"It's there; I know it is because when I look at you, I can feel it. And I look at you, and I'm home."
Finding Nemo

I feel Sam's warm breath on my neck, and relief floods my body.

"Babe, are you okay?" Sam's voice is firm and free from any sign of injury.

"I'm good. What about Dad?"

My dad answers my question when I hear his voice.

"Dee!"

"She's good, Jerry," Sam assures him.

With his gun drawn, Sam instructs us, "Everyone, get into the house, and I'll cover you."

Sam moves off of me and begins shooting in the direction of the shot fired towards us.

I gasp much-needed air and take off for the front door. My dad is right behind me. We both look back, expecting to see Frank. Instead, we see Sam carrying Frank to the door. My dad immediately grabs his pistol and starts shooting from the front door to cover Sam and Frank.

I watch in horror as I see Frank bleeding from his abdomen; blood is already saturating his shirt. Once I get over my shock, I run to the kitchen to get my phone and call 911.

"I'll call 911!" I yell hysterically.

"No, Cindy!" Frank screams, "It is just a flesh wound. A couple of bandaids, and I'll be good as new."

I change my direction and run up the stairs to get the first-aid kit. By the time I make it back down, my heart has settled. I sigh with relief when I see Frank with his shirt off and my dad cleaning his wound.

"Here." I hand the first-aid kit to my dad. He takes it and begins dressing Frank's injury.

Sam is looking out of the window. I walk over and place my hand on his shoulder. He turns and looks at me, and I can see the determined detective look in his eyes.

"What're you thinking?" I ask, knowing full well that my man has already thought out what our next step would be.

He points, and my eyes follow the direction of his finger. "I'm sure that the gunfire came from that wooded area. Once we patch up Frank, we'll approach the sector from behind the barn. I'm positive that the shooter has already fled and hope to find clues."

"All set," Frank announces as he slips one of my dad's tee shirts over his head, looking as if a bullet didn't just hit the man.

Sam relays his plans to Frank and Dad.

"I'll grab the forensic kit that I brought," Frank announces as he walks out of the front door, daring the shooter to take another shot.

Lucky for Frank, nobody shot him. Sam's right; the shooter must have immediately fled the scene after firing at us.

Frank returns with the kit. "I suggest splitting up at first. Jerry and I will process the tire tracks and mailbox." He looks at Sam and me, "You two search for the location where you believe they fired the shot. I'm sure that they meant to scare off Cindy, or the shooter does not have a clue on how to shoot a rifle."

"I was thinking the same thing," Sam added. "The shot was too low to do any damage." He glances at Frank and smirks. "That is if you don't dive onto the ground. That could've been me. Thanks for wanting to protect Cindy; I owe you, man."

The two men give each other a look and nod, silently affirming Sam's words.

The men reload their guns, preparing for the worst. Dad and Frank head out the front door while Sam and I exit the back of the house.

It's the first time that Sam and I are alone since his arrival. He takes my hand and squeezes it.

I lean into him. "I know I told you that you didn't need to come here, but I sure as hell am happy you did."

He kisses my head. "Wild horses could not keep me away, Babe. I'm glad that I didn't listen to you." I hear his voice break. "I would be fucking lost if anything ever happened to you, Cindy. We're in this together. If someone threatens you, they threaten me. You're my future, and I intend to protect you. You come first, before work, and before myself. I love you more than anything or anyone."

My heart swells. If at all possible, my love for him grew in this moment. "I feel the same way, Sam."

We share a smile and head in the direction of the barn. We silently walk till we reach the far corner. Sam puts his free hand on his pistol and looks around the corner. The tree line is about 1,000 feet from us. Sam takes a minute to scan the area. When he feels confident that no one is there, he moves me behind him and slowly leads me into the thicket. With his pistol in hand, Sam clears the way as we move meticulously towards the trees. He stops abruptly, and I run into the back of him.

"Sorry," I whisper.

"Look." Sam points to some trodden-down brush. "Someone was here."

"Good call, Babe."

He turns back and smirks at me proudly. "Stay here."

Once he clears the scene, he motions for me to come over. I love it when he goes all detective on me.

"It looks as if he came in from the south. I guess that after he dropped off the note, he drove further down the road and walked back here. You can see the brush trampled over there leading to the bottom of this tree." He looks up into the tree, and I follow his eyes. Of course, no one is there, but I can see Sam picturing the shooter perched in the branches above, waiting for his chance to shoot. "Look around for the shell casing."

We spend the next fifteen minutes looking in the debris around the bottom of the tree for the shell. I did not find the casing, but I did notice something just as important.

"Sam, come here."

He immediately comes to me. "What is it? Did you find the shell case?"

"No, but look." I point to my finding, and Sam's face lights up.

"Blood! The fucker left his DNA at the scene. Good eye, Cindy!" Sam gives me a congratulatory kiss, then tucks his gun in his belt.

He grabs his phone. "Jerry, we found the shooter's position. When you and Frank finish, please come to the trees with the forensic kit. Cindy found blood."

We continue to check the area for the shell casing, making sure to steer clear of the blood evidence.

"Found it!" Sam called out. He marks the spot with a large rock.

He doesn't touch it. Instead, he takes his phone back out and takes pictures. After getting photos of the shell casing, we investigate the blood trail. Sam continues to take photos until Dad and Frank arrive with the forensic kit.

After processing both scenes, we return to the house. I had put the lasagna on warm when it had finished cooking before Sam and Frank arrived. Sam helps me set the table. The four of us sit down to eat and discuss the shit show that took place in the last hour and a half.

While the men considered their next move concerning the case, I cleaned up the dinner dishes, placed the leftovers in the freezer for my dad, and hung onto every word from these seasoned detectives' mouths. They decided that Frank would take the forensic evidence to the lab to be analyzed, and Sam would contact the local authorities to fill them in on what took place under their jurisdiction.

By the end of the evening, I was more than ready to go home. I kissed my father goodbye, and he reluctantly released me into the capable arms of Sam. We determined that Sam would follow me home.

I drove straight home without stopping. Sam pulled up beside me in the driveway. We had talked about me waiting in my locked car till he cleared the house, but he decided that it would be safer for me to go in with him. He had no intention of letting me sit out in the driveway like a sitting duck.

I stayed in my car till Sam came to my door and opened it for me. I grab the overnight bag I had unnecessarily packed to stay with my father and exit the vehicle. We enter our home, Sam flicks on the light switch, and we look around. Nothing looks disturbed. I shut the door and locked it. Sam takes my hand while holding his gun with the other. We slowly clear every room of our home. Once Sam is satisfied that the house is safe, he releases my hand and places his pistol on the kitchen counter.

"Wine?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

He smiles and gently kisses my lips. "Thank you, that would be perfect."

I retrieve our favorite Merlot from the wine rack and grab two glasses from the cabinet. As I pour, Sam begins to talk.

"So, I did a thing while driving to your father's from Los Angeles."

I hand him his glass. "Please continue," I encourage him.

He smiles appreciatively, taking a long sip before continuing. "Tomorrow, a crew will be arriving to install a state-of-the-art security system."

I stop my glass halfway to my lips and place it back on the counter, "Oh, Sam, I hate that this situation is costing you money. Please let me pay half."

He waves my suggestion away. "I already told you I would do anything to keep you safe. I intend to keep my promise to you."

I wrap my arms around his neck, and he looks at me with his sexy grey-blue eyes. His pupils dilate at my touch. I giggle that this man can't hide his desire for me even during this stressful time.

Reading his eyes. "You know what I could use to relieve some of this built-up tension?" 

He smiles knowingly. "Do tell."

I take his glass and place it on the counter beside my untouched one.

"Take me to bed," I whisper seductively into his ear.

He doesn't hesitate as he whisks me into his arms and carries me to our bedroom. He lays me gently on our bed and kisses me before standing next to me, removing every piece of clothing from his muscular body. My eyes scan his handsome face, strong chest, and down to the masculine V, pointing me in the direction of his hardness. I hold my breath in anticipation.

He slips off my shoes and pulls down my jeans and panties swiftly. I help things along by taking off my shirt and bra. Seconds later, we're both entirely laid bare before each other.

He stealthily approaches me from the bottom of the bed and sweetly kisses each of my toes before brushing his lips up to my thighs, tasting every inch of me. By the time he reaches my soaking center, I'm already close to peaking. Once his tongue touches my sensitive bud, I convulse as my building pressure explodes in pure ecstasy.

"Shit, Babe. That was hot!" Sam whimpers against me as he licks me down from my high.

"I need you inside me right now, " I huskily demand.

"Yes, ma'am!" Sam replied excitedly.

We spent the rest of the night pleasing and focusing on each other, forgetting for a moment the evil lurking, intending to destroy our future.