Beautiful Criminal (7 page)

Gabe’s upper lip curled as he winked. “I’ll feed the dogs, and then I’ll feed you the bone later.” He reached out and pinched her nipple through her nightshirt, earning a shriek of surprise.

Mima whacked his chest playfully. Then he hunkered down in front of the pantry and scooped food into the pail. Her gaze wandered over his back and ass, and, for a moment, she wanted to bring him back to her room and have her way with him.

To hell with breakfast.

* * * *

Gabe stood on the back step of the cabin, holding the pail tight in his grip. The dogs stared at him in silence, their ears pointed forward, eyes sharp. It was like looking at a curious pack of wolves that were eying their next meal.
Are they staring at me or the pail?

This was a test, and he knew it. But he didn’t have much experience with these kinds of dogs. The only types he had been around were pit bulls and mastiffs, dogs trained to attack and kill. These creatures were working dogs, but also fiercely protective of Mima. He had to tread lightly and give each and every one of them respect.

Nitchie usually stayed in the cabin. Mima had mentioned lead dogs often stayed with their mushers, but today he was out with the others, and he was located at the first fence. His head was low, his ice-blue eyes trained on Gabe, apparently waiting to lunge at him.

“There, there, boy,” Gabe murmured, approaching the fence cautiously. He took a scoop of the dry food and dropped it into the pen. Nitchie didn’t budge at all, staring at Gabe like he’d rather eat human flesh.

He ignored the uneasy feeling and continued to the next pen. This husky was the opposite of Nitchie, with mostly white fur and a little black along his spine. His curly tail whipped around and he yipped with excitement, lunging at the food as Gabe dropped the batch inside. The rest were almost as easy, until he approached the pen with the puppies and their mother.

Gabe paused as the protective mother lunged at the fence, barking wildly and baring her teeth. Trying to push away his fear, he did what he always did when his nerves got the best of him—he hummed.

He didn’t know the name of the song, but his father had hummed the same tune when he was a little boy. That memory was probably the earliest he’d had as a child. Dad would be sitting by a fire with a nightcap while Gabe tossed and turned on his little bed. When Dad hummed, the smooth baritone of his voice would lull Gabe to sleep. Nowadays, when Gabe ran into troubles with his plane he’d hum to himself. Sometimes the simplest things could ease the worst inner turmoil.

A gust of cold wind shifted him back to the present, and he realized the mother dog was now sitting on her haunches, ears pointed forward, her head at a curious angle while she stared up at him. All four of the puppies, little balls of fluff, had their front paws on the pen, their bushy little tails wiggling like mad.

He smiled at the little bundles and dropped two big scoops into the pen. All of the puppies dashed for the food, gobbling it up like little cannibals, except for one.

Gabe squatted down and stared at the little one. She was gray and white with one blue eye and one brown. The way she looked at him—like she loved him—cut him right to the core. He pulled off his mitt and put his fingers through the fence. The little puppy licked his fingers excitedly, completely pulling at his heartstrings.

The mother sat back, watching her babies chow down. She seemed content to watch, and perhaps she felt Gabe wasn’t a threat anymore.

He pushed back up on his feet and stared at the surroundings. As much as he was enjoying himself, he needed to get back to that plane and hide the cargo, but he didn’t want to put Mima in a bad situation. They’d become closer than he expected, and now she knew more about him than most others. Only a matter of time before she knew everything, and, now that he thought about it, she deserved that he come clean before she learned the truth by other means.

He looked around the bush line, contemplating his actions. The radio contact this morning was a wakeup call. Colton’s secretary had questioned him about the woman who saved him, but before they could discuss a plan of action, Mima had walked into the kitchen and he had to end the call.

What was he going to do about her? He didn’t want to tell her the truth, but he didn’t want to lie to her either. Looking back at the cabin, he saw her gazing out with a big smile on her pretty face.

He liked her.
That
was dangerous. And he’d meant what he said about wanting to stay for a while. Her life out here was quiet and peaceful, the opposite of everything he was used to, and he wasn’t getting any younger. Maybe it was time to try something new and retire from his life of madness and chaos. Try to be happy for a change. He’d lived through enough bullshit to know the value of what surrounded him, and he was damn tired of looking over his shoulder.

Whatever happens, today he
had
to get to that plane.

He walked along the path, noting how deep the snow was off the beaten trail.
What does it look like here in the summer months? Must be beautiful.
Fishing the river in spring and summer sounded like a pretty damned fine vacation, and learning how Mima managed to live here year-round intrigued him. From what he’d learned so far, the nearest town was about thirty miles away, so they weren’t completely lost to civilization. She also had a generator that would last for days when she needed power, and the cabin was hooked for it—she simply preferred not to use it.

A man like him, unused to traditional life, could at least blend in slowly.

As he headed back to the cabin, he imagined himself swinging an ax at a tree, rather than a body. Could he do it? Could he leave his life of crime behind and settle in with a woman?

The scintillating odor of seasoned meat hit his nostrils the second he opened the door. His stomach rumbled in anticipation.

“Damn, that smells good. What’s for breakfast?”

“Moose sausage and bannock. It’s my favorite.”

He set the empty food pail down and took off his jacket and mukluks. Mima had already set the small table. His eyes popped at the huge, thick sausages and fried bannock. “You’re trying to make me fall in love with you, aren’t you?” he teased.

She giggled, fixing him with a smile to melt a glacier. “Good meat everyday keeps people alive out here, and bannock sticks to your ribs.”

Gabe took a seat across from her and dug in immediately, unable to control his manners at the table. He was starving. “You stick to my ribs, too. But speaking of meat, how do you get it?” He swallowed a mouthful and groaned.

“With a good rifle.”

He chomped on the delicious meal. “Remind me not to piss you off then. You must be a pretty good shot.”

Mima held her fork to her mouth, her sharp gaze piercing his. “My father was the best guide around. It’s a family tradition to teach your children at a young age of how to survive. He taught me to shoot when I was eight.”

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.

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.