Chapter 48

The friends met downstairs for breakfast after calling their respective ladies, letting them know they arrived safely.

Liam had the route mapped out, and as they finished eating, Brett called shotgun and raced Nick to the SUV. They piled in, entered the highway, and drove the four hours to Greenville.

Nick called his friend from college, Evan, on the way and arranged to meet at a hotel. They arrived fifteen minutes later, meeting him in the parking lot along with Liam’s man, Matthews.

After they checked in and threw their bags in the rooms, Evan led them to a diner close by and they ate in the back corner. Evan spoke first, filling them in.

“When your man contacted the office, I was waiting with the sheriff to get permission to do surveillance with him.

“Sheriff doesn’t want any issues with identity theft here, let alone people with outstanding warrants. Anyway, I showed him the apartment building and the store.

“We talked to the clerks and showed them the photos, they confirmed their identities. I drove around and I found the pay-by-the-week hotel they are staying at. But I took off so as not to spook them.”

“Are either of them working? Do you know?” Liam asked.

Matthews spoke up. “I followed the man to a local construction company. He’s been there for the last month or so. The girl doesn’t leave often, just for a walk sometimes, but she doesn’t look well.”

Brett swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”

“Her hair is scraggly, she looks pale and walks slow, like she is in pain,” Matthews said.

“Shit, you think he is hurting her?” Liam asked, feeling nauseous.

“She doesn’t have bruises and doesn’t appear to be afraid of him. She kisses him and holds his hand, so I don’t think that is the case,” Evan said.

“I agree. I don’t think he is hurting her,” Matthews concurred.

“Okay, so what do we do now? What will the sheriff let us do?” Brett wondered.

“Well, tomorrow we will set up right outside of where they are living. If Brett can ID them, Sheriff Reagan said I can arrest them on the outstanding warrants and bring them in.

“It will be up to you to see that they don’t fight extradition back to Florida. Our DA doesn’t want the headache,” Evan explained.

With all men in agreement two hours later, Liam paid the bill and went back to their hotel, lying low just in case.

They had dinner at the restaurant across the street and a beer in the small hotel bar, talking about the upcoming wedding. They all were exhausted and slept deeply once they got to their rooms.

Brett was a nervous wreck the next morning, waiting to see if he was going to put a woman he had loved like a sister in jail. He had already eaten several antacids to ease the churning in his stomach.

They went out to meet Matthews and Evan early to get in place. Brett sat with Evan in the police cruiser. Nick and Liam sat with Matthews, waiting in the parking lot next to the weekly motel.

After twenty minutes, the door to room number three opened and a man walked out to a truck, wearing jeans, T-shirt, and work boots.

Liam and Brett had their phones on speaker so that everyone could hear what was going on.

“That’s him, Liam, that’s Jason,” Brett confirmed.

Liam could see his appeal to women. Jason had boyish good looks, dark blonde hair, and a decent physique. Seeing him and knowing how much he hurt Maggie made his blood boil.

He wanted to hurt him just as badly as he had hurt the woman he loved. He hoped he got the chance.

“Okay, guys, we are going to let him go to work and arrest him there. We need a positive on Olivia, I want her in custody first,” Evan said.

They watched Jason leave and drive away. Thirty minutes later, they saw room three open again and Olivia walked out, looking unwell.

Brett took in a sharp breath when she got a little closer.

“Fucking hell, Liam! She is pregnant!” Brett exclaimed.

“Oh, bugger!” Liam spewed.

“We will be careful, I promise,” Evan soothed.

They all heard him radio in, asking for a female deputy’s assistance on an arrest of a potentially ill pregnant woman. Olivia came back a short time later and went back into the room.

The female officer arrived and accompanied Evan to the door.

They had given Brett permission to exit the car when they went into the room so Olivia would see someone familiar when she came out.

They went into the room and ten minutes later, they emerged with a crying Olivia in handcuffs. Liam, Nick, and Matthews stood outside their car to watch.

It broke all their hearts to watch the pretty girl gasp when she saw Brett. They couldn’t hear anything, but Brett went and hugged her as she cried.

They stayed that way for a few minutes before the female deputy guided her to her car and helped her in. They watched it drive away as Evan and Brett came back.

Brett was a mess and needed a minute to collect his emotions.

“She is a mess, Liam! Almost seven months along. She got pregnant in January and hid it until she said that Maggie walked in on them.

“When Jason suggested that they leave, but didn’t have the money, she just went along with whatever he said. She knew Maggie’s passwords and they slowly took the money, got the credit card, and ran.

“She said they sold their cars in Northern Florida and bought the truck under someone else’s name.

“They have been traveling until they landed here about six weeks ago and wanted to stay since she started to have complications with the baby,” Evan recounted.

Once Brett calmed down, they drove to the construction site that Matthews directed them to and Brett saw Jason pouring concrete with a few other guys, laughing.

Evan pulled up and Brett pointed him out. Matthews confirmed it, and Evan got out, arresting him. Jason went quietly after being told that Olivia was already in custody.

Brett had moved back to the SUV the others were in and followed Evan to the jail to see them booked in.