Page 117 of One Last Promise

“This isn’t my fault either, Tillie, or Flynn’s or Moose’s.” Axel kept his voice low. “Although I can understand how you might think that. How you might be feeling betrayed right now. But every one of us is on your side.”

“No.” She shook her head. “No one is on my side. No one understands what it feels like to be responsible for someone only to . . . to let something terrible happen to them!”

Axel stiffened, and Moose looked at him, then shook his head. Nope, now was not the time to bring up Aven, or their history watching someone they loved disappear only to be murdered.

Especially not that last part.

“Let’s get back to Anchorage,” Moose said. He reached out again for Tillie, but shejerked away from him.

Held up her hands.

Then she turned and walked into the bedroom, shut the door.

He took a breath.

“This is not your fault, bro.” Axel, still unmoving.

“Feels like it could be.”

“Now who’s blame casting?”

Moose frowned.

“Just a little of your own coming back at you. I’m not to blame for Aven’s death any more than you are for Hazel’s disappearance. Bad people do bad things.”

“And good people stop them.”

“Or try to. But only one person can be in all places at all times. And last time I checked, you’re not omnipresent.”

Moose held up his hand. “Okay, I get it.” He headed up the stairs. “We leave in ten.”

He made it back down in five, pulling on his boots and a hat, throwing his toiletries in his backpack and shouldering it.

Axel emerged from his room, carrying his go-bag, and Flynn came inside, staring at her phone. She looked up at them. “Okay, so Dawson said the social worker is on her way to the hospital. She’s not badly injured, but he’s going over there to detain her until I get there.” She pocketed her phone. “But we have a problem, of course.”

Tillie had come out of her room. Flynn swallowed.

“Tell us,” Moose said.

“The warrant from Florida has come in. Tillie can’t go to the hospital with us. Not without getting arrested.”

“Then arrest me.” Tillie was dressed and ready to leave.

Moose rounded on her. “What?”

“If you arrest me, then can I go with you to talk to the social worker?”

Flynn drew in a breath. “I think I can work that out.”

“Then arrest me.” Sheheld out her hands.

Moose grabbed her wrists, pushed them down. “Let’s just go.”

He picked up his backpack even as she jerked her wrists from his grip and headed past him outside.

Axel left, then Flynn, grabbing her jacket and shoes; then Moose closed up the cabin and jogged down to the plane.

Axel grabbed his gear while Moose did a preflight walkaround and got in.

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