Page 102 of One Last Promise

“If all of Anchorage wasn’t on the lookout for you before . . .” Ridge said.

Moose touched his hand to hers, as if hoping that she’d stay instead of bolting from the truck.

“Ridge, I need you to look into the murder of a man named—” He looked questioningly at Tillie.

“Matthew Lopez.”

“Yep. A little more than five years ago. He might be listed as missing. And then see what you can do to slow down Hazel’s transfer of custody.”

Ridge nodded.

“And get out of my truck and pretend you never talked to us. We’ll be in touch.”

Ridge’s mouth made a grim line. “I know that you probably don’t want to hear this, but the longer you run from custody, the worse it gets.” He slid out of the back seat. “But I’ll do what I can.”

“Thanks, Ridge.” Moose already had the car inreverse, pulling out.

“I want to find my daughter,” Tillie said.

“I know.” He turned onto Marston drive.

“Where are we going?”

He wore what looked like fury in his eyes. “Someplace where you’ll be safe.”

“I don’t want to be safe.”

He stopped at the light. Turned to her. His voice turned low and crisp. “That’s very clear. But I need you to be safe if I’m going to get your daughter back.”

His words shook through her. And that’s when, for the first time, she realized that maybe, underneath it all, Moose Mulligan wasn’t quite so safe, so calm after all.

CHAPTER 10

Moose was tired of breaking promises.

But yes, this might be a bad idea of epic proportions.

As Moose stood beside his Cessna, under the dome of the Quonset hut near the Tooth, fueling up before doing his walkaround check, he just couldn’t erase Tillie’s expression from his brain.

Hazel going back with Rigger just might be her worst nightmare unfolding in front of her eyes.

So yeah, he was going to do something crazy. And it started with getting Tillie someplace safe.

Otherwise calledrunning.

Then he’d round up a friend—a.k.a., a former Ranger—who might know exactly how to grab Hazel from the hands of a man who was clearly dangerous.

Which meant—perfect—he’d be breaking the law too.

Already was, really.

Moose wanted to bang his head on the fuselage because, really, this was not how a man lived by faith. This was not how he exhibited a peacefuland calm life.

This . . . this was panic.

He gritted his jaw, hating Tillie’s words churning inside him.“You’re always so unflappable.”

Right.

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