Alex threw his phone across the room.

It landed with a soft thud on the unmade bed.

He wanted to smash it through the television. Hurl the coffee table through the window. Scream at the top of his lungs. Break down doors as he hurtled outside. Haul the first person he saw out of their car so he could commandeer it and go hunt Cam down.

He did none of those things.

He just muttered a string of expletives, then grabbed his phone and pressed the Redial button. Again.

He’d tried to reach her at least fifty times.

And every time, her phone had rolled to voice mail.

Where the fuck was she?

It had been at least forty-five minutes since she’d left to see Isabel. Longer than that, actually.

Alex hadn’t started to really worry until a half hour had gone by.

He ran through the list of reasons why she wouldn’t be back yet. And he rationalized that there was nothing for her to hurry back to. It wasn’t as if they’d formulated any sort of plan.

His jaw tightened.

They hadn’t.

But she clearly had.

Alex paced the length of the small apartment, his pulse doing a frantic dance. Where would she have gone? He ran through the suggestions she’d made, of places to start investigating. Necco was a no-go. She had no way to contact him. She wouldn’t go to La Gente; as a seasoned detective, she knew the risks involved there. He doubted she’d go to the Bentley PD and ask questions. He was fairly certain that she believed his version of events, and she had to know that nosing around the station would set off all sorts of warning bells. Going to the feds wouldn’t be a much better option, considering she had no concrete evidence to give them.

Which left one thing.

She’d gone to her own department for help.

He picked up his phone and punched the Redial button again. Her voice answered, and he listened to the beginning of the same voice mail message he’d already heard dozens of times.

Alex knew he had to do something.

He just didn’t know what.

He had no car. And absolutely no definitive idea of where she’d gone.

Uber. He wasn’t stranded. He could call an Uber.

But where would he go?

He opened the search engine on his burner phone.

He’d figure that part out later.

A knock at the door stopped him cold.

Was that Cam? Why the hell was she knocking?

He wrenched the door open, ready to give her the tongue-lashing she deserved.

And stopped cold.

Isabel Perez was standing in the hallway, leaning lightly on a cane. She wore a floral house robe over pajamas, and fuzzy pink slippers covered her feet. But her hair was brushed and styled, and even though she wasn’t dressed for the day, she looked fully awake.

“I’ve been waiting for you and Cam for ages,” she complained.

She pushed her way into the guest apartment, and Alex had no choice but to let her in.

Isabel peered around the room. “Where is that granddaughter of mine?” Her eyes landed on the bed and she looked at him, a knowing twinkle in her eye. “Shared a bed with her, did you?”

He sucked the inside of his cheek. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have right now. “She’s not here,” he said shortly.

Isabel’s forehead creased with a frown. “What do you mean, she’s not here? We were going to have breakfast together. At least, I think that’s what she told me…”

“She had somewhere she needed to be,” he clipped.

To his surprise, Isabel accepted this explanation. She beamed a smile in his direction. “It’s so good to see you. Did I tell you that already?”

He gave her a slight nod.

“I’m glad the two of you are back together.”

His eyebrows shot up.

“That girl was never the same after you left,” Isabel continued.

“What?”

Isabel shook her head. “Oh, she was still Cam, but things were just…different. She didn’t date anymore.”

Despite the anger and anxiety coursing through him, Alex felt a surge of satisfaction at that particular piece of news.

“She just became more…goal-oriented.”

As much as Alex wanted to hear more, he also knew that now wasn’t the time. Not with her gone. And not with him not knowing where the hell she was, or what the hell she was doing.

“Goals are good,” he said. He glanced at the clock. “I hate to be rude, but I actually need to go run an errand myself.”

But Isabel was blocking the doorway, her feet spread apart, leaning heavily on her cane now. “I don’t know all the details of her life—you know how tight-lipped Cam can be—but I don’t think she’s ever been sweet on another boy.” Isabel clucked her tongue. “A waste of time, if you ask me. She should be married by now. Having babies.”

Alex nodded, trying to hurry her along.

He wanted to go.

Isabel gave him a wide smile. “Maybe all that will change now.”

“Maybe,” he mumbled. “But right now, I need to take care of a few things.”

“Oh?” Isabel gave him a curious look. “What kinds of things?”

He gave her a noncommittal answer.

But inside, he knew exactly what he needed to do.

Berate Cam for leaving him there.

And then figure out just what the hell he could do so he’d never lose her again.