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The emergency room doctor had advised him to take it easy for the next few days. Fat chance of that happening. But he was encouraged that his boss was anxious for his return to active duty. Eli hoped that meant the chief wouldn’t file an official complaint about his continued involvement in the case.
Vikki turned to Sienna and extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Evans. Your reputation precedes you.”
“Sienna, please.” She raised her brows, glancing toward the chief. “As for my reputation, I can only imagine the things you’ve heard.”
“I’ll admit, it hasn’t all been good.” The chief rose and joined them. His uniform was wrinkled and bags drooped under his eyes. It didn’t appear he’d slept at all in the last few days. “But I’m man enough to admit when I was wrong. Both of you tried to tell me over and over again that Ruby’s disappearance was connected to Albert’s murder and the attacks on y’all. I refused to listen, and that was a grave mistake that nearly cost you both your lives. I owe you an apology, Sienna.” He locked eyes with Eli. “You too, Ranger Goodwin.”
Eli struggled but managed to keep his jaw from falling open. He’d hoped the chief would eventually come around, but didn’t allow himself to believe it would truly happen. “Does this mean you’re going to drop the charges against Sienna?”
“I am.”
Relief flooded over Eli with the swiftness of a tsunami. He wanted to whoop with joy, but held himself back. Instead, he reached for Sienna’s hand and gave it a squeeze. It wasn’t over. They still had killers to catch and Ruby to find, but this was a major victory.
Sienna appeared stunned but quickly recovered. She interlaced her fingers with Eli and squeezed his hand back before turning her attention to the chief. “Thank you, sir.”
“No need to thank me for doing the right thing.”
“Maybe not, but you were right about the Greer brothers' involvement. I should have taken you more seriously about that.” She blew out a breath. “Can we finally bury the hatchet between us? Neither of us is going anywhere and I think we’ll be more successful working together than against one another.”
The chief hesitated and then extended his hand toward her. “It’s buried and done.”
They shook hands, sealing the deal, just as the conference room door opened. Cole and Ryker poured in. The scent of coffee and warm bread wafted from the takeaway items in their hands. Both rangers wore the same clothes they’d had on yesterday. Cole’s hair was rumpled and his boots muddy. Ryker sported a day’s growth of whiskers on his chin and cheeks.
“Morning.” Cole lifted the bag in his hands. “We brought breakfast. Hope everyone likes kolaches.”
The next few minutes were spent doling out coffees and organizing the food. Eli scarfed down his first kolache in five bites. He hadn’t eaten much since the escape on the boat and was suddenly starving. Stress often messed with his stomach. Knowing that the police chief and the rangers were now on the same page, plus the charges being dropped against Sienna, had lifted some of the weight crushing his shoulders. For the first time since arriving in Sandalwood, Eli felt like part of a team again. He’d missed it.
Ryker, Sienna, Chief Ramirez, and Lieutenant Rodriguez were on the far side of the room chatting. Sienna laughed at something Ryker said, and Eli’s gaze was drawn to her. She was amazing. Less than twenty-four hours ago, they’d been held hostage by gun-wielding thugs, but she hadn’t let that stop her from doing everything to find Ruby. Including making peace with the police chief.
He was falling in love with her.
No, that wasn’t right. If Eli was honest with himself, he’d never stopped loving Sienna.
But could they make a new relationship work? Would she forgive him for walking away five years ago?
He didn’t know the answer to those questions. There hadn’t been time to discuss their relationship since the attack. They’d gotten to shore, called the authorities, and been taken straight to the hospital. After being checked out, they were released, but it was well after midnight and both of them were exhausted. They’d gotten up early for this morning’s meeting.
Cole snagged the chair next to Eli and handed him another kolache. “How are you feeling?”
He accepted the offering, biting into the soft bread. Melted cheese and fragrant sausage exploded on his tongue. “Better than yesterday.”
His friend nodded, but Eli sensed Cole needed to say something. He set his kolache down. “Everything okay?”
“I don’t know.” Cole jerked his chin toward Ryker. “A few days ago, our friend over there gave me a dressing down. He said it appeared I was taking the chief’s side over yours. You should know that’s not the case. I was worried about you. And your career. It looked like you were throwing everything away for Sienna and…” He sighed. “I didn’t want to see you get hurt.”
Eli was touched by the explanation. He also understood the difficult position Cole had been placed in. “There are no hard feelings on my side.” He clapped Cole on the shoulder. “You were looking out for me. That’s what friends do for each other.”
The tension in Cole’s posture loosened. His expression grew determined. “We’re gonna get these guys.”
Eli nodded. “Yeah, we are.”
Lieutenant Rodriguez clapped her hands and gestured for everyone to take a seat. Sienna slipped into the chair on the other side of Eli. Ryker sat across from them and the chief claimed his spot at the head of the table. Immediately, everyone in the room shifted into work mode.
“Here’s what we know so far,” Vikki said. “The fishing vessel Eli and Sienna were held captive on has been identified as The Trident IV. It’s registered in Panama and owned by a Panama corporation named Successful Fishermen.”
“Can we identify the owners of the company?”
“No. Under Panama legislation, the shareholders of a corporation are shielded. We’re working to obtain a warrant to gain access to the formation documents, but that’s going to take a while. Currently, the Coast Guard is searching for the vessel, but it hasn’t been found yet.”
