His ribs ached, his collarbone was on fire and his nerves were totally shot. Making a supreme effort not to rip the nurse’s head off, he bit back a nasty retort and summoned a calm tone. “She’s not there now. I want to know where she is.”

“So do I.” The nurse picked up the phone and called for security. “If she’s in this hospital, they’ll find her.”

“Thank you.”

He returned to Sam’s room, dug his cell phone out of his pocket and called her. Hearing the tune of “Living on a Prayer” coming from under the pillow made him want to throw his own phone across the room. Then he noticed the bag Celia had brought.

Empty.

“Goddamn it, Sam. Goddamn it!” He reached under the pillow for her phone, scrolled through the numbers, found Freddie’s and pressed send.

“I bet he was in the house just long enough to unlock a window or door,” Sam said.

Freddie pulled up to the townhouse and parked. “So you think he came back after the cops left?”

“That’s exactly what I think.” Sam reached for the door handle.

Freddie’s hand on her arm stopped her. “What’s the plan, boss? To go in there balls to the wall and ferret him out?”

“Well, yeah. Exactly.”

“Um, no offense or anything, but a certain lieutenant near and dear to me recently ripped me a new one for going in without backup.”

“You have backup. You have me.”

“Again I say no offense, but I’d rather go in with my fat Aunt Doris than you in the condition you’re in right now.”

“Ouch. I’m hurt.”

“Yes, you are, and I’m not going in there with just you to apprehend a man who’s already shot his own brother and son.” Stretching his injured shoulder, Freddie added, “I’d like to think I’ve learned my lesson. The two of us are hardly equipped at the moment.”

“Christ, you’re such an ass pain, Cruz. Call it in, but the collar’s mine, you got me?”

“I got you, and I’ve asked you not to take the Lord’s name in vain.”

She growled at him.

Just as he reached for the radio to call for backup, his phone rang. Checking the caller ID, he glanced over at her. “Funny. It’s you.”

“Shit. It’s probably Nick, and I’ll bet he’s pissed.”

“Gee, do ya think?”

“Your sarcasm is of no use to me right now.”

“Am I answering?” Sam stared at the phone. “No. I’ll call him after this goes down. Get the backup here before Preston slips through our fingers.”

“You are so dead when Nick gets ahold of you. I hope I get to watch that.”

“Shut up and call!”