Nick glanced over his father’s shoulder to where Sam’s partner Freddie Cruz talked with fellow detective, Tommy “Gonzo” Gonzales, as well as Gonzo’s fiancée and Nick’s chief of staff, Christina Billings. If something were going on at work, wouldn’t Freddie and Gonzo be at HQ too?

“I’m sure that’s all it is,” Nick said to his father. “Excuse me for a minute, Dad.”

“Of course,” Leo said. Just fifteen years older than his son, Leo looked more like Nick’s older brother than his father. But Nick was grateful to have the father who’d been absent for so much of his childhood by his side for what he hoped would be the most important week of his life—that is if the bride hadn’t changed her mind.

On his way to Freddie, Sam’s older sisters Tracy and Angela waylaid him.

“Where is she?” Tracy asked through gritted teeth.

“Not sure.” Nick gestured for Freddie to follow him into the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Freddie asked.

Nick noticed that Freddie looked tired. He’d taken the recent breakup with his girlfriend Elin hard. “Have you heard from Sam?”

Freddie stole a canapé off a tray and popped it into his mouth. “Not since earlier. Why? Where is she?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

Freddie stopped chewing, his eyes widening. “You don’t know where she is?”

“I have no idea,” Nick said.

“The last I talked her she said she’d see me tonight. That was around four.”

“That’s about when I last talked to her too.”

Freddie glanced around to make sure no one could hear him. “You don’t think…”

Knowing where Freddie’s thoughts were heading, Nick’s chest tightened with a new wave of anxiety. He withdrew his BlackBerry from his pocket and pressed the speed dial number he’d assigned to the guy watching Gibson. With every passing moment, he wished he’d hired someone to follow her too, but he hadn’t done that knowing what she would think of it when—not if—she figured it out. At least by putting someone on Gibson, Nick always knew where that scumbag was.

“Senator.”

Nick headed into his study, away from the party fray. “Where’s Gibson?”

“Been home all day. Haven’t seen him.”

“You’re sure of that?”

“Positive. Why? What’s up?”

“Sam is late getting home, and we can’t reach her.”

“I wish I could help you out, but she hasn’t been around here. Not today anyway.”

Nick stood up straighter. “What does that mean?”

“She came by the day before yesterday, watched the place for half an hour or so. Never got out of her car or anything.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this?” Nick asked, working to keep the anger out of his voice.

“Because you’re not paying me to watch her. You’re paying me to watch him.”