SAM HAD NO sooner fallen asleep than she was awakened by her alarm. She smacked at the bedside table, looking for the snooze button until she remembered she was suspended and hadn’t set an alarm. The noise was from her cell phone, which was ringing. At two-thirty in the morning.

With her heart racing, she grabbed it and flipped it open. “Yeah.”

“Lieutenant,” Malone said, “Cruz is missing.”

Sam sat up in bed. “What?”

“He and Josh never arrived at the safe house. His car was found running and abandoned, doors open at the intersection of North Carolina and Fourteenth Northeast.”

Once again, Sam felt like she’d been punched. She forced air into her lungs. “Cameras?”

“We’re working on it.”

“Witnesses?”

“None so far.”

“I’m coming in.”

“Technically—”

“Fuck technically! He’s my partner! I’m coming in.”

“I’ll see you when you get here.”

Sam got up and was running for the stairs when she remembered she was naked. She turned and went back to grab her robe, nearly screaming in frustration when one of the sleeves was inside out.

“What’s wrong?”

“Freddie is missing.” This could not be happening again. Not to him.

“What do you mean?”

“He was taking Hamilton to the safe house, but they never arrived.” She tied the robe around her waist with jerky movements. “His car was found idling at a light, doors open.”

“Ah God.” Nick got up and came to her, but when he tried to put his arms around her, she shook him off.

“I can’t. I just... I can’t.”

“Okay, babe. I’ll talk to Brant. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“What do you mean? You don’t have to—”

“I’m coming, Samantha, and I’ll do anything I can for you.”

His kind insistence nearly broke her. Because she didn’t trust herself to speak, she only nodded.

“And I won’t let it be a circus, I promise.” He kissed her forehead. “Go on. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Scotty.”

“I’ll call Shelby in the morning. He’ll be fine here with his detail until then. Go.”

Bolstered by his love and assurances, she went down the stairs and into her closet, grabbing jeans and a sweater and shoving her feet into socks and running shoes, telling herself all the while that Freddie was fine, he knew how to protect himself. She’d taught him well, had given him the tools...

Her eyes burned with tears that she refused to indulge. That was not what he or Josh needed from her right now. They needed her best, and she’d give it to them.