A walking statistic? I drew myself upright, indignant, and prepared to give him an earful.
“The archaeological dig between the coast and Mount Koya has taken an unsettling turn,” a female voice on the radio said, distracting me before I could give Raiden a piece of my mind. I leaned forward to listen—my mother had been following news of the dig intently. She hadn’t been home to Japan in years, but she was still very loyal to the country, and the idea that an important piece of history might be uncovered was exciting to her. “The archaeologists found a tomb halfway up the mountain, hidden in a forest cave that has never been explored until now. Several team members went into the newly excavated tomb yesterday but did not return. Tremors have been shaking Mount Koya since then, and some of the more superstitious residents even say—”
A loud crack rent the air outside, followed by a sizzle. I jumped in my seat as all the street lights went out, including the traffic lights. The radio hissed, turning to static, and the driver, an Arab wearing a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt, swore.
“Must be a power outage,” he grumbled. “I was listening to that, too!”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Raiden murmured in English, his eyes narrowing on the radio. “I wonder what those archaeologists found at Koya-san.”
Dread settled in my gut like a lump of greasy tofu, and I swallowed back a wave of nausea.
“Looks like this is my stop,” I said as we pulled up in front of my dingy apartment building. I opened the door. “Thanks for the ride,” I said to Raiden, looking back at him. His dark eyes met mine, and even though he’d just pissed me off, I was suddenly reluctant to walk away from him. That tug in my chest grew stronger.
“Maybe I will come and visit the shrine,” I said hesitantly. There was a connection between us, and I wanted to know what it was. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?
Raiden’s lips curved into a smile that made my nerve cells do what I was pretty sure was the neurological equivalent of a mating dance. “I’d like that.” His voice was dark and just a little bit husky, and suddenly I was no longer quite sure what he wanted from me.
Could it be that he felt the same pull I did?
I opened my mouth, feeling like I should say something. But he looked past me, breaking the moment, and his face tightened with worry.
“I’ll walk you up,” he said, scooting forward. “It’s too dark out for you to be on the street by yourself.”
“It’s only a few feet away,” I protested as he got out of the cab, but my words were half-hearted. I’d seen some freaky stuff today, and it was nice to have someone at my back who looked like he could actually beat someone in a fight. I was a mean volleyball server, and I’d excelled in dance competitions back in high school. But put a pair of boxing gloves on me, and suddenly I was all thumbs.
Good thing I don’t have any samurai in my family tree, I thought as I climbed the stairs. And that I’m not a man. I’d be a real disappointment.
“Don’t be too long,” the cabbie called as Raiden slammed the door behind us. “I can’t sit here forever, you know!”
Raiden ignored the driver as he followed me up the steps. I turned around, and stifled a gasp when I nearly smooshed my nose into his chest. “W-what are you doing?” I asked as he came to a stop. He was so close I could feel his body heat, and I was struck by the desire to lean in and wrap him around me like a fur coat.
That doesn’t sound creepy at all.
Cheeks flaming, I backed up against the door. “I appreciate your concern, but you don’t need to come in with me.”
“Yes, I do.” Raiden’s gaze darkened as he lifted his head. A bad feeling settled into my chest as his eyes zeroed in on the second-floor window of my apartment. “There’s a strong yoki presence in this place. And it’s coming from that room.”
To be continued…
* * *
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About the Authors
JASMINE WALT is obsessed with books, chocolate, and sharp objects. Somehow, those three things melded together in her head and transformed into a desire to write, usually fantastical stuff with a healthy dose of action and romance. Her characters are a little (okay, a lot) on the snarky side, and they swear, but they mean well. Even the villains sometimes. When she isn’t chained to her keyboard, you can find her practicing her triangle choke on the jujitsu mat, spending time with her family, or binge-watching superhero shows on Netflix. You can learn more about her at www.jasminewalt.com
When she isn't writing about sassy women and alpha males, MAY SAGE can generally be found playing with her cats and her puppy, eating cake, or reading about sassy women and alpha males. Her first love is paranormal romance but she's not that faithful, so expect to find anything from shifters, princes and kings, to aliens and billionaires in her