.

“The sheriff is keeping my partner, Brad, up to date on what happens.”

“Then you knew about the filing fiasco before I told you?”

“Yes.”

“Then why do you keep asking me stuff, if you know it already?”

He sighed. “Several reasons. First, it usually helps for a person to speak firsthand about their troubles.”

She nodded. “That’s true.”

“So why don’t you want to tell me this time?”

“I don’t have anything to tell you.”

He shook his head. “Something’s changed and it has you worried to your core.”

“My father paid someone to take out a road, for no reason but to cut me off from help. Who does that? He has no sense of boundaries. If he’ll do that, what else is he willing to do?”

“You’re worried about your missing crew members?”

“What do you know?” she demanded.

“Only that you were short four men today. Did the other men tell you why?”

“No, and I know Frank said a bunch would drop out, but I can’t help but think my father has something to do with it.”

“If you’ll give me the names, I’ll check it out.”

Shit! She’d just talked herself into a corner. “Thanks, but I’m probably just over-reacting. Mr. Sedita said my father wouldn’t go after him because he only goes after the weak and unprotected.”

“He said that?”

She nodded.

“And that set you off?”

“Yes. You’ve said you don’t know if you can protect Steel. What if my father agrees?”

Dan breathed in deeply and slowly released the air from his lungs. “Now I understand.” He stroked her hair. “I would like to tell you that Steel is safe, but in my opinion, neither of you are. Helen clearly had something on Benito that forced him to leave her alone. Unfortunately, the repellent ceased upon her death. And if Jonas knew where and what it was, then Benito has probably retrieved it by now.”

“I searched the house, wondering the same thing.”

“As did I, including the cabin above.”

Tess shook her head. “She wouldn’t hide it up there. The cabin isn’t secure. She would have hidden it here, or given it to Jonas to hide.”

“Now that you realize the danger, let’s reassess the situation. If you were to convince Steel to take you to England, you’d both be safe. Benito has no contacts or influence in Britain.”

“But Steel won’t leave. You’ve seen how obsessed he is with those mounds.”

Dan nodded. “But he loves you. If he believes you are in danger and you want to go, he’d give up his obsession.”

She shook her head. “No, he won’t. Whatever he feels for me isn’t as strong as his life’s calling.”

“You’re wrong,” Dan said as he gripped her hand. “You’ve no idea how loveable you are.”

The intensity of Dan’s stare worried her that he was no longer talking about Steel’s adoration, but his own.

She gently extracted her hand. “I’ll try and convince him, but honestly, I think it’ll just put a rift between us because he’ll feel guilty that he chose the mounds over me.”

“Do you love him enough to do that?”

Tess nodded even as her eyes watered. She did. Even if it ultimately cost her the only man she’d ever loved, she would try to save Steel.

“I’ll go talk to him.”

“No. Wait until the morning,” Dan advised.

She wanted to make him safe now, but Dan was right. The morning would be better. Right now, what he truly loved—the mounds—were too fresh in his mind.

Dan pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Your ability to persuade will be stronger in the morning after he’s dreamed of you all night.”

He then rose. “Thank you, Tess. While you didn’t once mention what my request requires you to give up, I know how much these woods mean to you. But rest assured Tom Barkman will find competent people to see your woods become a state park.”

She breathed in. Dan was right. Tom Barkman would find good people to replace them. Even if her father killed her and Steel, her Grams’ forest would still become a premier state park.

They had kept the woods safe from harm, Grams got cremated as she wished, and her Last Will and Testament would have a brave executor come tomorrow morning. Enough battles had been won. It was time to retreat and start a new life in England.