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She struggled to move her body through the frigid water. Following instinct more than reason, she kicked her legs toward what she hoped was the surface. Her chest screamed for release. For air. She tried to swim faster, but her body couldn’t obey the command. Her heart rate roared in her ears. It felt like her chest was about to explode. Any second her body would reflexively take a breath, filling her lungs with ocean water. She’d die.
Please, God, give me strength.
At the last moment, Sienna’s head cleared the surface of the water. She dragged in a desperate breath. The relief was short-lived as she spun in a circle. Pieces of the dock floated in the water. The speedboat had crashed into Albert’s fishing vessel, but the engine was still running. There was no sign of Eli.
Had he drowned?
Fear gripped Sienna. Her heart thundered against her rib cage as she desperately treaded water. Their relationship had ended on a sour note, but not a day had gone by that she hadn’t thought of him. Prayed for him and his safety. When Eli was shot last year, it’d driven home the need to make amends, but he hadn’t been ready. Maybe she should have pushed. Or done a better job handling their conversation in her kitchen a few nights ago. Would she lose him before getting the chance to make things right?
In the back of her mind, Sienna cursed her stubborn pride. Then she put all her focus on the task at hand. Sucking in another deep breath, she screamed, “Eli!”
There was no answer.
Suddenly, movement on the boat caught her attention. The driver—a man dressed in a ski mask and black clothing—lifted a handgun. He pointed it straight at her. Sienna’s gaze locked on the dark barrel. Hypothermia slowed her thinking as her vision narrowed.
Something grabbed Sienna’s leg. She instinctively sucked in a breath as a force dragged her under the surface. A bullet whizzed past her head in the water as strong arms embraced her.
Eli.
She gripped his broad shoulders as he pointed in a direction to show where they should go. Sienna nodded, even as her lungs complained again. She tried to get her body to cooperate, but her movements were slow.
More bullets flew through the water above their heads as the assailant continued to shoot at them. Eli gripped her hand, hauling Sienna toward safety.
Finally, he pulled them to the surface.
Sienna inhaled, her abused lungs spasming in reaction. She’d always considered herself physically fit, but these recent attacks showed she needed to spend more time in the gym.
Eli was also winded. He tenderly brushed the hair out of her face, worry punctuating his words. “Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Relief creased his features, and then he held a finger up to his lips. They’d surfaced near another fishing vessel. Judging from the way the man on the speedboat was searching the water, he was looking for them. Sienna’s body trembled as her exhausted legs tried to keep her above the surface. They couldn’t hide here for long. Another few minutes and her body would start shutting down from hypothermia.
“Hey!” a man’s voice shouted.
Dallas Redding. He lifted a rifle to his shoulder and said, “Freeze!”
The masked man paid him no mind. He jumped to the steering wheel of the speedboat, and with a horrible grinding sound, pulled away from Albert’s fishing vessel. Within seconds, he was racing away.
“Over here!” Eli shouted. He turned to Sienna. “Can you make it to the dock?”
“I think so.” She gritted her teeth and forced her muscles to cooperate. The last few feet were too much though.
Eli grabbed Sienna’s jacket collar and pulled her along.
Dallas ran to the edge of the broken dock and lowered his rifle to offer a hand. He pulled Sienna out first before helping Eli. “Are you guys okay? I saw the collision and heard the gunshots. The police are on the way.”
Eli answered him, but Sienna didn’t register the words. She collapsed against the ground. Her heart thundered in her chest and her teeth chattered. She closed her eyes. If she could sleep for just a moment…
“Don’t you dare! Wake up, Sienna.” Eli pulled her into a standing position. “Dallas, we need to use your boat.”
“Of course. Come on.”
Sienna couldn’t feel any of her toes. She put one foot in front of the other, Eli’s arm around her waist urging her forward even when she wanted to quit. The trembling in her body increased. She couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering.
Once they were inside Dallas’s yacht, Eli yanked off her jacket and her sweater, leaving her in a tank top and her jeans. He wrapped a thick blanket around her shoulders before sitting her next to a heating vent. Next, he removed her socks and shoes, adding another blanket onto her feet. Dallas left, saying something about flagging down the police when they arrived.
Sienna hugged the blanket around her body. Her eyes drifted closed. The warmth spilling from the vent warmed her numb toes, and feeling returned with a vengeance. Pins and needles assaulted her limbs, and the shivers lessened. Every muscle in her body hurt.
