“You’re not going,” Farnsworth said.

Sam spun around to plead her case, but the words died on her lips when she saw the stony expression on his face.

“You’re suspended. You shouldn’t even be in this building.”

“He’s my partner! My friend. My...” He was the little brother she’d never had, and Sam loved him. “You can’t ask me to stay away.”

“I’m telling you that’s what you’re going to do, or you’ll face much greater consequences than your current suspension. You’re wasting time that could be better spent finding Detective Cruz.”

The chief walked away, leaving Sam reeling.

“Sam.” Nick took hold of her arm. “Don’t.”

Thankfully, Nick was there to keep her from completely flipping out and doing something she’d probably regret. Like telling off the chief...

Hill gave her a sympathetic look as he followed the chief.

Sam wanted to punch the sympathy off his face. She had no idea what she was supposed to do with the energy that was exploding through her, needing an outlet. How was she to sit idly by with her partner in potentially mortal danger? Standing in the middle of the lobby with her husband, she felt the eyes of every officer currently in the building on her. They were wondering why she was there.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said to Nick.

He took her by the hand and gestured for Brant.

“Let’s go out through the morgue,” Brant said. “It’s a mob scene out there.”

With the press already ravenous for information about what’d happened at Hamilton’s home, they’d want to know why Nick was there too.

Brant mobilized the detail and hustled them through the morgue door and straight into a waiting SUV.

“My car.”

“We’ll get it tomorrow.”

“I’m losing my mind.”

He put his arm around her. “He’s going to be okay.”

“They had assault weapons. Whoever took him meant business.”

“The chief and captain won’t let anything happen to him.”

Sam tried to take comfort in that, but she was too aware of what could go wrong, even with the best people looking for him. “I should call Elin.”

“Do you think that’s wise?”

“No, but it’s what he’d want me to do.”

“Are you sure?”

“No!” Her voice broke. “I’m not sure of anything except he’s missing, and I’ll die if anything happens to him.”

“It’s okay, babe.” He tightened his hold on her. “He’s tough and he’s smart and he was trained by the best cop I know. He’ll get through this.”

Sam held his hand and clung to his assurances. They were all she had at the moment. Thanks to the efficiency of the Secret Service, they were home within minutes.