Dance or Die (White Oak - Mafia Series Book 3) (23 page)

Tess thought that was just a headache waiting to explode, but it meant Dan could love her openly. She focused on him. “Are you sure you want to do this? Dealing with the other parks is probably going to be a turf pissing battle.”

He stroked her cheek. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”

“Excellent!” Tom said. “Excuse me while I let the governor know. And you two should grab a quick lunch and get back here. The governor is having a press conference about his state parks in two hours and he wants to introduce his new Parks Security Officer.”

“Will I be expected to talk?” Dan asked.

“Not during his press conference, but both of you should expect to answer questions.” He stared at Tess. “Do not announce to the world that you leaked the video to level the ball field.”

“I’ll handle questions about the video,” Dan stated.

Satisfied, Tom left the room.

“I’m not saying anything,” Tess grumbled.

Dan pulled her from the chair and hugged her. “Not even if they asked about your wonderful woods?”

“I’d be willing to talk about that,” she muttered.

He rewarded her with a kiss that made her knees buckle.

He caught her and laughed. “Let’s get you fed before you faint.”

***

“The self-indulgent destruction of State Parks stops today. While the laws have been on the books for fifteen years, as of now, they will be enforced. Every year, this state spends over two million dollars to repair the damage ATVs do to our state parks. We do not have money to throw away like that. As of now, any ATV that enters a state park will be confiscated and sold, and the fine of two thousand dollars will be collected before the person is released from jail. And when the next assembly begins, I’m submitting a bill to increase that fine to ten thousand dollars.”

The governor stared sternly into the cameras.

“I’m aware that there are some who will still choose to ignore the law and attempt to enter our parks destroying the trails, tranquility, and beauty for the rest of us, because other than our parks, there are very few places you can drive your ATVs. From the sales of your confiscated ATVs and fines, I intend to purchase land specifically designed to challenge ATV drivers who had the sense to heed my warning and stay out of our parks.”

Applause burst out from the back of the room where rugged, mostly young men stood.

“And I tell you now, if you, your sons, or daughters are caught driving an ATV in any park, they will be arrested, fined, and lose their ATV. Absolutely no exceptions. And to drive that ‘no exception’ rule home, I would like to introduce Dr. Jonathan Culp, one of my dearest and oldest friends.”

The well-dressed man stepped forward, briefly hugged the governor and then spoke in the microphone. “I am sorry to admit, but my son was arrested last night when he and several friends entered our most recently acquired woodlands in Northeast Iowa. The three ATVs were confiscated, the five boys jailed, and each fined $2,000. For that, I am deeply sorry. While my son showed a complete lack of regard for the laws or the woodlands he was about to irrevocably harm, I also have to take responsibility for buying him the ATV.”

He looked straight at the cameras. “Parents, if your child has nowhere to legally drive their ATV, then save yourself the stress I’ve gone through and take the keys away until an ATV park can be built. The governor is dead serious. If he’ll confiscate my property and fine my son, then he’ll do the same to yours.” He then motioned the governor up and handed him an envelope. “This is a donation for the ATV parks.”

The governor opened the envelope and grinned, then hugged the man again. “Dr. Culp has contributed $2 million to build our ATV parks.”

Again the group in the back burst into applause.

The governor took control of the microphone, and the doctor stepped to the side. “Now, just to be sure you know I’m serious about enforcing the ‘no ATV’ law, I’d like to introduce you to the parks’ new head of security, Dan Brown. Dan has spent his life in enforcement. From a Navy Seal, to an FBI agent, and until recently serving with the Secret Service, Dan is an expert in security and his techniques are exactly why the first three ATVs to enter our newest park were stopped before any damage was done. Dan will be putting in similar security in our other parks. So if you are thinking no one has ever caught you up until now, think again. The parks are for our people, not ATVs. Soon you will have your own land, but until then, you need to be patient and wait, or lose your ATV.”

While the reporters wanted to know what techniques Dan planned to use, when he refused to answer that, they returned their questions to the governor and Dr. Culp.

Tess realized Brandon stood in the section just off the platform beside a well-coifed blonde in her forties, who wore a tight smile on her face. Brandon’s head stared at his feet, radiating misery. All the arrogance he showed last night was gone.

When the press was over and everyone on the platform was led out into a hallway, safe from the press, someone grabbed her arm painfully. She turned to face Dr. Culp. “You may have the others fooled, but you are a thug, just like your father. I can live with the confiscation and the arrest, but you got my boy expelled from college. That was personal, and someday, I’ll deliver the bill.” Then his face flinched in pain.

“Please release the lady’s arm,” Dan requested softly.

The moment he released her, Dan released him. Dr. Culp smiled. “You just lost your job.”

“Actually, I’m doing my job, as Secret Service.”

His words confused Dr. Culp. The man rubbed his arm where Dan had gripped him and hurried down the hall the governor had disappeared to.

“You didn’t need to intervene,” she whispered. “He lacked the strength to really harm me.”

“Just doing my job,” he replied.

“I’m not complaining, but didn’t you quit the Secret Service?”

“I’ll explain on our way home.”

Once Tess and Dan were out of Cedar Rapids, she wanted to ask him what he had meant when he told Dr. Culp that protecting her was his job. But she needed him to begin the conversation.

After her third heavy sigh in fifteen minutes, he grasped her hand and pulled it to his lips. “Be patient. I’m expecting a call.”

As if waiting for its cue, his phone rang. He ignored it as he kissed her hand again and sent a smile of pure love in her direction.

She returned his smile. “Your phone is ringing.”

Finally, he released her hand and answered. “Your timing sucks. I did….He did…I did...Well, after the press conference, he threatened my fiancée.”

Fiancée? The idea of marrying Dan thrilled her to the bone. He was staring at her instead of the road as if waiting for a sign.

She grinned and gave him a nod, then pointed to the road.

With a deep sigh of satisfaction, he refocused on driving.

“You done with the lecture?” he finally asked.

Given the roll of his eyes and the silence, she assumed whoever was on the other side was not done with their lecture.

From Dan’s earlier comment and this call, she had to assume Dan was still working for the Secret Service and was now getting grief for calling her his fiancée. But why would they care?

Unless she was the person he was supposed to be watching over.

But her family was dead. Who else would care? She remembered the day when Sheriff Cobbs suggested she destroy that marriage certificate to Danny Spadoni. He’d told her that the Spadoni family would have loved to take over her father’s businesses and enlarge their footprint.

“Glad you got there because I am very much in love.” That evidently resulted in another long lecture. After ten minutes, Dan began broken cell phone talk. “Can’t….call…when…ho” He hung up the phone and smiled at her. “Can you pretend you didn’t hear any of that?”

So he didn’t want to marry her. He’d just wanted to piss off his old boss before he began his new job.

“Sure,” she muttered.

He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her again. “ILY.”

She pressed her head against the window. “ILY2.”

“ILY4infinity,” he countered.

She smiled. She didn’t understand the games he was playing with his old job, but he still loved her.

He stopped at a house before reaching Highway 53 and carried a cooler to the back of his truck.

When they drove up the hill road, he pulled up at the brand new imposing gate to their park. They both got out and admired it. Its metal posts were next to white oak trees about two feet in diameter. The gate itself had the six-foot sign bolted to the gate-fencing with a lower sign warning the entrance was electrified except when opened. On the other side of the trees began an impressive wood barrier.

“Is it really electrified?” she asked.

“Maybe, maybe not.”

She pressed against his chest. “I prefer you when you aren’t a man of mystery.”

“By the time we sleep, you will know everything.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I have a whole lot of questions.”

He leaned and kissed her. “Not a problem. Now help me break in.”

“Given your ambiguous answer to whether it’s electrified and the fact I see a wire running up the back of my tree, I’m not going anywhere near that fence.”

“Where’s a wire?”

She pointed about twenty feet up the tree.

“Brilliant,” he said and returned to the truck, pulling out a battery and jumper cables. He attached one cable to the battery on the ground and another to the fence. “See if there is any place you can get through to the woods.”

When she returned from her inspection, he had on thick rubber gloves and was attempting to cut the links of the gate.

“Why are you trying to ruin our new gate?”

“Better for it to fail now than on the job.”

“Well the boys might be bored with making tree barriers, but they aren’t slacking. Those are the most formidable and tall wooden barriers I’ve ever seen.”

“You can’t find any place to get in?”

“No, and it seems to go on forever.”

Next he tried to pick the lock but that didn’t work. Finally, he tried a bolt cutter on the lock but it didn’t even dent the lock’s metal.

“Back in the car. I owe the boys cold beers.”

“Is that what’s in the cooler you picked up at the house you stopped at?”

“Good work deserves to be appreciated.”

“You should make a plaque saying that and send it to the Secret Service.”

He smiled but wisely kept his eyes on the road given it was dusk, and while the potholes were presently gone and the road was drivable, it still possessed hairpin curves.

When they got home, Tess headed straight to her room to change. She hated wearing a suit.

Once she was in her sweats, she rejoined Dan in the living room, where oddly, no staff member could be found.

“Where is everybody?” she asked and then frowned. “And why didn’t they come check out the fence when we were trying to break in? Dan, I’m worried about them.”

He pressed his forefinger to her lips. “The boys are fine. They are upstairs enjoying their reward.”

She relaxed and pressed against him. “You’re a very good boss.”

He chuckled. “With these guys, easy as pie. Would you mind if I place four of them in the other parks?”

She did mind. “I’m very attached to my crew.”

“I know, but it will be a promotion for them and more money.” He ran the back of his hand against her cheek. “I won’t take your favorites.”

She breathed out. “You can ask them, and if they want the job, then it’s okay with me. However, I’m letting them know they can return to their old job if they hate their new one.”

He chuckled. “I remember you once telling Sean you loved your grounds crew…I just thought you were trying to piss him off, but you really meant it.”

“I did and I do, but I don’t remember you being there when we had that conversation.” Her eyes narrowed. “Dan, do you have my house bugged?”

“I do,” he replied.

“Why?”

“So no one can repeat what happened before.”

That muted her protest before she found her voice. Had the house been bugged back then… “Wait. Does that mean someone is listening to us right now?”

“Why would you think that?” he asked, as he nodded.

So there was someone else and they were listening now.

“Can we talk in my room? It’s not bugged, is it?”

“Let’s talk here. I have a very important question to ask you.” He knelt on one knee and opened a ring box. “I have never loved anyone before you. You have touched my soul and brought it to life. You occupy my heart and thoughts every moment. Tess Campbell, will you marry me?”

Ignoring the ring, she dropped to her knees and hugged him. “Yes, but I won’t change my name, and I can’t wear a ring. I could lose my finger when working.”

He burst into happy laughter. “Can I tattoo on your forehead: ‘She’s mine; find your own perfect woman’?”

“Only if I can do the same to you,” she countered, certain there was a ton of women who would grab Dan up if they could.

“Wait, we can tattoo our rings if you want,” he offered.

That sounded painful so she shook her head.

“How about this? We won’t wear them at work, but when we leave the woods, we’ll put them on.”

She stroked his cheek. “Is my wearing a ring really that important to you?”

“Yeah.”

She thought that very odd. It’s not like she’d ever forget he was her one and only. But his furrowed brow assured her that for some odd reason, he needed to have her branded as his.

“Then give me the ring and I’ll wear it whenever I’m not in the woods.”

He stood up and pulled her up with him. “Let’s go upstairs and tell the guys.”

When they arrived upstairs and no one was in the cabin, she panicked. “Dan, I think someone has kidnapped my crew.”

“Well, they are the best crew in the world…”

“Dan, I’m serious!”

“The crew is right outside,” he promised.

She rushed out the door and stared with happy shock. The guys were all there in suits. White streamers highlighted a beautiful lace gazebo, lit up with thousands of little twinkle lights. Inside, Sheriff Cobbs and a man with a high collar talked about something.

Dan had somehow arranged a wedding, saving her the trouble. God, she loved him. Sheriff Cobbs noticed her and frowned. He left the clergyman and came to her. “Do you really plan to marry in your sweats? It’s not going to make a picture you’ll want others to see.”

She stared at her clothes. God this was worse than her naked nightmares.

“We’ll wait, if you want to find a pretty dress,” he added.

She ran into the cabin, crashing into Dan. “Don’t start without me. I have to change.”

“I will definitely wait,” he promised and released her.

She reached her room and stared at the suit she’d tossed on her bed. God, she didn’t want to get married in that stupid thing, but Cobbs was right. She’d burn all the pictures if she looked like a freak at her wedding.

She opened her closet and frantically searched for something better and still wearable. Most of the dresses were from when she was sixteen and wouldn’t fit her now, even if she wanted to wear them. She soon reached a long white dress with beautiful lace. She didn’t remember having a long dress. She pulled it out and removed the clear plastic bag.

Why did she have a wedding dress in her closet? Who would even know her dress size?

Cobbs! No wonder he’d looked so annoyed. He’d probably gone to a great deal of trouble getting her this dress on short notice and then she shows up in her sweats. Talk about ungrateful.

She tried it on, and it fit perfectly. No doubt about it. This was Sheriff Cobbs’ doing.

Upon finding the flat white ballet slippers to go with her gown, she brushed out her hair and hurried from her room.

Sheriff Cobbs waited in the living room. “Now that’s better.”

She hugged him. “Thank you for the dress.”

“You are most welcome.”

Tears of gratitude welled in her eyes. “You are the closest thing to a father I’ve ever had. Will you give me away?”

“It would be my honor.” His eyes grew a little glassy as well.

When they opened the cabin door, wedding music began, and Dan smiled from his position in the gossamer gazebo.

“Who gives this woman away?”

“I do,” Sheriff Cobbs says.

The ceremony was a blur of happiness. Finally, Dan placed a ring carved with white oak leaves upon her finger and kissed her with sufficient passion to curl her toes. The boys erupted in cheers.

The item in the cooler turned out to be a wedding cake. Instead of a bride and groom, it had a tiny chainsaw and a pair of handcuffs.

Tess laughed and kissed Dan for his cleverness.

The night began with a barbecue eaten to every country-western love song that had been recorded in the last thirty years, which turned out to be an impressive variety.

Until now, Tess had thought all country and western songs were cheating songs, but whoever chose this music proved her wrong.

Around eight, Dan went off to one side with four of her crew, probably the ones he wished to abduct, while the sheriff sat down beside her.

“I understand you’ve given up four of your crew to Dan.”

“Only if they want to go. And if they don’t like it, they can come back.”

“Well, since you’ll have four empty beds, I was wondering if you’d take on the four men who were tortured.”

“Yes, of course. Can they do regular work, or do I need to find them easier tasks?”

“Malcolm will figure out what they can and can’t do. You need to treat them no different than the other guys. They’ve healed physically…as much as they ever will, but they suffer bouts of depression. I’m hoping living here will lessen that.”

“I’ll try my hardest to help them,” she promised.

“No. If you single them out, they’ll see it as charity. Just treat them like the others. That’s what they need. That will cure them. As long as people keep treating them like victims, they’re going to think that’s all they are. These are good men. They deserve a good life.”

“All right. I’ll treat them just the same as the others.”

He hugged her. “Now, I understand why the Doctor was so bold as to threaten you after the press meeting was over.”

“Dr. Culp. He was angry I called Iowa State and let them know that one of the students they’d sent for an interview tried to destroy my park. They evidently expelled Brandon for embarrassing them.”

“Well, just so you know, he’s part of the Torteno Family.”

She sighed in frustration. “This is Iowa. Why are there so many mafia here?”

“You’d be surprised how many people are associated with a family.”