Chapter 25; House Rules
“There will be no sex in my house,” Imam paused, waited while Skye tried to suppress her giggles, then finished his sentence. “Unless you are married to one another. Do you understand me, Mr. Riddick?”
Riddick nodded. “Clearly.” No reason to mention that there already had been, now was there?
“You agree?”
“I’ll agree.”
“No protestations?”
“It’s your house.” Riddick shrugged, glancing down the hall at the door to Jack’s old room, where she was helping the nurse get a drugged Alexa into bed. Dinner had been interesting in that no one had spoken a word while they ate. He was used to people carrying on conversations, but not here. It was calming in a strange way.
“What you do with her in the privacy of the ship is your own business, but I do not wish to know about her eyes or that marking on her neck.” Imam glanced at Skye as she cleared the table, eyes softening, briefly caressing her trim figure, before returning to Riddick. “We have only one guest bedroom. One of you must sleep on the couch.”
“Okay.” A man had a right to make rules in his own house. Riddick left the table, went to the front window and looked out. They had a spectacular view of the city; almost breathtaking, lights dotting the darkness. He watched Imam behind him in the glass as the man got up and went into the kitchen. A moment later, Riddick heard Skye giggling.
He’d had to ponder them both when Jack had mentioned they’d married, simply for the fact that they seemed so unmatched. Skye was not conventional, something of a wild child, and Imam...well, the man was a holy man. At one point in Riddick’s life he would have thought enough said. There was more to both of them than met the eye. To attract a woman like Skye...
Despite her wildness, Skye was not the sort of woman to give herself carelessly to a man. She must love him deeply.
Tiredly, Riddick rubbed the back of his neck. Why am I standing here thinking about love?
Imam wasn’t stuffy. Far from it. He had a sense of humor, dry and something that had to be acquired. It had dawned on Riddick that the reason the man had seemed stuffy was because he’d been traveling with three kids; he couldn’t exactly cut loose when he was supposed to be an example for them.
The two balanced each other out and they’d both die to protect Jack.
It didn’t need to be said. The feeling was there, and it was the same one Riddick felt, for he’d give his life to save hers in an instant.
He’d come a long way in five years.
With everyone tucked into bed for the night, and the lights out in their room, Skye put her head on her husband’s shoulder and waited.
Imam sighed. “I’m not blind, Skye, although Jack certainly thinks so. I see what passes between them. I see the truth in their eyes.”
“Jack doesn’t think you’re blind.”
“I’m not stuffy....The look she gave me when I told her one of them would sleep on the couch...”
She smiled a little. “She’s young. She doesn’t understand that you see her as a daughter.”
“A treasured daughter. You saw her when we first arrived; trying to be tough on the outside when on the inside she was frightened. She cried so often in the night.” He took her hand in his. “I fear her love for him will get her hurt.”
“It might. But it’s her life. We can’t protect her from that. Jack loves Riddick.”
“And he loves her.” Imam kissed Skye’s knuckles. “Their home is within each other. As long as they are together, they will always be at home.”
There was a bang on the wall, then another, and he raised up on one elbow, quirking a brow. “Her idea or his?”
The banging's increased.
“Probably hers. She never really did rebel against us.”
“As long as it was not his idea.” Looking down at her, her touched her face, caressed her jaw. “Shall we take advantage of the noise? It’s not like they will hear us.”
Skye nodded her consent.
“Not here, Jack.” Riddick protested, but didn’t push her away.
“Why not? Didn’t bother you earlier.” She whispered, opening his shirt and kissing her way down his chest and stomach. “Earlier it was you...”
“That was before Imam set down the rules.”
“I respected his rules for five years. Besides, it wasn’t me he said anything to.”
“No, he said it to me. I agreed not to do anything under his roof.” He put his hands behind his head, watching her undo his pants.
“Then you lie back, honey and I’ll do it to you.”
Obligingly, he helped her remove his clothes and laid back. Nice to see she’d gotten over that Kama Sutra embarrassment quickly. Riddick sighed as Jack’s hands and mouth began to move over him. Very nice indeed.
Chapter 26; Special Forces
Training was grueling, more so than basic, but Marc didn’t mind. He was where he wanted to be. He stood at the mirror in low light, looking at the face that was his, yet now seemed someone else's’. His hair was cut even shorter now, close to his scalp and his eyes had been shined upon arrival. There was a tattoo on his left bicep, identifying him as Special Forces. The tattoo was a new idea, one implemented only in the past year. He blinked, watched the silver color from the shine job briefly eclipse the normal brown of his eyes.
“Shit, boy.”
He stood up straighter and snapped to attention. “Sir.”
The officer laughed. “At ease. You look like that convict who escaped Slam a few years back. That Riddick guy. You could almost pass for twins up close, and from across the room, you looked just like him.”
“You knew him?”
The man glanced away. “You’re too young to be him, I checked you out.” He left without saying another word.
Unease slowly deepened within Marc’s chest.
That was the fifth person who’d commented on the resemblance in two days.
Marc scrutinized his reflection.
Riddick?
A slight resemblance okay, but almost twins?
No way.
Going to his bunk, he sat down and reached for a picture he kept tucked away in his bag. It was of Alexa and Jack. They were in Alexa’s room, lounging on the bed with books and papers around them. Alexa held a book in her hand, but her eyes were on the photographer--him, her tongue sticking out. She wasn’t the focus of the picture however.
Jack was.
She’d never seemed to realize how beautiful she was. The longer hair suited her features. In the picture, she was sitting cross legged, a drawing tablet on her lap, face intent on her work rather than the photographer. Honey blond waves caressed her pale cheek, and Marc touched that spot with a fingertip before putting the photo away.
She was his sisters friend and another man’s love, but he still couldn’t get her from his mind. For five years, he’d watched her grow and change and become the most fascinating young woman...but she’d never be his, so he might as well quit thinking about her. Easier said than done. He’d never even touched her in a way that could be considered improper. Marc wanted to though. He wanted to do more than touch; he wanted to taste and feel and know her as well as another person ever could.
He sighed.
Jack was Riddick’s; that much had been obvious from the first time she’d opened her mouth and talked about him. Riddick had come back for her and faced her legal guardian
How could he ever compete with that?
Whether admittedly or not, Riddick loved Jack; it was in his voice, just like it was in hers. It was wrong to lust after her, but Marc did. He did. He wanted her so bad he could almost feel her there beside him.
Almost....
He closed his eyes.
This will get you nowhere my friend. Forget her. She’s out of your life for good.