Samurai Game (Ghostwalkers, #10)(91)

He went to her, lifting her off the bed to hold her close to him. “You make me happy, Azami. I’m happier than I ever thought I could be. That’s all they’re going to care about.” He carried her to the bathroom.

She brushed her hand over his face. Her fingers trailed over his jaw and the stubble there, conveying tenderness in that small touch. “Silly man. They will not understand why I don’t show you affection publicly. And I cannot. It’s against my nature.”

“I put a little of that oil in the water. It seemed to have some kind of healing agent in it and I thought it might help,” he said as he let her feet drop into the water.

Azami wrapped her hair up, tying the thick mass into a knot on top of her head before sinking gratefully into the hot, scented bath. “Thank you, Sam, this feels wonderful.”

“Two things, woman,” Sam said, watching as she leaned her head against the taller backrest, relaxing completely. “First, I have no doubt that if I ever needed a public display of affection, you would provide for me. I can’t see that happening. I have every confidence in your feelings for me. Secondly, we have telepathy. I intend to use that shamelessly when we’re out in public. Our relationship is ours. I like it that way.”

“You’re a remarkable man, Sam,” she said, her lashes drifting down. “You really are. When I’m in your mind, I feel your strength and confidence. Your intelligence. I fell in love with that immediately.” Her lashes lifted, her eyes meeting his. “I didn’t think I would find a man as good as my father. He was a fierce warrior, yet gentle and kind. He was gifted and yet humble. He raised my brothers to be the same.”

“And you, Azami, he raised you to be the same.”

She smiled. “That’s a huge compliment, Sammy. I’m not always as kind and gentle as I would like to be. I have tried to put my anger at Whitney aside and go after him for the right reasons, but it isn’t always easy.” Her eyes darkened. “It didn’t help that he was willing to sacrifice you to an enemy for his own gain. He claimed he would have a man in place to kill you the moment the diamond is in his hand, but you know he wouldn’t. You would suffer torture the moment you are in the hands of Ezekial Ekabela. Whitney wouldn’t chance sending one of the men in his private army. He can’t afford to lose too many more. They’re enhanced, but they all have failed the psyche tests and eventually they’re going to short-circuit.”

“I’ve run into a couple,” Sam said.

“I feel sorry for them,” Azami conceded. “They give up their lives, thinking they’re going to get something extraordinary. He gives them good salaries, far more than they can ever make in the military, but they have to ‘die’ on a military mission and give up their lives with family and friends to serve him. In the end, they lose everything.”

“He promises them a woman,” Sam told her.

She nodded. “I know. I’ve studied his tactics. I’ve been trying to find his connections to the military and the White House and sever them, but as fast as I cut one tentacle, he seems to grow another.”

“You have to remember Peter Whitney is a billionaire. He is considered by many to be the world’s most renowned scientist. Few people are aware of his experiments. He has political connections everywhere. He supported candidates and charities, and has research facilities all over the world. His connection to the military goes way back. He went to school with many of the people now running things.”

“His daughter has his money, doesn’t she?” Azami asked. “She inherited it when he supposedly died. He never came out of hiding to claim he was alive.”

“No, but he’d already siphoned off hundreds of millions to untraceable accounts. Believe me, he has no money problems. And he’s so entrenched in the military, he can still land his planes at any military base around the world.”

“I couldn’t draw him out, not even to meet with us about the satellite,” Azami said with a small sigh. She yawned, covering the gesture with her hand. “Every single time I get a fix on his location, he’s gone by the time I get there.”

“He moves between his facilities and he’s got several that are nearly impenetrable. That doesn’t mean we won’t stop him, Azami. We’ll get him.” He crooked his finger at her. “Stand up, honey. You’re going to fall asleep in the tub.”

She complied, pulling the stopper to allow the water to flow out. Sam wrapped her in a towel and lifted her out, drying her thoroughly before working the knot out of her hair so it could fall free down her back. He buried his face in the silky mass.

“I love your hair.”

She smiled up at him. “You always make me feel beautiful, Sam.”

He hugged her tight. “You are beautiful. Hell, woman, get a clue.”

She snuggled against his chest. “I’m glad you think so.” She put her arms around him and held him tight. “You know I can’t help being protective of you, Sam.”

He laughed and scooped her up. “I feel the same way toward you.” But he heard that little caution in her voice. She was serious about something and didn’t think he was going to like it—which meant he probably wouldn’t.

He carried her to the bed and tossed her onto the mattress, coming down beside her and dragging up the covers. “Just say it.”