Landen sat at the computer in the office of his penthouse apartment, scrolling through the endless information and horror stories about stalking victims.

He was stunned to learn that over six million people are stalked in the United States each year. One in six women, one in nineteen men. Sometimes it ended as soon as the police got involved, but sometimes it only ended when either, the victim or the stalker was dead, sometimes both.

Landen stared at the screen, and for the first time since Amelia told him her story in his office, he was afraid that she was right; that there really was no one who could help her.

He printed out as much information as he could about stalking. He also googled Peter Reynolds to see what he could turn up on him.

Peter, or Pete as he preferred to be called, seemed like a normal, everyday kind of guy. There was nothing extraordinary about him at all. In fact, he seemed to be a very unremarkable man.

There was a couple of minor local news stories about him. One of how he raised some money for charity when he was still in college. Then there was an article about him getting an award from the local chamber of commerce in the little town he grew up in, in Indiana. There was no information about him after his move to DC, which was where he met Amelia.

At first glance, there was really nothing out of the ordinary about this man, but Landen knew that was rarely the case with men like Pete. Landen knew if there was any dirt to be found on this asshole, Nikki would sniff it out.

Landen also googled Amelia. The first thing he found was the newspaper article about her father’s car crash. It was a one-car accident. The police report stated that Henry Davenport lost control of his car after he hit a patch of black ice on the road, hitting an underpass of a bridge. He was killed instantly. The article said that he was survived by his only child, Amelia who was twenty-three at the time of the accident. She was a med-student and his only living relative.

Henry owned a small pharmacy in DC. He had devoted his life to raising his only daughter, after losing his wife of eight years to an aneurysm when his daughter, Amelia, was just three years old.

Landen thought of Amelia, and his heart almost broke. Her father had been her whole world, then she lost him. Now she was running from some asshole. She really had no one she could trust.

She was all alone in the world, Landen thought to himself as he scrolled down the article, stopping at a picture of Amelia when she was younger.

Landen thought about brothers, how sometimes they drove him insane. But even as insane as they could drive him; he couldn’t imagine his life without any of them.

Suddenly he had a thought, he reached for the mobile phone on the desk next to him, pulling up his brother, Liam’s, phone number.

Hitting the call button, he turned on the speakerphone, and set the phone back down on the desk.

“Hey, loser!” Liam exclaimed down the phone when he answered finally. “What’s up?”

“Why does something have to be up?” Landen sighed as he continued to browse the different articles on the internet. “Can’t I just call to say hi?”

“Of course you can,” Liam replied, but Landen could hear the amusement in his voice. “But since you never do, I’m going to stick with my initial statement. So, spill, what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong as such,” Landen replied, glad that Liam couldn’t see his face right at that moment. He knew it would have told Liam that he was bullshitting him. “I was just wondering if I could ask your advice on something.”

“Wow, this is definitely a first,” Liam laughed, making Landen wonder if maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but Liam had just been made detective, and Landen hoped that if anyone could help, then it would be him. Well, him or their dad, but there was no way his father wouldn’t have pushed for more information if he talked to him. “Okay, you have my undivided attention. What do you need?”

“What do you know about stalking?” Landen asked, trying to sound as normal as he possibly could, given the question he had just asked.

“Why, are you looking to take up a new hobby?” Liam laughed, while Landen rolled his eyes.

“Can you not be serious for even five minutes,” Landen sighed, feeling that it was definitely a mistake to have called him.

“Why, what’s happened?” Liam asked. He could hear the instant concern in his brother’s voice.

“Nothing’s happened, as such,” Landen said knowing that now he had poked a bear with his brother, he was going to have to choose his words carefully. “It’s a friend of mine, she is having some trouble with this asshole that is bad news, so I was wondering what would be the best way of dealing with him, to provide her the most protection?”

“Well, that really all depends,” Liam said, and Landen knew that his brother was now just as invested as he was, without even knowing all the details.

“On what exactly?” Landen asked.

“On how fucking insane you’re talking,” Liam asked, getting straight to the point.

“As bad as it gets,” Landen sighed, knowing there was no point in lying. “She is terrified of this lowlife, but I don’t know what to do to help her.”

“Shit,” Liam replied, blowing out a long breath. “Well, worst case scenario; it doesn’t matter what court order you have; what a judge, a cop, or even a lawyer says. If this lunatic sees your friend as theirs, nothing or no one will stand in his way.”

“So how do I keep her safe?” Landen asked, knowing that things with Amelia were far worse than he had ever imagined.

“You hire the best protection money can buy,” Liam replied. “Maybe buy a gun. And you hope like hell that you never have to use the damn thing.”

“I see,” Landen sighed, wondering if moving Amelia in with Nikki was the right thing to do after all.

“Landen,” Liam said, and his tone was very business-like. “What’s really going on?”

“I can’t say, Liam,” Landen replied. He knew that his brother wasn’t going to be happy with his response.

“Damn it, Landen,” Liam growled angrily. “This shit is serious. You don’t know what you’re messing with. Some of these stalkers are psycho. They will not stop until they get to the object of their obsession, and they will kill anyone that gets in their way.”

“I just need time to think,” Landen said as he rubbed his tired eyes. “For now, she is in no danger. As far as we know, he is locked up in some psych ward in Chicago. I just need to be sure that he stays as far away from her as possible.”

“Jesus, Landen?” Liam exclaimed. “Look, I don’t know what sort of shit you’ve managed to get yourself into, but maybe I can help.”

“I’m grateful, Liam,” Landen replied. “Honestly, but I gave her my word that I would keep her secret. If she is ever going to trust me, then I need to do as I promised I would.”

“Then I want you to promise me,” Liam pleaded with his brother. “The very second you know you’re in over your head, you call me.”

“I give you my word,” Landen assured his brother, grateful to have his support. “Thank you, Liam.”

“You’re my big brother, Landen,” Liam replied. Landen loved that he could count on all his brothers when the chips were down. “And you know your four brothers have your back.”

“I know,” Landen replied with a smile. He knew that Liam meant every word he said.

“I will call you tomorrow,” Liam said, and Landen sighed. He knew that there was nothing he could say to his brother to get him to back off completely.

“Okay,” Landen sighed, accepting that there was nothing he could say to stop him. “I will talk to you then.”

“Good night, Landen,” Liam said, this time his tone was softer.

“Good night, Liam,” Landen replied.

Landen was sitting in his office, lost in thought. It was  almost lunchtime the next day, and Landen’s appetite was none existing. His thoughts were consumed with Amelia, and nothing could take her from his mind. Nikki was waiting to hear back from a friend she knew in the district attorney’s office in Chicago. She had called in a favour, and he had agreed to help her unofficially.

Landen was always amused by how Nikki always knew someone, somewhere that owed her a favour. He had no idea how she did these things, and if he was honest, he really didn’t want to know. He was just happy that she always seemed to get the job done.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Landen looked up from his laptop towards his office door, to find Nikki standing there with a broad smile on her face.

“Hey, I have a visitor for you,” Nikki said as her smile widened, then she stood back, as Finn appeared in the doorway.

“Well, well,” Landen said as he stood up and gave his brother a grin. “And what brings Professor Murphy into the city, away from the quietness of the University campus. Or should I ask who?”

“Can a man not just visit his big brother in the middle of the day?” Finn asked as he walked into Landen’s office, and took a seat in front of his brother’s desk. He gave Landen a knowing grin, and Landen knew exactly why he was there.

“Or did another of my brothers send you here because he thought I would talk to you, when I wouldn’t talk to him,” Landen suggested with a knowing smile, as he sat back in his seat. “Let me guess, Liam called you.”

“He’s worried about you,” Finn shrugged. “And from what he told me, he is right to be worried.”

“I have it under control,” Landen replied, but he knew that wasn’t strictly true. “Liam just thinks I don’t.”

“This is about the girl?” Finn asked, and Landen was surprised by his brother’s directness. “Isn’t it?”

Finn was nothing like Liam. Liam had an annoying habit of acting like he knew everything. He thought because he was a cop like their father, it was his job to watch over his family. Landen knew that his brother meant well, but sometimes he found his attitude a little annoying.

Finn was a different story. He listened to you when you talked, and then offered an opinion, but he wouldn’t shove it down your throat.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” Landen insisted. “You don’t need to worry, and neither does Liam.”

“But it is about that girl,” Finn replied, clearly determined to get some answers from Landen.

“What did you tell Liam?” Landen asked, still not answering his question. “You didn’t tell him about her, did you?”

“I was right,” Finn sighed as he scrubbed his face with his hand. “I didn’t tell him anything, you know I wouldn’t. But he asked if I knew who this friend was that you were helping. I said that you hadn’t said anything to me. But, Landen, he knows something is very wrong, and he is worried.”

“Well you can tell him that you spoke to me, and everything is under control,” Landen assured his brother.

“Would you like to tell me what’s going on?” Finn asked, giving Landen as smile as he leaned forward in his seat. “Who knows, maybe I might have a bright idea to help you, and her. I am a genius after all.”

Landen couldn’t help but laugh at his brother’s comment. He knew if he was going to trust anyone with Amelia’s secret, Finn was the only one he would. But he had promised Amelia he wouldn’t tell anyone who she was, and he really didn’t want to break that promise.

Also, Landen couldn’t help but believe the safest thing to do was to keep his family out of it as much as he possibly could.

“Landen,” Finn sighed as he held his brother’s gaze. “It’s me. You know there is nothing you could tell me that I wouldn’t keep to myself. You know you’re in over your head. I mean, you called Liam for goodness sake.”

“I promised her that she could trust me,” Landen replied giving his brother a sad smile. “If I tell you, how will she ever trust me again?”

“Why does she need to know?” Finn shrugged. “I mean, there is only you and me here. So who’s is going to tell her?”

“I guess you’re right,” Landen sighed, knowing that his brother was right.

“So, this is about the girl,” Finn repeated. “Kate wasn’t it?”

“Yep,” Landen nodded. “Only her name isn’t Kate, it’s Amelia, and she also needs my help. I just don’t know if I will be able to keep her safe like I told her I would.

“Why don’t you start at the beginning,” Finn replied, sitting back in his chair.

So, Landen told Finn everything that he knew about Amelia along with her situation. Finn listened to every word he said, never once offering his thought or opinion.

Even when Landen was finished talking, Finn didn’t speak for a moment.

“Okay, say something,” Landen said as he leaned forward in his seat.

“I don’t know what to say,” Finn sighed as he stood up and began to pace up and down as if he was thinking. “I mean, I can understand why you want to help her, but…”

“But?” Landen asked as he watched his brother carefully.

“This girl needs help,” Finn said as he finally stopped turning to look at Landen. “I mean real, proper help. Hiding her away isn’t the answer, and it isn’t right either. This Pete Reynolds is the problem, and he needs to be dealt with.”

“But how do I do that?” Landen asked, knowing his brother was right. “I mean, how can I make it so he can never get out of that place they have him in?”

“I have no idea,” Finn sighed as he walked back to the chair he had been sitting in, and stared at his brother. “But we need to find a way.”

“We?” Landen asked, giving his brother a question.

“You’re my brother, and you need help,” Finn replied. “I don’t know what I can really do to help you. But I will do whatever you need.”

“And what about Liam?” Landen asked knowing that Finn would have to tell Liam something.

“Well,” Finn replied with a sigh. “I think that if anyone could help, then it would be him. But until you tell me that it’s okay, I promise I won’t breathe a word.”

“Thanks, Finn,” Landen sighed, grateful for his brother's support.

“I do have one question,” Finn asked as he checked his watch and stood up. “Have you thought about what you’re going to tell Mom; because you know what she is like. She is going to see through whatever crap you try to feed her, and if Liam says anything to her or dad, you can be sure she is going to want answers.”

“I know,” Landen sighed, knowing that this whole situation was getting more and more complicated with each passing moment.

“Anyway,” Finn said, checking his watch once more. “I need to get back to class.”

“Thanks for coming all the way down here,” Landen said as he too stood up. “I’m sorry Liam dragged you into this, and I’m sorry I dragged you both into this too.”

“Hey, it’s what brothers do,” Finn replied with a smile. “It took me a long time to figure that out. I guess I never really felt part of the group, but I do now. Well, most of the time.”

“Finn,” Landen said as he gave his brother a smile. “You were always part of the group. But I’m sorry if you ever felt like you weren’t.”

“I know,” Finn replied, smiling once more. “I’ll call you later, Big Brother.”

“Okay,” Landen nodded before he watched his brother walk out the door, disappearing down the hallway.

Landen smiled to himself as he walked back to his desk. Maybe asking for help wasn’t the worst idea in the world. God knows he needed it.

“Landen,” Nikki said from the doorway, pulling Landen from his thoughts. “I knocked, but you didn’t hear me.”

“What’s up, Nikki,” Landen asked as he smiled up at his assistant.

“I heard back from my friend,” she said as she held up the file she was holding in her hand. “Have you got a minute?”

“Sure,” Landen replied, and from the look on Nikki’s face, he knew that whatever she found out, it wasn’t good news. She walked to his desk sitting down where Finn had been sitting moments earlier.

“So,” she said as she slid the file across the desk to Landen. “I was talking to Andrew, and this is all the information he had about Pete Reynolds. It’s not great.”

“Oh,” Landen said as he flipped open the file, quickly glossed over the information Nikki’s friend had sent them.

“It says he has been in and out of mental health facilities since he was eighteen,” Nikki explained trying to give Landen the main parts of the file. “He had a breakdown after his mother died, and he drove his car into a lake. When he was released, he got a job and even started dating a girl.”

“It says here that the girl was found dead in her apartment three weeks after they broke up,” Landen said, looking up from the file to Nikki.

“Yeah,” Nikki replied. “The coroner ruled her death a suicide, but there were some who believed that Pete might have been somehow involved. The girl had a friend who said that Pete didn’t take the breakup so well, and well, he hounded her to death, literally. After her death, he spent another few months at a different mental health facility. Then signed himself in again a year later when he was arrested for harassing some married woman.”

“Fuck,” Landen said as he read down through the file. “This guy is a fucking lunatic.”

“Yep,” Nikki replied.

“Why didn’t the police in New York or DC find any of this when Amelia went to them?” Landen asked as he closed the file and stood up. “What is the point of her going to them if they aren’t going to check into this asshole?”

“He was never charged with anything,” Nikki shrugged. “Every time they closed in on him, he would agree to seek medical help. And health records are private unless they get a warrant from a judge.”

“And without reason to look into his mental health,” Landen sighed knowing that the law was a complicated mess at times. “They let him go, so he was free to keep terrorizing her.”

“He is still locked up in a hospital in Chicago,” Nikki said looking Landen in the eye. “But if he can convince a doctor he is better; there is nothing stopping them from letting him walk.”

“Then I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure that never happens,” Landen said, feeling determined to stop him at all costs