Page 90 of Edge of Desire

“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.”

---