Free Beautiful Criminal by Shady Grace Page A

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