The waiting was agonizing. She stared at her phone, willing it to ring, but it stayed stubbornly silent.

“Can I borrow your phone?”

Nick handed it over.

Because she wanted to keep her line open, she used the contact info on her phone to call Elin on his.

“It’s Sam,” she said when Elin answered. “There’s something going on that you need to know about, but I don’t want you to panic.” She was panic-stricken enough for both of them. “Freddie would want you to know that he was taken hostage earlier tonight.”

Elin’s sharp gasp came through the phone like a shotgun blast.

“We’ve narrowed down where we think he’s being held, and teams are being dispatched as we speak.”

“Why aren’t you with them?”

“I’m suspended.”

“He needs you, Sam!”

The words struck her heart like sharp arrows. She dropped her head into her hands. “I tried, but they wouldn’t let me.”

“Sam, oh my God! You can’t let anything happen to him!”

Sam’s chest felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. “We’ve got our best people on it. If you want to come to my house, you can wait for news with us.”

“I... Um, okay. I’ll do that.”

“Take a cab so you don’t have to drive. I’ll tell them to let you in.”

“He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?”

“I really hope so.”

“I’ll be right there,” she said on a sob.

“Brant, will you please let them know outside that Elin Svendsen will be arriving by cab? Tell them to let her in.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

Nick sat next to her on the sofa, his arm around her shoulders. “Lean on me, babe.”

For the first time ever, she didn’t want him to touch her. She didn’t want him to comfort her or speak to her in that soothing voice that usually worked wonders on her nerves. Before she could do something stupid like shake him off, she stood, wrapped her arms around her torso and began to pace.

She felt his gaze on her, watching over her the way he always did.

The front door opened and Shelby came rushing in, stopping short at the sight of them. “I got your text,” she said to Nick, “but I didn’t think y’all would be here.”

“I didn’t think so either,” Sam said. “Freddie is missing. I got sent home because I’m suspended, and now I’m losing my shit.”

Shelby took off her coat, dropped it over the sofa and came to Sam. “What can I do?”

“There’s nothing any of us can do because I’m fucking suspended.”