Samurai Game (GhostWalkers #10)(79)
Author: Christine Feehan

She sent him another smile. She touched the white balls at the end of the chains. “These are not real pearls, just shells to house the ammunition for my blow gun. It gives me ten extra needles in a fight.”

“I’m getting another hard-on just thinking about you with all those weapons.” His hand snaked out, fingers settling around her wrist. He tugged until she was between his legs. “How am I going to get through the day knowing you’re so damned sexy, woman?”

Her eyes, heavy-lidded, drifted over his face and down his body, clearly marking him as her territory. “The same way I will. I look forward to our evening together.”

“I know there’s no public displays of affection,” Sam said as he buttoned his jeans, “but if it gets too bad, don’t be surprised if I drag you into a closet and tug those trousers down.”

Her eyes jumped to his face. “You are a very brave man, Sammy.”

“You have no idea what I’m willing to sacrifice if it means more sex with you.”

Laughter danced in her eyes as she secured a necklace around her neck. A single pendant hung from the slender chain. “I will look forward to an adventure in the closet,” she said with a demure sweep of her lashes.

“That has to be a knife of some kind.” The pendant was short, no more than an inch and a half, shaped like a very slender heart. “Is it made of ceramic?”

“Every lady needs one.”

He stepped close to examine each piece of jewelry. The craftsmanship was amazing, the details simplistic but appealing. He raised his eyebrow. “You?”

“My father was renowned and I learned from him.” She pushed a bracelet made of thin spirals of twisted hemp onto her wrist. The bracelet was quite unique but attractive. She held up her arm. “For my bow or crossbow. I can assemble one in under a minute.” She reached for a second bracelet, which she pushed close to the first, a wrap of strands of beads.

Sam didn’t have to be told that was a weapon, he’d seen warrior beads before, but hers looked ornate, very beautiful with carved beads. No one would ever suspect that the bracelet was lethal.

Azami added a slim, beautifully crafted watch to her left wrist. He raised his eyebrows.

She laughed. “A lady has to have some secrets.”

On top of everything, she looked beautiful in her red silk blouse and black suit trousers. He could see how she could move fast and easily dressed as she was. The blouse was loose-fitting enough that she could have a few knives placed strategically if she was going into battle.

She reached for her shoes. Boots, he corrected himself. Stylish. Low heels with fancy grills going up the front of the pair. He studied the eyelets made of strong metal—titanium? Definitely more than boots, but he had no idea what—only that in Azami’s hands, they would be lethal.

Azami swung around as a soft vibration accompanied the flash of a strobe light throughout the room. Sam, who had looked lazy and content, leapt off the bed and dragged on clothes fast. She didn’t ask questions but hurried into her jacket, shoving knives into the specially made sheaths. Jamming a gun down into one boot, she added a knife to the second.

Sam shoved the floor rug aside and yanked open a trapdoor in the floor. “Move it, Azami, now.” He stepped back to allow her to precede him.

Azami didn’t hesitate. She went down the stairs fast, using the rail to slide into the basement, Sam right behind her. She waited in the darkness. She could see, another “gift” from Whitney’s enhancements, probably the cat DNA. The basement looked like any man’s basement: tools, pegboards, and workbenches. She remained absolutely still—waiting.

Sam went to the side wall closest to them and ran his palm over what appeared to be a light switch. She would bet it actually turned on a light too. A door built into the wall swung open without a sound. Small trace lights ran along a tunnel. This time Sam went in first. Azami followed him in silence. She flexed her fingers and ran a checklist over her body, ensuring every muscle was stretched and limber, ready for anything.

Sam halted in a small alcove, once again using his palm and then his eye on a retinal scan to open another door. Azami’s breath caught in her throat.

“Sexy,” she commented, peering around him. “I’m impressed.”

“We’ve got them scattered through the tunnels. You’ll have to be programmed in to open them. We have maps in our heads to all the various weapons caches,” he said as he shoved guns and ammunition into belts and harnesses as well as his boot. “Need anything?”

“Another gun. My crossbow’s in my room. I have a mini, but it’s not terribly effective at great distances.”

She saw his eyes flick to her face, assessing her capability with a gun. She grinned at him, sheer audacity. His features relaxed and he gestured toward the armory.

Azami had already spotted the small automatic she was most familiar with. It fit in her hands easily. She had small hands, and often a weapon just didn’t sit right in her palm, but she liked the little automatic. She caught up the belt and ammunition and stepped back, indicating she was ready to go. She didn’t like taking an unproven weapon into combat, so she would rely mainly on her speed and up-close fighting if there was need, but the weapon might come in handy.

The moment Sam closed the doors, they began to jog through the tunnel, heading, Azami could tell, straight back to the main compound.

My brothers?

They’ll be in the tunnels with Daniel and Lily. No one will take chances with them, Sam assured.

I’m not worried about them. They are samurai. They’ll be an asset to you. They fight with great skill and can handle multiple weapons.

Azami was unconcerned for their safety as he seemed to think she would be. She knew both Daiki and Eiji would protect Daniel and Lily if anything went wrong. Sam didn’t know them as she did. She’d trained with them and had no doubts about their skills. They weren’t afraid to die any more than she was, but the world would lose two incredible and intelligent human beings if they were killed.

What are we facing?

I have no idea. The signal is just for preparation. Someone is approaching the compound. We don’t take chances, and it’s good practice to stay alert. Most of the time, it’s some lost hiker or a group of hunters, but we’ve had a couple of suspicious vehicles that turn around the moment they realize they’re under surveillance.

She loved that Sam believed so much in her. They’d made love over and over. She could feel his love and support surrounding her, yet he still saw her as she was: a woman who would never go into the tunnels and wait to be told it was all clear. He understood—without her having to explain—that she would have his back no matter what.