Beautiful Criminal (8 page)

They’d followed her yesterday evening back to her little homestead in the woods and returned this morning. Funny how she didn’t put up a fight at all. Simply cowered down and let the men tie her up. She was a timid little creature and he liked that. They’d get their answers sooner rather than later.

“What’s your name?”

“Mary. Mary Billings,” she answered quickly, looking at each of the men standing around her. Face pale, she looked about to cry.
Poor thing.

“What kind of men are you, and what do you want from me? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Tell me, Mary. You seem like a smart woman. I’m looking for a friend who disappeared a week ago in his plane. We know he’s somewhere around here. Perhaps you could help us.”

She nodded anxiously. “A man crashed his plane by the river. We pulled him out.”

The men exchanged a sharp look before Ben returned his attention to her. “We?”

Mary shut her mouth and refused to answer. Ben nodded to Jimmy standing beside her. The big man grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back. She cried out, her face twisted in pain. Her chest heaved as she panted, small breasts pushing against her homely, white sweater.

“There are five men surrounding you, Mary. Do you know what five men can do to a vulnerable woman?”

Tears slid down her cheeks, but she remained silent.

“We didn’t come here for that,” Terry said through clenched teeth. “Why don’t you try asking her nicely? Beating a woman is wrong, and you know it.”

Ben chuckled, thinking Terry had a lot to learn in the ways of getting people to talk. “Be my guest. If you think you can do better…”

Terry seemed to think for a moment before he nodded. He approached the girl, his face a mask of determination. Ben stood back, amused by Terry’s weakness for the fairer sex. He was a man-whore and easily swayed. “Look, Mary, we didn’t come here to hurt you, though my friend here”—he glared at Ben—”will do just that if you don’t cooperate. If you or your friend is hiding our friend, both of you could be in grave danger. Is that what you want?”

“No. Please… Don’t hurt her.”

Terry leaned closer. The woman stared at him helplessly. “Where is he? I promise no one will be hurt if you tell us where he is. There’s a lot at stake here. You must cooperate, or deal with the consequences, and I promise you, it won’t be pretty.”

* * * *

Mary stared at the man standing in front of her and it took every bit of will she had not to start bawling like a child. Even though he didn’t look as mean as the others, he was still a villain and could kill her in an instant.

Why did they have to come across that plane crash? Why did they feel sorry for that pilot and bring him to Mima’s? If he was a friend to these men, then she wanted nothing to do with him. He should have died in that plane.

Where’s Tom?
He’d left this morning to go to the trapper’s cabin and had yet to return. What if they already killed him? What if they planned to kill all of them anyway?

She trembled with fear. On the brink of sobbing, she exhaled a shaky breath. “My friend lives on the other side of that mountain.” She pointed with her chin toward the front window. “She lives alone, and she’s the one caring for him. Please don’t hurt her. She’s a good woman and that pilot wouldn’t be alive if not for her.”

The guy in front of her looked relieved. He didn’t have a mean face like the others, and when his blue gaze locked with hers, Mary felt strange under his intense scrutiny. “You’re gonna have to come with us.”

Mary shrieked and struggled against her restraints. “But I told you what you wanted to know!”

The leader of the crew, dressed in head-to-toe black leather, stepped forward. A jagged scar over his brow and down his cheek made him look evil, like a villain from a movie. He obviously knew well the meaning of pain, and she imagined he enjoyed making others suffer.

“You’re our pawn, my dear Mary,” he said. “If you’re lying to us, you’re going to wish you were dead.”

One of the men untied her and yanked her roughly out of the chair. After years of physical abuse from Tom, she knew better than to fight back. She was too small.

“I will take her,” the nice guy said. He pulled her from the other man’s grip and held her close to his side. “It’ll be over soon, don’t worry,” he whispered for her ears only.

More tears slid down her cheeks. She’d given up her friend because she was afraid. She was ashamed of herself…of her weakness. Tom would laugh if he saw her like this. Maybe he’d let these men take her away.

Tom never truly loved her. He’d proven it every time his fist smashed into her face.

Mary was rushed out of her home and stuffed inside the same black chopper she and Tom had seen yesterday. If only she’d known then what today would bring, she never would’ve offered to go back to the plane. What if Mima was hurt, or already dead? She shuddered to think what might have happened to her best friend.

The helicopter blades whirled in the air as the pilot started the machine. The guy holding Mary secured her with a belt on the bench seat in the back as the other men piled in, holding their rifles like in those war movies. Never in her most psychotic dreams would she have ever imagined this happening to her.

What did that pilot do to make these horrible men come after him?

Twenty minutes later they crested the mountain peak and descended the foothill toward Mima’s cabin. From this distance Mary noticed smoke curling up from the direction they were headed. She closed her eyes, praying her dear friend wasn’t home. Something in her gut told her they’d all end up dead, even if these men got what they wanted.

“We need to land close to the cabin, but out of sight. Where is the best place?”

Mary pointed to a small clearing about a quarter mile away from the cabin.

The pilot set the chopper down in the clearing amidst a sea of endless bush. Mary at least felt some small bit of hope now that she was in her element. There might be a chance to break away and make a run for it. Her chances of surviving alone out here were better than at the hands of these criminals.

“We should leave a man with the chopper,” the nice guy said to the leader.

The other shrugged it off. “We need all the man power with us. Have you forgotten who we’re dealing with?”

Mary remained silent as they trudged through the deep snow. If these men needed all of their manpower to fight the pilot, then he must be a horrible man. She never should’ve left Mima alone with him.

Maybe it was already too late.

She couldn’t bear the thought of her best friend being dead.

Every once in a while she watched Terry through the corner of her eye. He wasn’t like the others who were cruel to her. He had helped her along gently and even rubbed her shoulder. He was handsome too, even though she shouldn’t be thinking about his appearance. She imagined if they were in another place or time, he’d be one of those comical, fun guys to be around. He had deep smile lines around his mouth and eyes, and he seemed sincere when he said he didn’t want to hurt her. What was a guy like him doing hanging around with the asshole walking ahead of them?

“Why are you being nice to me?” she whispered.

Terry smiled, making her stomach flutter. “Mom raised me to treat a woman proper.”

Mary stared at the forest ahead, thinking this man was too good to be true. Before Tom, she’d only been with one man, and he wasn’t much better than her husband. This man, this criminal, made her feel safe, oddly enough. “And him?” Her gaze pierced the leader’s back, wishing her stare alone could kill him.

“He’s a whole other story, but he’s my friend and I trust him.”

“But why?”

The man ahead spun around. “Getting close to the hostage, Terry? What will the boss think if you fuck up our mission over a woman?”

Terry tensed. Mary felt it through his grip on her elbow. Her chin quivered, and she sucked in a sharp breath, averting her gaze to the ground. She didn’t want any more trouble. Even if Terry was a reasonable man, he was only one against four.

“It won’t happen again,” Terry said. “But keep in mind who
you
are dealing with.”

This time, when Terry looked at her, his eyes were cold and indifferent. She tried not to feel scared, but she couldn’t help the cold rush of fear up her spine.

They continued at a brisk pace through the bush toward Mima’s cabin. Mary had no idea what to expect next, but she knew it wouldn’t be good.

* * * *

Gabe discovered his duffel bag was gone as well as the cargo. Dread consumed him. Now he had no weapon. He could think of only two things that could have gone wrong: either Mima’s friend decided to cash in on what she’d found, or Ben’s wife had lied to him over the radio and the men were already here.
That
was something to worry about. He felt it in his guts. Mary could be in serious trouble, and Gabe suddenly felt like a monster. These women didn’t deserve to be hurt over him, or McCoy’s pathetic empire. Something bad was going down and he was responsible.

“How well do you trust Mary?”

“With my life,” Mima answered without hesitation. “If she did come here to get your bag and didn’t make it back to my place, then something happened.”

“You said she’s married, right? What about her husband?”

Mima’s eyes narrowed with clear hatred. “I don’t trust that fucker as far as I can throw him.”

Gabe cocked a brow. This was the first time he’d seen her react with such animosity. “Why’s that?”

“Because I think he beats Mary, though she’s never admitted it outright. I’ve seen old bruises on her face, which is probably why I don’t see her for days or even weeks sometimes. I’ve questioned her, but she always comes up with some kind of excuse about being clumsy. I’m not an idiot. I know he does her wrong.”

He stared at her, the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her almost too strong to resist, but he didn’t think she’d welcome his affection. Instead, he kept his distance, standing on the trail a few feet from her. He should be ashamed of himself for getting her into this mess. She’d saved his life, and in return, she was now in danger. But he couldn’t control himself around her. Couldn’t deny that over this past week his heart had other plans.

He liked Mima too much. Maybe he loved her, and it scared him. She’d nursed him back to health, allowed him to feel at home with her, and then she’d given her body to him. He had to protect her, but he needed her. She was the only one who knew this mountain range.

“We need to go to Mary’s. Is it a far distance?”

“Why?”

“Because only she has seen this plane, and possibly what was in it. If she has the cargo, her life will be in danger if the wrong people find out. You have to trust me.”

Mima stared up at him, her eyes throwing daggers. “What was in the plane?”

He had no intention of telling her what exactly was in that plane, but her hard stare made him cave. He blew out a shaky breath, hating what he had to say. “About ten million dollars worth of cocaine.”

Her eyes bulged and she gasped. “Oh my God! How could you do this to us?” She lunged at him, punching him in the chest. “We hauled you out of that plane! I took care of you,” she shrieked.

Gabe took her lashing like a man. He deserved it. When she finally sagged against him, and her sobs grew quiet, he put his arms around her. She moaned and clung to him, and for the first time in his life, Gabe was fully aware that he was in love. He was responsible for her life, and wanted to be responsible for her happiness.

He kissed her temple, letting this strange emotion wash over him. “I’m so sorry, Mima. I should’ve died in that crash. If I could take everything back, I would.”

“No.” She pulled back and looked up at him. The pain in her face, her voice, made his throat burn. “I know you enough to know you didn’t plan for this. And knowing you now… what we’ve shared… I don’t want to imagine you dead.” She looked away, clearly lost in thought, before she turned back to him. “I’m not a child. I know you want to protect me, but in doing so, you’ve put Mary in a bad situation. We need to help her.”

Her heartfelt words gave him hope. He cupped her beautiful face in his hands. “I know I don’t deserve it, but I need you to trust me. I don’t even give a shit about the cargo, but if Mary did take it or knows what happened to it, she’ll need our help.”

Mima dried her tears with the back of her mitt. He cupped her shoulders and pulled her in, kissing her roughly. Maybe this would be the last time he’d get to feel her soft lips against his. He’d gladly give up his life if it meant saving hers.

She whimpered, clinging to him. He hoped the kiss showed her how much he cared about her.

If only they’d met a different way.

He tucked her under his arm, and they walked back to the skidoo. She took her seat on the back, and he pulled the cord to start the motor.

“We’ll have to backtrack to my place for gas. Her home is over the pass behind my cabin,” Mima shouted over the engine. “We’ll take my hunting rifles, too. You might need me to shoot somebody.”

Gabe chuckled, thinking he’d met his match with the opposite sex. Although he suspected she was afraid, she took the news well. Better than he’d hoped. But he wasn’t kidding himself. If Colton sent his best men, then they could be walking into a trap, and he couldn’t risk losing the only woman he had ever wanted to keep.

Mima felt betrayed, but at the same time she had to trust Gabe. What choice did she have? She clung to his waist as he took the trail as fast as her little beast would move.

She’d made love to a drug dealer. A killer. The more she thought about it, she realized he may be considered a bad man, but he’d never hurt her. Some men were products of their upbringing, or situation, not necessarily enjoying the havoc they caused in other people’s lives. She knew he’d never intentionally hurt her, felt it in the deepest depths of her soul, and she hoped he’d meant what he’d said about wanting to enjoy his life and change his ways. He may not look like he belonged out here, but she sensed he felt peace in her neck of the woods. A man like him needed that.