Dance or Die (White Oak - Mafia Series Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

crew smiling. “Will you take Malcolm up to the cabin? He can wait outside while you get the two spare cutting helmets, leg guards, and the 24 and 32 chainsaws. Then bring it all down here.”
    No challenges from Andy. He just saluted and hurried up the hill with Malcolm following.
    A high pierced whistle drew hers and all her workers’ attention. Dan motioned for her to come up. She climbed the hill at top speed and was thus out of breath when she arrived.
    “Did you send Andy and one of your workers up to the cabin?”
    “Yes. Some of the guys can use a chainsaw.”
    He gripped the back of her neck like he wanted to squeeze it until she died. “And now this guy will tell everyone about the true size of the cabin.”
    “I’ll ask him not to.”
    He rolled his eyes. “Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?”
    “I trust him.”
    “Why?”
    She sighed, wishing Sheriff Cobbs hadn’t insisted on secrecy. But she had to tell Dan something. He knew she never trusted anyone without strong cause.
    “There was a new guy waiting down at the road. Before I could even challenge his right to be there, Malcolm did so and when he tried to run, Malcolm tackled him and kept him restrained until Sheriff Cobbs arrived. My father clearly sent the guy, and given Malcolm’s intervention, I’m positive he’s not working for my father.”
    Dan groaned. “Have you never heard of double agents? They prove themselves loyal by turning in one of their own. Once trusted, they can do incredible damage. In this case, maybe plant a bomb that takes us all out.”
    “He’s not going inside the house.”
    Dan rapped her head with his knuckles. “Is this thing working today? A bomb on the side of the house will do the job.”
    “Don’t be too sure about that,” she muttered.
    “What does that mean?”
    “When I first came here, I was suffering nightmares where my father would break into the house and strangle me. Grams promised me that the house could withstand almost anything.”
    “Emphasis on the word ‘almost’.”
    She sighed. At least, she’d distracted him from Malcolm. “I think the place is bomb-proof, but I can’t prove it.”
    “Well, I’m not willing to bet your life on it.”
    “You mean Steel’s life.”
    “Either,” he replied and watched the cabin through his binoculars.
    ***
    By the end of the day, the giant white oak was ready for transport. The only question was whether Sam would do the work now…and if she wanted him to. Sam had always hauled out their trees by helicopter, processed them into lumber, and returned them by helicopter. But recently she had reason to suspect her father had turned him, like he had others. If so, she needed to find another way to remove and process trees.
    That evening, she called Sam from her bedroom so she wouldn’t have to argue with Steel or Dan about her reasoning, because honestly, her reasoning was very bad. Sam had been a loyal trustworthy person for years. While all evidence indicated he’d flipped and now worked for her father, his years of loyalty still counted. She had to give him a chance to explain himself.
    He answered on the first call.
    He sounded relieved when he realized it was her. “Tess, did I screw things up by asking for that contract from your boss?”
    “Some red flags went up, but I feel I owe you a chance to explain yourself.”
    “Damn it! Drenner, my cousin, and my sorry wife played me. First of all, Nancy isn’t dead. She’s staying with the Drenners. Second, the helicopter that went on the market at such a great price was a hoax. My cousin, the banker, called me right after I heard about the great deal, so naturally I asked him if I could get a loan. ‘Absolutely’, he says, ‘only I’ll need a contract from you guys to prove I’ll have income in the future.’ Turns out he was in cahoots with Nancy and Drenner. All they wanted was for me to get a contract so Nancy could get half of it in the divorce.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said,