And sometimes, checking was all it took to crack everything wide open. By the time they left the room, both the Brotherhood and the sheriff’s department were quietly looking for Dana Cole.
Dana drovewith both hands steady on the wheel, the road unfolding in familiar curves. No rush. No second-guessing.
The cabin turnoff came up fast. She took it without slowing.
Everything was lining up.
She’d meant to shut the receiver off before she left. Just in case. Not because she thought anyone was on to her. She wasn’t running. She’d be back soon enough, stepping right back into her life like nothing had changed.
She didn’t leave loose ends.
Most people were emotional. Reactive. People like that made mistakes. Dana didn’t.
The pig had done its job. It was useful information. Mia had been distracted, doubting herself. Exactly as planned.
Dana pulled into the narrow drive and cut the engine. The woods closed in around the cabin. No neighbors. No interruptions.
Perfect.
By the time anyone noticed she was gone, it would only look like a short absence. And by then, everything that mattered would already be settled.
Dana’s housesat at the end of a short, curving drive not far from downtown. Early afternoon sun filtered through the trees.
Caleb parked a house away. No urgency. Just a normal street on a normal day.
“Middle of the afternoon,” Finn said, scanning the houses nearby. “People are at work. Kids at school.”
“Which means she wouldn’t expect company,” Nate replied.
They walked up the drive together, unhurried. The place looked lived in. Curtains open. A porch chair angled toward the yard. Nothing rushed. Nothing wrong.
A discreet sign was staked near the walkway.
LIVE OAK CATERING
Private Catering—by appointment
“She runs it out of her house,” Finn murmured.
Caleb stepped onto the porch and knocked.
They waited.
Nothing.
No footsteps. No music. Nothing.
Caleb pulled out his phone, scrolling. “Cell’s going straight to voicemail.”
That sealed it.
He crouched, pulled out a small, slim lock pick, and with a soft click, the door unlocked.
Inside, the house smelled faintly of cleaner and something sweet. Dex was already scanning outlets, cords, the places people never thought to look. “If she listened from here, the receiver won’t be far.”
They moved through the house without speaking.
“In here,” Dex said from a small office.
