by Shady Grace
Gabe thought about this as he finished his meal. He could seriously survive on sausages and bannock for the rest of his life, especially if she was cooking them. He watched her silently, wondering how she would react should he tell her why he was flying over these mountains. He wanted her to trust him, and, in order to do that, he had to divulge at least part of the truth.
How could he tell her without her hating him? “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Mima nodded and took her last bite. “I know.”
He narrowed his eyes, wondering what she suspected. “I know you said your friend was going to deliver my stuff, but I have to get back to my plane anyway.” His heart skipped a beat when her brows drew together. “I was delivering time sensitive cargo for my boss when I went down. I need to check and make sure it survived the crash, then stash it.”
Mima seemed to think for a moment. Those black eyes of hers looked troubled, and he couldn’t blame her. “I know you’re hiding something, and I don’t think I want to know what it is.”
“You probably shouldn’t. My job is dangerous, to put it mildly.”
Gabe reached across the table and held her hands, rubbing his thumbs over her soft skin. “I’d never hurt you, Mima. I know we don’t know each other that well, but I’d never allow anything bad to happen to you. Do you believe me?”
She sat there, unmoving, unreadable, and it made him nervous. “What are all those scars on your body?”
He bit his lip, deciding he may as well be honest. “Bullet holes. Stab wounds.”
Her eyes widened and she sat straighter. “Who would hurt you like that?”
Her immediate concern for him warmed his heart, but it didn’t lessen the fact that he could be in big trouble. “Enemies. Competition.”
Mima wrenched her hands out of his grip and pushed away from the table. She grabbed their plates and practically threw them into the sink. When she glanced over her shoulder, it felt as if she was seeing him for the first time. “If you expect me to trust you, then I want the truth, Gabe. I deserve the right to at least be prepared for what could happen. It’s either that or you can walk out of here and never look back.”
She had every right to demand the truth. She’d saved his life, and he owed her that much. “I’m not a good guy. Never claimed to be.” He stared down at his hands, hating himself for having to say it. “These hands…they’ve killed people.” Mima spun around, complete shock on her stricken face. “I’m not proud of what I do, but I don’t know any different.”
“Would you have hurt me, or Mary?” Her voice trembled as she leaned against the counter, keeping her distance from him.
Gabe stared at her, hoping his eyes expressed everything he felt. “Never. I’ll protect you with my life before I allow anything to happen to you or Mary. Even if I didn’t care for you, and I do, you still saved my life.”
She looked relieved, although she remained guarded.
They stared at each other for a while, both lost in thought. He wondered what was going on in that pretty little head of hers. Maybe she’d be afraid of him now. Maybe she should be. “I’ve done some crazy things in my life, and not once did I think too hard on it. Not until I met you. You’ve made me want to know what it’s like to enjoy life. To not have to watch my back and never trust anyone.”
“Why can’t you trust anyone?”
He thought back to a time not so long ago when someone he considered a friend nearly cost him his life. “Because the moment you let down your guard you become vulnerable.” Gabe pushed up from the table and cautiously approached her.
Mima stood straighter, as if his proximity scared her. “Vulnerable to what?”
“People that can hurt you.”
Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. “I see. So is that all you want? To never have to look over your shoulder again?”
She had no clue what happened in the real world, and for the life of him, Gabe didn’t want her to know any of it. He wanted her to be free of danger, to laugh and to smile. Never have to worry if today would be her last. “No, that’s not all I want, but I’ll take whatever I can get. Whatever I deserve.”
He reached out and gently skimmed his fingers down her cheek to cup her chin. Now wasn’t the time to think about making love to her, but he couldn’t help wanting to take her right now. Make her see and feel how much she meant to him. He suspected she wanted him to say more, maybe comfort her with soothing words. He’d have an easier time slowly torturing a man than confessing his feelings.
Mima was different. So different than the stuck-up, dramatic women that had walked in and out of his life. She had a way about her that appealed to him. Soft-spoken, innocent, kind—yet strong, she was the epitome of a true northern woman. A beautiful native woman. No big hair and thick makeup. No high heels and skimpy dresses. Nothing fake about her body or her smile. Only pure, real woman.
The kind of woman he could stick with, if given the chance.
“I don’t want to know what’s in that plane, but I’ll take you there. After that, I can’t promise anything.”
Gabe let his hand fall away as she turned her back to him, shoulders trembling.
Dread cinched at his throat. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
* * * *
An hour later, Mima and Gabe drove over the trail on a beat-up Elan snow machine. The ride was long and the scenery beautiful with a lush white canopy over the wilderness. The scene seemed to go on for endless miles, with the mountains rising up like watch dogs all around them. He was trapped in thought, wondering what Mima would do with him. He didn’t think she would turn him in, but he had to play it safe.
He drove the skidoo over hills, small valleys, and frozen ponds, until Mima patted his shoulder and shouted for him to stop. He pulled up to the side of the trail and shut off the machine.
“It’s over there.” She pointed to a mound in the snow beside a large birch tree. Gabe’s eyes widened realizing how lucky he was to survive the crash. The plane was covered in snow, and, from what little of the aircraft was visible, it seemed to have been reduced to nothing but scrap metal.
In tune to his thoughts, Mima stared up at him, trying not to imagine him dying. “You were lucky.”
Gabe trudged through the snow off the trail and made his way to the plane. He held his breath—his life depended on the cargo being safe—and pulled on the side compartment panel. The door creaked open, and all the breath left his lungs.
The cargo was gone.
Chapter Six
Colton’s secretary—Ben’s wife—had made contact with Gabriel. She informed Ben that Gabe was safe somewhere in these mountains, and was staying with a woman. The cargo was secure as well.
Good.
Gabe still had to die.
Ben told his wife not to tell Colton about her talk with Gabe, since the old man was out of town handling business. As far as Gabe knew, everything would be fine, and then their radio contact was abruptly cut off, which worked perfectly in Ben’s favor.
Ben would take care of the situation quietly. Once Gabe was out of the picture, everything would be copasetic. Then he and his wife could live the good life as he’d promised her.
He flicked the butt of his cigarette into the roaring fire and turned his attention back to the terrified woman tied to the chair. He knew she was hiding Gabe somewhere. It was only a matter of time before she gave him up.
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 wha
t 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.