Dance or Die (White Oak - Mafia Series Book 3) by Liza O'Connor

back to him.
    When they came to the first wash out, she stared in horror. Someone had filled the washout with rocks and gravel, which meant Frank had no reason to leave his seat.
    She sped up and then slammed to a halt, sending Frank crashing into the headboard and window.
    Sadly, it didn’t knock him unconscious; it only pissed him off. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
    “The question, Frank, is what have you done?” She put the SUV in reverse and started the long way back up. She wished she could just turn around, but the SUV was too large to turn around on this narrow part of the road.
    “Where the hell are you going?” he yelled.
    “I’m headed back up to see what you’ve done with the others.”
    “I told you, Steel and Dan left a half hour ago.”
    “In what, Frank? All the cars are still there.”
    He sighed. “Why the hell do I get the difficult one?”
    His comment only made her drive faster.
    “Tess, they aren’t up there. Your father had them picked up this morning.”
    She slammed on the brakes and stared at him. “You’re working for my father?”
    His eyes closed. “He has my kids, so yes, I’m working for him.”
    More innocents, this time, children.
    “Where are they?” she asked.
    “My children? If I knew, I sure as hell wouldn’t be here.”
    “Steel and Dan. Are they alive?”
    “Yes.”
    Her heart wanted to believe him, but her brain wouldn’t let her. “Then why didn’t Dan stop you when Steel was abducted?”
    “Because he was out cold, just like everyone who ate the chili last night.” He sighed. “Except for you, who only ate three bites.”
    “You swear they were alive when they left here?”
    “Yes. You were supposed to be with them, only you were gone when the boys finally arrived this morning.” He rolled his eyes. “Clearly, you got the brains.”
    “My brothers did this?”
    “Yes, and if I don’t get you there within a half hour of their arrival, my two girls will die. So I’m asking you to drive down the hill.”
    She finally noticed Frank held a gun in his hand. The fact he used his children as motivation instead of a gun told her everything. Frank was not willingly working for her father.
    You dance or die.
    Frank was dancing so his girls wouldn’t die.
    “How old?”
    “Three and five.”
    “I’ll try to negotiate their release.”
    “He said if I did this, he’d let them go.”
    “Don’t hold your breath. His word isn’t worth shit.”
    Frank pressed his head against the window and muttered what sounded like a prayer.
    Tess made it down the road in record time. Once on the highway, she pushed their speed to a hundred.
    “Slow down, you’ll get a ticket,” Frank snapped.
    “Nope. This is Dan’s SUV. He’s secret service.”
    “What? Ah shit, shit, shit!”
    “Frank, calm down. Your girls are going to be fine. We just need a little help. Now, is your phone really broken?”
    She knew it wasn’t, but this was Frank’s moment to become part of the solution or the problem.
    “No, it works.”
    “Call this number,” she read off Sheriff Cobbs’ number from memory.
    Once the sheriff answered, Frank passed the phone to her. “Sheriff Cobbs?”
    “I’m here, Tess.”
    “My father has abducted Steel, Dan, and Frank’s little girls…” she paused and looked at Frank. “Did they take Sonny and Jack?”
    “No, they’re at the cabin still sleeping,” Frank replied.
    “I heard that,” Cobbs said. “Are you being held hostage?”
    “Not sure. Frank is only doing this because my father has his kids. Frank has a gun, but he’s not threatened me with it.”
    “Then why are you driving a hundred miles an hour?”
    “Because I have to stop my father from hurting Steel and Dan…and make him give Frank his kids back. Hold on, how do you know…” She glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Sheriff Cobb’s truck following behind her. “Never mind.”
    “You passed me on interstate 52, but I guess you didn’t