Edge of Desire

Chapter 28

Preston

Today we went skiing as we’d been preoccupied with other things yesterday. Avery had the day off, so we were spending it on the slopes. She promised to show me the back of the mountain and try to teach me some of her special moves. I doubt I’d catch on, but my true goal was to watch her up close.

“So, I was thinking we could start out in Game Creek Bowl, and then move further back, depending on how you do,” Avery said. “There are a couple of blue runs but mostly black. We’ll start on the blues. Then I want to take you on a groomed black run. If you like it, we can zigzag our way to Blue Sky Basin, which is on the other side of the mountain.”

“What, you don’t think I can handle the big stuff?”

“I didn’t say that. I just want to gauge your skill level first.”

“Fair point,” I conceded.

Avery warned it would be crowded, being Christmas week and all. I didn’t care. As long as I was with her, I’d be happy.

We made it to our destination, and she put me through some initial blue runs. She seemed to be pleased with my ability there, so she took me on the groomed black runs. The mountain had gotten increasingly crowded as the morning passed. We did a few runs and had just hopped on a lift when Avery decided we would head to the back, to hopefully find an area with fewer skiers.

As we rode the lift, I suddenly felt a searing pain in my right shoulder. My body stiffened in shock as much as pain, for I was positive I’d been shot.

“What’s wrong?” Avery immediately felt my reaction.

“Nothing,” I grimaced.

“Uh-huh. Didn’t we just have a conversation yesterday about not lying?”

“Yeah, we did. I want you to do something for me. Lean your head on my shoulder and act very nonchalant.”

“Okay, but what’s going on?”

“Just do it and I’ll explain.”

She did as I asked. “I’m here. Now what’s up?”

“I’ve been shot in my right shoulder. We need to get out of here because whoever did this is behind us.”

“Fuck, Preston!”

She went to turn around, but I intercepted her, stopping her in the nick of time.

“Honey, don’t do that. I don’t want to give them any idea that we know they’re back there. I also don’t want them to know they hit me. Right now, they may only think they got my jacket.”

“Okay. But why didn’t anyone hear it?”

“I’m sure they used a suppressor.”

“A suppressor?”

“A silencer.”

Her breathing amped up and I was sure her heart did too. She was probably having a major adrenaline surge.

“Listen to me, Avery. We need a plan. You know this mountain better than they do. Can you think of any way to get us to safety?”

She was quiet for a minute and then she grinned. “Hell, yeah. We’re gonna ski the Minturn Mile.”

“Explain.”

“When we get off this lift, we need to haul ass on Lost Boy. It’s a green run, and you’ve already done it today. But we need to hit it as hard as we can. It’ll take us to the access point of the Minturn Mile. It’s more than a mile but we can take it all the way into the town of Minturn. The first part is easy but then it funnels into a chute that might be icy. We’ve had a ton of snow, so it may be okay. If it’s icy, chances are we’ll have a creek crossing. I’m not gonna lie. It can get rough in spots, but you can do it. There are only a couple of dicey areas you’ll need to worry about. If we can get there quickly, they might not know where we went because it’s not marked on any of the trail maps. We can be in Minturn in no time, depending on the conditions, and then get to The Saloon. I know the bartender there and he’ll drive us someplace safe from there.”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

“What about your shoulder?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

“What do you mean you’re fine? You’ve been shot!”

“Avery, I’m okay. This isn’t the first bullet I’ve taken and this one is minor. Let’s just get out of here and we’ll worry about it later. Okay?”

“Follow me until we get there. Then I’ll move to the back. When a change in direction is necessary, I’ll lead the way again. Otherwise, you’ll lead the way. I’ll bring up the rear and move around a lot so they won’t see either of us clearly.”

“No way will you be bringing up the rear. It’s entirely too dangerous. I’ll stay in back.”

“Not a chance. I’m a better skier than you and can zigzag the tree line. That way, they won’t have a clear shot because I’ll have cover, and you can gain a bigger lead.”

“I don’t know, Avery.”

“Shut up and listen to me, Preston. I know what I’m talking about.”

“But what if ...”

“Stop thinking about the what-ifs. One more thing. Whatever you do, don’t fall. When you get to the chute, relax and go with it.”

“Right.”

I hated the idea of her being in the back, vulnerable to whoever was shooting at me, but she did have a valid point. We got off the lift and she took off like a slingshot. I followed her as best I could, but the girl had speed for a middle name. She zoomed to this opening in the ski boundary and sailed right through it. I followed her, not bothering to check behind me. When we got off the beaten path, at first the snow was great. Until it wasn’t. It turned to solid ice, which was impossible to control your speed on. From watching Avery though, you would’ve thought she was on the most pristine groomed slope. She looked like a professional.

I followed her as close as I could, but then she dropped back a bit, letting me pass. After that, I had no idea of what was happening behind me. My mission was to get out of there as fast as I could, so my focus was on my skiing because a fall could cost us our lives.

Every now and again, she would shoot in front of me, turning direction and I’d follow. We came to one section that resembled a giant slide as it followed a creek we had to cross. Shortly after, we ended up in the little town of Minturn and had about a couple hundred yards to hike to The Saloon. My legs were shaking like crazy.

“You really did great back there,” Avery said.

“Thanks, but my legs feel like noodles. Let’s get out of here. I need to call Pete because we can’t go back to your apartment. It’s too risky.”

“Right. Let me talk to my friend at The Saloon who can probably give us a ride back to the village.”

“Well, let me make that call while we walk.”

I called Pete and he told us to go directly to Slopeside Condominiums, Unit 100A, in East Vail.

We headed to The Saloon, and sure enough, when we walked in, Avery headed straight for the bartender, who hugged her. I felt a stab of jealousy shoot through me as I stood back and watched. Turning to me, she introduced us. The bartender’s name was Duke, and he called for Mary, one of the other employees to fill in while he walked us out back to his car. We loaded up and he drove us to the East Vail condo.

I slipped him fifty bucks for driving us. A man I hadn’t met before opened the condo door and asked us to identify ourselves. I gave him our names and he let us inside. Avery headed to the nearest couch, dropped down and unzipped her jacket. The dark stain that was spreading across her white shirt made me stumble.

“Oh, fuck no!”

I was by her side in a second. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because we didn’t have time to waste, plus I was afraid.” She struggled to get the words out, right before she fainted.

I snatched my phone and hit Pete’s number. He answered on the second ring.

“We’ve both been hit. Avery and me. She needs a medic. Stat. We’re at the address you gave us,” I all but shouted at him.

I tossed my phone aside and checked her pulse, which was strong. Pulling off her jacket, I pulled her shirt out of the way so I could see her wound. It appeared she’d been shot in the side, but my first impression was that it might only be a flesh wound. At least that was my hope. The bullet had passed clean through her. The bad news was it had been a large caliber, so it had torn quite a bit of tissue. I yelled at the man to grab some clean towels and made a compression bandage to help stop the bleeding.

“Avery.” I gently rubbed her cheeks. “Avery, baby, wake up.” Her lids fluttered open, and she moved to sit up, but I stopped her. “Stay put, sweetheart. Just sit tight.”

“What’s going on?”

“We’re waiting for help to arrive.”

“What about your shoulder?”

“It’s fine.” I kept pressure on her wound and asked, “Do you hurt much?”

“No.” She grimaced.

“Hey, that lying thing goes both ways, you know.”

“Okay. I’ve been shot. What do you think, Preston?” she sassed back at me. Her tone lifted my spirits a bit.

I should’ve noticed how ashen her skin was. How could I have missed that? Her eyes glazed over, and she began to slip again. “Avery, stay with me, baby. Help is coming. Focus on me. I need you to stay with me.”

“Yeah. Okay.” She nodded. “I’m scared, Preston.”

“Don’t be. I’ve got you, babe. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

She nodded, but those damn eyes of hers ate right into my soul, shredding me to pieces. I grabbed my phone and hit Pete’s number again. When he answered, I shouted, “Where the fuck are they, Pete?”

“Hang on, man. Give them a chance to get there.”

“She needs a fucking medical team. Now!”

“Preston, stay calm. They should be there any minute.”

“Yeah, well, if they’re not, heads are gonna roll all over the fucking place.”

“Stay on the phone with me, man, and calm down. For her. Your ranting isn’t helping.”

I inhaled as much as my lungs would allow. A tight band was squeezing the fuck out of my chest.

“I’m trying, but you don’t see what I do.”

“Preston, they’re outside your door. Let them in. I have confirmation.”

It took me all of a half second to yank the door open and six guys stood there. They shoved me out of the way and took over. Pete kept me on the phone, but within minutes, the men informed me we had to get to the hospital. Her blood pressure was dropping, and she was in serious condition. The Vail Medical Center was only ten minutes away. They carried her to their SUV, and off we went.

The ER expected us, as Pete had called ahead. He’d also called in the local police for added protection. I refused to leave her side until they wheeled her into surgery. That’s when I allowed them to look at my shoulder. Fortunately, the bullet had only grazed it, slicing through a bit of muscle. I would be sore for a few days, but they were able to patch me up without doing any kind of surgery.

Avery was a different story. The bullet had gone clear through her, but it had done quite a bit of damage internally. The surgeons were amazed it hadn’t dropped her like a stone, and that she continued to ski. She had significant blood loss and damage to her spleen. She would make a full recovery, but this would be difficult for me to get over. I was furious.

Pete flew into town, and when I finally left Avery’s side after five days, we met in his hotel room. The only reason I came was to have words, serious words with him.

“I’m done, goddammit. This shit ends now. Avery almost died. You know, when it was only me, I didn’t really give a damn. Then they started fucking with my family. I should’ve manned up when they hit my dad. But no, I let you have your way, and talk me into doing my duty as a faithful employee. Then they threatened my mom and sister. Ruined their lives. And what did I do? I buckled and was the faithful fucking employee again. I’ve given too many lives to the DEA. Not anymore. This time it’s gone too far. Avery’s life is far more important to me than anything else in this world. The final line’s been crossed. I don’t care what it takes. Send in the fucking army. Whatever. It. Fucking. Takes. Do it. Because if you guys don’t, I’m going to MSNBC, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, and any place else that will listen. I’m not even joking. I’ve given everything I have, but I’m not giving any more. You got it?”

Pete looked at me and I wasn’t sure if he believed me.

“You don’t think I’ll do it?”

“I didn’t say that.”

I picked up a pen that was on the bedside table and started flipping it between my fingers. “Don’t doubt me, Pete. You haven’t lost your family or any loved ones because of this fucked-up job. I’ve reached my limit, and I’ll go to any lengths ... desperate lengths to keep Avery safe.” All the time I was talking, I kept flipping the pen and suddenly the damn thing snapped, and ink stained my fingers and hand. I stared at it for a moment and then got up, walked to the bathroom, and calmly washed it off.

When I came back into the room, Pete was on the phone, talking to his boss. The conversation was heated, and it was about me. He was on my side. I knew it might take a while, but I had scored points, and he would do what he could to get the cartel taken care of.

“You’re not listening. I don’t care what we have to do. He’s given not only his life, but his family’s as well,” Pete said.

There was a pause in the conversation. Then Pete said, “Send in the fucking CIA, the SEALs, or the damn Special Forces. Just remove them from the face of the earth. I don’t want him looking over his shoulder every minute. What would you do if he were your son?”

More words and minutes passed, and I motioned to Pete that I was leaving. I wanted to get back to Avery. I knew he had my back. When I hit the hallway, my guard was waiting on me. He escorted me back to the hospital.

Avery was sitting up in bed when I made it back. Seeing hints of rose in her cheeks made me smile. For five days her skin had gone from gray to white and now it had a pink cast to it.

“Well, hello there, babe. How’s my girl today?”

“Better, I think. I’m not really sure.”

I frowned. That’s not what I wanted to hear. “What is it?”

She scooted around in the bed and winced.

“Do you need something for pain?”

“No, I’m okay for now.”

“Hey, tell me the truth. I don’t want you to suffer.”

“Preston, I was shot and had surgery. I’m bound to be sore.”

I leaned in and kissed her forehead. “You look really great.”

“Puhlease. If I look anywhere close to how I feel, I’m sure I look like dog meat.”

My emotions grabbed me then, my guts churning and bulldozing into me like a freaking tidal wave. I swallowed that burn, once, then twice, before I could utter a word. My voice trembled and was hoarse as I spoke. “You’ll always look great to me. I thought I was losing you, Avery. When we got back to the condo, and you collapsed, I didn’t think ... didn’t know ...” I couldn’t finish as I was about to lose my shit. I wouldn’t let my girl see that.

Her arm snaked out and latched on to mine. “Hold me, Preston.”

I folded myself around her and lay down next to her. She put her head on my chest, and we held each other.

“Avery, I love you with all that I have to give. We’ll never go through that again. I just left Pete and told him that he’d better get his boss to send in the cavalry and take care of this problem because I’m not going to deal with it anymore.”

She lifted her head and looked at me. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

I gave her the detailed explanation. Then she wanted to know, “Do you think they’ll do it?”

“Oh yeah. The last thing they want is media exposure.”

Four days later, Avery was released from the hospital. We couldn’t go to her place because we didn’t want to take any chances. Instead, we booked a three-bedroom condo at the Chalet at Vail so we could have round-the-clock security, and I also hired a nurse for her. She balked at that idea, but I wanted to make sure she had good care, particularly for her wound, and at least for the first seventy-two hours. However, after the first day, the nurse left, saying Avery didn’t need her. She gloated over that.

Justin called about five times a day. He begged Avery to call her other brother Pearce, who was a trauma surgeon, but Avery refused, saying it would alert her mother. That was the last person Avery wanted descending on her.

“Justin, if Mom comes here, first off, I’ll lose my shit. And then, I’ll hop on a plane to Seattle and strangle you.”

“Okay, okay. I got it,” he said.

I’d put the phone on speaker so we could all talk.

Avery contradicted him, “No, I don’t think you do. She’d sail in here and tell me how terrible I look. And then afterward she’d tell me I needed to lose fifty pounds. Then she’d get me so upset, I’d be in tears. She’s the last person I need to see right now.”

“Oh, come on, Ava, she’s not that bad.”

“Not to you she isn’t. She doesn’t criticize every little thing about you. You’ve never paid attention to how she treats me. You know that was one of the reasons I left Charleston.”

Avery was getting extremely agitated. Her hands clenched the coverlet I had draped across her lap and her mouth was set in a thin line. I wasn’t happy with the way she was reacting to this conversation at all.

Justin began to comment, but I cut him off. “Hey, this conversation needs to end. Avery’s upset and that’s the last thing she needs. Justin, I’m capable of taking care of her, so I don’t think we need your mom in here.”

We ended the call, and I knelt in front of Avery, taking her hands in mine. “I want you to know something. If I ever hear your mother say one disparaging word about you, all bets are off and I’m gonna let her have it. Just saying.”

She gave me a half-assed smile and I squeezed her hands.

“What can I get you?”

She gave me a hard look and I knew those damn wheels of hers were spinning. “I wanna go to the cabin.”

I was not expecting that. “Sure thing, but we can’t leave yet. We have to wait until it’s safe and until you’re cleared by the doctors.”

She bit her lower lip and then asked, “How long do you think it’ll be until it’s safe?”

I shrugged because I didn’t have an answer for her. “I don’t know, babe, but I’m hoping for sooner rather than later.”

“If I get cleared by my doctors soon, could we go to the cabin with security?”

After thinking about that for a few minutes, I answered her, “I don’t see why not, but I’d rather wait until this op was completed. That way we’d have a much better time out there.”

What I didn’t tell her was that as soon as we got the go-ahead, I wanted to be part of the mission that removed the fucking cartel from existence. I wanted to watch as their lives were taken away just as too much of mine had been. Pete was currently working jointly on the plans with the CIA and Special Forces. They wouldn’t get cooperation from the Mexican government because if they did, too many lives would be lost. If they went in covertly, and without the Mexican government’s knowledge, it would be a far quicker and cleaner operation.

The call from Pete came two days later and I couldn’t put off the talk with Avery any longer.