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The guys spent the next week scouring ads and scouting websites to see if they could find someone who could help locate Sam. They didn’t tell their wives because the whole situation was still legally questionable and there were details they didn’t want the women in their lives to know. AJ was thankful for his brothers’ assistance, knowing that this task would have been far too big for him.

“I got a lead!” Howie called out as he hung up the phone.

AJ pounded up the stairs from the basement and hurtled himself towards his friend.

“What? What did you find?”

“I called the police…”

“WHAT!?!” shrieked AJ, Brian and Nick in unison.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Kevin yelled, his brows furrowing.

“Don’t jump down my throat!” Howie shouted back. “I didn’t tell them anything.”

“Then why did you call them?” AJ asked, his anger starting to show.

“Let me explain.”

Howie led everyone into AJ’s living room and took a seat by the fireplace. Nick and Brian thumped down on a couch while Kevin took the chair opposite Howie. AJ, too angry to sit, stalked around the room.

“You’d better have a good excuse Dorough.”

“I do. I told the cops that my sister had run away with a loser boyfriend and I wanted to find her for my parents.”

“You…”

“Calm down AJ.” Kevin interjected. “Let him finish.”

“Thanks Kev. I asked them if there was anyone that they used in missing persons cases. I explained that I wanted to look for her before upsetting my parents.”

At that point, nobody really knew what to say. Nick and Brian were trading glances and Kevin was shaking his head. AJ had finally stopped pacing and slumped down on the ottoman near Howie’s feet.

“What did they say?” he asked quietly.

“They told me to call a guy named Max Howard…”

AJ let out a low chuckle. “Max huh?”

Everyone stared at him until the realization hit them that Max had been Sam's alias when they knew her.

“Sounds like a good coincidence.” Nick replied. “Is he good?”

Howie nodded. “The cop that I spoke to said that the precinct uses him all the time and if he had a missing family member, he’d call him.”

“What are we waiting for then?”

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Sam watched the rain pouring down in sheets against her motel room window through a crack in the shade and sighed. Stretching out on the bed, she tried to figure out what her next move would be. Every time she had thought about leaving, the weather or too much police presence in the neighborhood would stop her. There were an unusual amount of arrests being made within the vicinity of the motel and she wasn’t all that shocked. She knew that Ryan was out there waiting for her and he was calling shots from a safe distance just to make sure she didn’t forget he was there.

The other reason was because she was simply too afraid. She knew Ryan was out there waiting for her to slip up and make a mistake. He could be in the next room, down the hall or across the street; he was waiting for her somewhere. There was nothing she could do and she knew it.

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“You’re sure about this J?”

Nick agreed to go with AJ to see Max Howard and figure out what they could do about finding Sam. He felt awful for the way he’d treated her and he knew that he needed to make it up to J and if this was how he could do it, then he would.

“Of course I’m sure.” AJ answered as he slammed the truck door shut. “I need to find her and make sure she’s ok.”

“I know. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

AJ stopped short. “Why? Do you think she’s bad for our image?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. I want you to find her more than anyone but what if she isn’t here or doesn’t want to be found. I don’t want you to kill yourself trying.”

“I don’t care if it takes me fifty years and five million dollars. I am going to do everything I can do to find her and make sure she’s safe.”

Nick nodded and followed AJ inside. The secretary welcomed them and then pointed to a small sofa where they could sit while she went to let Max know they were there. They had just sat down when the office door opened and a short balding man wearing an expensive suit came out to greet them.

“You must be AJ.”

He nodded. “This is my friend Nick.”

Max shook hands with both men and invited them into the office. He motioned to two cushioned chairs in front of his desk and then offered them coffee or water. AJ declined and Max took a seat behind his desk and pulled out a yellow legal pad.

“So you want me to find someone for you?”

“Yes. I’m looking for a friend of mine and I don’t know where she is.”

“Does this friend want to be found?”

“It depends on who it’s by.” Nick answered under his breath.

Max’s eyebrow went up. “And who else is trying to find her?”

AJ sighed. “Her husband is looking for her.”

“I take it that’s a bad thing.”

“Very. He’s extremely abusive and I’m afraid if he finds her before we do…” AJ couldn’t finish his sentence.

“Ok. What’s her name?”

“Sam O’Brien.”

Max took a second look at him and set down his pen. “That’s the woman wanted for murdering her husband.”

AJ nodded. “But she didn’t do it.”

Max looked at him funny. “I know she didn’t.”

AJ and Nick’s jaws dropped. There was no way he knew all this before they had even got there.

“How do you know she didn’t?” Nick finally asked.

Max thought carefully for a few minutes. “Because her husband came here the other day to ask me to find her.”