V

After convincing Samantha to spend the day with him, Drake got up and went to make coffee and breakfast while she showered. After they ate, he showered and they left in his truck to go to Sam's house to get her a change of clothes. He smirked when he thought about what she was actually wearing, and would have taken her straight back to bed, if she hadn't been so sore. Sitting a traffic light, he looked over at the small woman who had taken residence in his heart. 

Drake wasn't some young boy who didn't know his own mind. He was a mature man with the knowledge of what it meant to love. He was a little apprehensive, but by no means unsure. He knew that he loved Sam. Convincing her, however, was going to take some doing.

 Realizing that they had arrived at her house, Drake shut off the engine and turned to get out.

"It's ok, Drake. It will only take a moment for me to run in and change into something else."

"Woman, you're out of your mind if you think I'm just gonna sit here and not open your door, lift you down out of my truck, walk you to your door, or wait inside. What kind of man do you think I am, anyway?" Drake frowned, wondering how many idiots she had dated.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Drake. It's just that I'm going to run in and change clothes and come right back out." Samantha realized that she had offended him. Knowing him to be an old fashioned man, and having wonderful manners, he would never not act like a gentleman towards her.

Drake did indeed go around to her side of the truck and lifted her out. He also walked her to her door, even taking the key from her hand and unlocking her door before opening it and handing her back the key. She blushed as he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

Stroking her cheek with a finger, he said, "I love that you still blush. That tells me a lot about you as a person. Now, go change. Dress in something very casual. We will be on the bike today."

Nodding, Samantha went and changed. She reached into the back of her closet and took out a pair of jeans that she had not worn since Mack was alive.  They fit like a second skin and she felt her face heat. She wasn't one to wear suggestive clothing, or even tight clothing. In for a penny, in for a pound as her grandmother used to say.

She searched her drawers for a few things that she had purchased and never worn. The bra did wonderful things for her chest. The shirt, enhanced the effect, plunging to reveal a good deal of her cleavage. She smirked at her image in the mirror. The woman looking back at her was blatantly sexy. Her hair was tossed by her changing clothes and she decided to leave it, liking the look. The top hugged her breasts like Drakes large hands had the night before, enhancing the effect of the bra that pushed her breasts together and created the awesome cleavage.

Drake felt like someone punched him in the gut when Sam walked out of her room. She had changed her clothes and she looked devastatingly sexy. The jeans she wore fit like a second skin, hugging her ass and legs like a lover. The top she wore had him hardening in his jeans. It dipped low and showed her incredible cleavage. Her hair looked like it did this morning, when she got up out of his bed. He released the breath he was holding when she smiled and him and blushed. Damn, he loved that about her. That's when he realized she had dressed that way on purpose.

"You better be glad you're sore. Because, if you weren't, we wouldn't make it out of this house." Drake promised in a husky voice.

The day was wonderful. They went back to Drake's house and got his bike. Then they went for a long drive and stopped at a fair. There they walked the midway, rode rides, ate cotton candy, candy apples, hot dogs and drank copious amounts of soda. Resting her head on his shoulder, she breathed in his unique scent. It was woodsy and clean and went straight to her core. 

Realizing that his girl was probably tired, Drake made the decision to head back to town. Getting on the bike, he waited until she was on, then fired it beast up. Drake pushed the throttle a little more than usual because he knew Sam was tired. Falling asleep on the back of a bike was not a good idea. Reaching back, he patted her leg and spoke to her through the bluetooth in their helmets.

"You awake, baby?"

"Yes, I'm just enjoying the company." She replied, smiling.

"We'll be home soon. My place or yours?" he asked.

"Yours, and before you head swells at that answer, I left my car there. Remember? But, I think I would chose your place, anyway." She replied before laying her head on his back, knowing that they were almost to his place.

Drake slowed down as he reached the turn off to his property. Suddenly, the hair on his neck was standing on end. Something was wrong. 

"Sam, something is wrong. I don't know what it is, but I want you to reach in the saddlebag under your right leg and hand me the pistol in there." Drake had slowed his bike to buy time.

After doing as he asked, Sam asked Drake if he wanted to let her off and let her hide in the woods surrounding his home. 

"No. No matter what happens, I want you with me. Behind me, where I can protect you. And I will protect you, Sam. With my dying breath, if need be."

Samantha gasped at the message that was clear in his statement. He had just laid claim to her, and was not afraid to let her know it.

Armed, Drake continued to drive toward his home. Anger suddenly gripped him. This was his sanctuary, his private place. The one place he could go and forget about the rest of the world. Pulling close to his garage, Drake shut off his bike and motioned for Sam to dismount and get behind him.  Just as she did, Vulcan stepped out of the shadows.

"Ease up, brother. I'm here to deliver a message. None of us could get in touch with you. You didn't answer your phone. We got worried. When Lucy couldn't get in touch with Samantha, we put two and two together and realized that you two were together." Vulcan still stood with his hands in the air to show his friend that he was unarmed.

"Oh for heaven's sake! Put your arms down, Vulcan." Turning to Drake, she said, "I'm going inside. You two can talk about whatever it is that you need to discuss on the deck. Coffee or beer?" Sam said.

"Coffee." Both men said.

Turning to Vulcan, Drake looked at his second and raised an eyebrow. 

"We have a leak. The woman and girl that we moved last week was found murdered. The girl was shot in the head. The mother was strangled to death." Drake spat out a cuss word, then Vulcan dropped his bomb. "After she was raped and beaten."

Drake released a string of harsh words. Then, taking a deep breath, he asked, "Do we know who?"