Page 127 of One Last Promise

“You look like a man trying not to combust,” Axel said, joining Moose after placing his order.

Moose said nothing.

“Flynn keeps texting, asking where we are.”

Moose looked at Axel. “Do not tell her. The last thing I want is for her to find Tillie and haul her back in for another kidnapping attempt.”

“Isn’t that why we’re here? To stop Tillie?”

He hadn’t settled on that yet.Yes, probably. Because in his heart, he knew he couldn’t let her break the law again.

And yet, what was right—to let Hazel sit in peril?

He kept staring at the ocean.

Colt came over, set a sandwich in front of him. “I got you the spicy one.” He settled in next to Moose. “Is this about the same girl I met in Copper Mountain? The one who lost her daughter?”

“Yep.” Moose unwrapped the sandwich. “Turns out that she’s not Hazel’s mom—she’s her aunt but is raising her. But this guy, Rigger—he’s her dad, and he’s got custody.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“He’s . . . bad news. This looks good.” Pulled pork, ham, and pickles. He picked it up to take a bite. “Tillie has a video of Rigger assaulting her sister. And he’s got a slew of other charges against him.”

“So this is a rescue op.”

Moose chewed his bite, put the sandwich down, and wiped his mouth. “Could be. Right now, I just want to find Tillie and . . . stop her from doing something stupid.”

Colt had also dug into his sandwich, the juice dripping onto his paper plate. “What’s the stupid part? Breaking the law, or letting something terrible happen to someone she loves?”

“Sounds like you have some history there.”

“Some.” Colt took a drink of his pop. “What I’ve discovered is that sometimes God asks us to get involved.Sometimes he asks us to wait. And all the time, he goes with us, even if we do stupid things. The key is to not go alone.”

Shep and London had taken their sandwiches and walked out onto the beach. He tried not to read into it, but they seemed to be avoiding them. Or maybe. . .Colt? No, they probably didn’t even know him.

Axel sat with his back to them on the bench, eating, and scrolling through his phone.

“Come to me.”

The words had been hanging in Moose’s head the entire trip to Miami.

He looked back at the sea.Please. Keep her safe. Bring her help if she needs it.

He finished his sandwich.

Axel turned and set down his phone. “Flynn is working with her friend Val to track down security footage from the night Matthew Lopez was killed. Val’s a former detective with the Miami police. Apparently they were able to track down the security company, but all their files are encrypted. And their current tech can’t figure out how to decode them.”

Of course.

“And she says that if we need backup, to call her.”

“So she can bring the Miami heat and arrest Tillie? Yeah, no.”

Axel held up a hand. “Antlers in, bro. I think she meant as a friend. She has no jurisdiction in Florida.”

Right. He probably shouldn’t have snapped. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Grumpy Moose. We’re all on your side here.” Axel turned around again, gesturing with his sandwich at Shep and London throwing shells into the ocean. “What’s with those two? Are they together?”

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