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He chuckled and then winced. “Don’t make me laugh.” Eli mirrored her trick and his own binds snapped off.
The sound of footsteps coming toward the room sent Sienna’s heart rate into overdrive. They didn’t have a game plan yet. Her gaze swept the room for some kind of weapon. Nothing.
Eli lifted a finger to his lips and then pushed her toward the wall behind the door. When Tony opened it, he wouldn’t see them.
The metal was cold against her back. Sienna shivered with fear as the footsteps grew louder. Eli held out a hand to indicate she should wait. Then he turned and leaned forward on the balls of his feet in preparation to tackle Tony when he entered the room.
It was a desperate move, but it was the only one they had.
The lock clicked open. Sienna sent up a silent prayer. Her breath caught in her chest and her pulse roared in her ears.
The door swung inward.
NINETEEN
The only thing Eli had going for him was the element of surprise and his fierce need to protect Sienna.
No one would hurt her. Not while there was breath in his body.
Tony entered the cabin, his gaze locked on his phone screen. Eli waited until he was clear of the door and then launched himself at the thug. They crashed to a heap on the metal floor. The cell phone went flying across the room, but Tony maintained his hold on the gun. He reared up to pistol-whip Eli, but his position on the ground made the move difficult.
Adrenaline pulsed through Eli’s veins as he deflected the hit and punched Tony in the throat. The man gagged. His face turned red.
Eli didn’t wait. He followed up the hit with another to the chin. Pain sang up his arm, but he barely felt it. He grabbed the gun in Tony’s hand, but the criminal wouldn’t let go.Eli smashed Tony’s hand against the unyielding floor.
A wild punch made contact with Eli’s ribs. He hissed as agony shot straight through his body. The beating he’d taken earlier after arriving on the ship hadn’t been the worst of his life, but it’d left him with serious bruises. Still he didn’t release Tony’s hand. A childhood of abuse had taught Eli how to block out the pain. He smashed the gunman’s hand against the hard floor. If they didn’t disarm Tony, there was no chance for survival.
Finally, with a third hit, the gun clattered to the floor. Tony’s face was beat red, and he appeared on the verge of passing out. The punch to the throat, combined with Eli’s body weight crushing his lungs, had robbed him of air. Eli shoved the gun away just as Tony’s eyes rolled back into his head. He went limp.
Sienna appeared by Eli’s side. “Is he dead?”
“Unconscious.” He’d passed out from a lack of oxygen. Tony would wake up with a terrible headache, but he’d live. Eli flipped the man over and grabbed his wrists. “Find something to tie him up with.”
“Already did.”
She handed him a length of rope. The drawers underneath the bed hung open, and Eli realized she’d been searching for something to use since Tony entered the room. He tied the criminal’s hands together using knots he’d perfected while tending Ryker’s family ranch as a teen.
Sienna brought more rope. “We can tie him to the table. I didn’t find anything to put over his mouth though. Once he wakes up, he’ll start screaming.”
“Then we need to be off this boat before that happens.”
Eli dragged the unconscious man’s body across the floor and secured him to the table bolted to the floor. Once he was certain Tony wouldn’t go anywhere anytime soon, he scooped up the handgun from the floor. A Smith & Wesson. He’d shot one before. Eli popped out the magazine and checked the bullets before slamming it back home. Fifteen rounds. He prayed they wouldn’t need them. Then he grabbed Sienna’s hand. “Let’s go.”
A quick check of the hall revealed it was empty. Eli’s heart thundered against his rib cage as they exited the room, closing the door behind them. He loathed to let go of Sienna’s hand, but it would be easier to maneuver, and if necessary, shoot, if she was behind him. “Hold on to my belt and stay with me.”
She gave a sharp nod. Then her fingers threaded through the rear loop on his jeans. No questions. No discussion. Sheer trust. It wasn’t a small matter. Sienna was as independent as they came. She was used to calling the shots and trusting her own instincts above anything else. That she so willingly allowed him to take the lead in this perilous and unknown situation touched Eli in ways he couldn’t begin to process.
Please God, help me get Sienna out of here. Guide my steps.
The prayer centered him. Eli traversed the hallway on silent feet, Sienna close enough to his back, he felt her breath on his neck. It’d been a mistake for the Greer brothers to escort him through the ship from the helm to the cabin. Eli had gotten a good look at the vessel. He knew the layout.
He’d also seen a small dingy tied to the stern. It didn’t feel like the ship was moving, which meant they were still close to shore. But there were several criminals on board. They had to make it across the ship without being seen before Tony woke up.
Cold air caressed his overheated skin as Eli slipped onto the deck. Sienna followed, sticking to the shadows without being told. It was pitch-black outside. Clouds hid the moon and stars. Drizzle peppered Eli’s clothes, and the deck was slick with rainwater. Only an hour ago, it’d been light enough to see. Once again, he gave thanks to God. It felt strange to be grateful for the beating he’d taken, but if Eli had been locked below deck with Sienna, he wouldn’t have known about the dingy.
Voices filtered from the bridge of the ship. That’s probably where Luis had gone.
Eli quietly slipped deeper into the shadows, bringing Sienna with him. He resisted the urge to break into a sprint. Someone could be paroling the deck. It was wiser to move cautiously.
