Page 133 of One Last Promise

Through the haze, she saw Rigger grab Hazel’s foot and yank her to the deck. She fell and cried out, and Tillie rounded to her feet.

Then Tillie threw herself at Rigger. Turned her right hand flat and slid her arm under his jaw. She caught his left bicep, grabbed it, and slid her left hand behind his head, pushing it forward. Then she clamped her legs around his waist, squeezed, and reared back.

He fell—probably on purpose—and she hit the deck so hard she nearly lost her breath again, but she had enough in her to shout, “Run, Hazel!”

Rigger tried to headbutt Tillie. She flexed hard, pulling her shoulders back, fighting for a blood choke, but he slammed his head back again and again and made a pocket under her arm.

Then he grabbed her hand, brought it over his head and rolled.

“You should have locked your hand on your shoulder.”

She scrambled back, kicking at him, but he got her foot, pulled her close.

“Always running away from me.”

She kicked him in the face, and it loosened his hold.

She jerked free, scrambled up. And that’s when she realized Hazelhadn’trun. She stood, screaming.

“Hazel,run!”

Then Tillie rounded to face Rigger.

He charged her. She rolled away, then brought her hand down on his neck, a slice that rattled her to her bones.

He barelyflinched. “Really?”

Then he backed up. And maybe he didn’t see Hazel behind him, or maybe he knew, but the force of it knocked her against the railing, and she cried out.

“Hazel!”

Rigger turned, and her little girl kicked at him.

“Hazel, no!”

Rigger caught her leg and pushed it over, and just like that, she went over the glass wall.

Tillie froze.What—“Hazel!”

Rigger’s fist caught her full-on as she ran to the edge. She spun and landed on the deck with the force of a fallen tree, head spinning.

Hazel was still screaming. “Mom!” And when she looked up, Hazel hung from the edge. “Mom!”

Tillie struggled up, lunged for her—“Hazel!”

And then Hazel fell.

Her scream lit up the night, heat flaring through Tillie’s body as the horror seared through her. “Hazel!”

She ran for the edge, but Rigger grabbed her, pulled her back, his arm around her neck, going for the hold.

But she dropped, rolled, kneed him, and then rolled again, and from her knees, threw everything she had into a palm blow to his jaw.

He reeled back. Fell.

She hit her feet. Ran to the edge of the deck. But the night and the smoke obscured her daughter’s body below. Just water now, hazing over the building, and shouts from the deck?—

And then from behind her, Rigger, coming back to life.

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