Bound

Carly shivered unconsciously, and deliciously. Rough from disuse, Riddick’s voice made her think of stone sliding on stone, like a crypt opening.

Nic was smiling as he turned to look at her, “You bought the Riddick?”

She just looked at him, unsure of where his humor came from. “What is funny about that?”

Riddick’s head turned minutely in her direction as Nic did the same.

“Richard B. Riddick is one of the most notorious murderers in the universe. He would have put Houdini to shame cuz he’ll kill to be free. He’s been at the center of the largest manhunt for prolly a decade.”

Carly continued to look at Nic and take occasional glances at her acquisition. “So?”

“How do you possibly think you can hold him?”

She sighed heavily, “Because you’ve missed one point. Why would he want to be free of here?”

Silence.

“Nic, you are so quick to forget. I took you from a world of luxury and freedom and convinced you to stay. Then how difficult would it be to convince a convict? I am his freedom. Here he’ll be treated like royalty.”

“If he obeys,” Nic ground out.

Carly snapped, “Oh, fuck your prideful sensibilities. What did I ever force on you? What was so bad? You never bled or were bruised. You were never even in any pain. I serviced you like a whore, gave you everything you wished for, and still you bitch. Is your free life out of here so grand?

“Women are selfish bitches. None will perform for you as selflessly as I have. And few can match my talent.

“If you’re in such a hurry to get back to that then do it with my blessing.” She paused, smiled, “but you have do that first.” She pointed at Riddick.

Nic sighed in a huff and turned back to look at the other man. “Well, I can’t do this with him up there,” he snapped.

Carly smiled. She was getting what she wanted. If Nic was a bit pouty starting out she’d put up with it, as long as it didn’t go too far. “You’re right. I have a room being prepared. Let me go see if it’s ready.” She left them, making sure the door was locked.

Nic stood and looked at the well-known convict. The way he was secured looked uncomfortable, almost claustrophobically so, but he didn’t struggle, didn’t show that he cared at all. Used to being restrained. Nic shook his head at the sadness of that.

The thought crossed his mind that he’d do what she wanted if it only meant getting Riddick down from those demeaning restraints. The fleeting thought made him frown. What was that? Empathy? But once the thought had started forming it progressed. Carly was preparing a room where they were supposed to perform some sort of sexual act. Sex with Richard B. Riddick.

He wanted to laugh at the idea, but didn’t. It had more appeal than he wanted to admit.

Nic had never been with another man, never even come close, never felt the temptation. Women were sexual creatures and he was more than content to satisfy himself on them. But hours of being in gyms, alone or with other men. Looking in mirrors to watch himself exercise to be sure he was using correct form. Unconsciously judging other men that were obviously into weight lifting. He’d realized that his looking could be considered appraisal, which led to him considering the meaning behind it.

So the idea of being with another guy, at least one as physically superb as Riddick wasn’t instantly repulsive. Add to that interest the fact that it was Riddick. What would the guy be like when he was free to move around? Who would dominate the other? What was he packing?

This last thought made him smile. What guy didn’t wonder about the size of another? It was human nature, or at least male nature.

Nic took a step closer, feeling his heart rate pick up at just being this close to the dangerous man. Riddick was taller than him, maybe an inch, but it could be the result of his unnaturally straight posture.

“How uncomfortable is that?”

The man’s head turned, his eyes still not opening.

Nic frowned. Carly would work him out of this silent routine quickly enough. “Ever been sold before?”

The guy surprised him by answering, “Once.”

“To a woman?”

A small curve of a smile, “I was younger, and no, not to a woman.”

“So what’s your stand on this?”

That smile spread a little wider, showing teeth now, “Sounds like I got as much room to stand as you do.”

Nic humphed, “Only difference is our vocation,” he mused.

It was bothering Nic that the guy had yet to open his eyes. What feared criminal kept his eyes closed as if he were shy or something? Criminal… Nic turned and moved to the switch by the wall. The lights were on a dial-type switch and he turned them down to an orange glow.

Instantly a pair of flashing bright eyes blinked to life.

“Eye shine,” he murmured as he moved closer once again. “Forgot you lifers had that done.”

“S’why she had the lights up.”

Nic nodded, smiling at her resourcefulness if not her vindictiveness. “Achilles’ heel.”

“Not when the lights go out.”

Nic had to give an appreciative nod to that. Riddick would definitely have the upper hand when the lights went out, while everyone else would be as helpless as babes. Light could be a tentative thing on some worlds.

“So you gonna fight this?” Nic asked, wanting to get back to the point of this, and to the thing standing between him and anticipated freedom.

Riddick looked at him straight now, only a foot separating them. His eyes were fascinatingly bright, catching the light to where they almost seemed to glow on their own. Normally Nic wouldn’t be so blatant as to stare a man in the eye, but with Riddick he found he couldn’t look away. Not much else to look at anyway in the dark.

“Put on a show for the little lady. Is that about it?”

Nic nodded, “Yeah, she’s gonna join too I think.”

Riddick grinned, a fearsome sort of expression. “That makes it better. Tag you and her? How’s that bad?”

“Who said I was gonna let you tag me?”

Those eyes drifted shut and then just as slowly opened, after the second time Nic realized the guy was checking him out.

“You wanna switch on me?” Riddick asked, sounding amused. “I kneel to no man.”

Nic smiled, liking the teasing, greedily accepting it in hopes to ease the discomfort of this whole situation. “I could just bend you over.”

Riddick’s smile faded so quick it was hard to imagine it there. “You ever been fucked before?”

Heart rate jumping again. “No.”

“Come’ere.”

Nic took a step closer, just an inch separating their noses. Riddick couldn’t move to close the gap, but Nic still felt trapped. His breathing picked up, anxiety and Riddick’s gaze making him feel almost jumpy.

“Show me somethin’.”

The man’s chest was bare between the straps holding him. Nic raised his hands, fingers brushing warm skin over ribs before bracing on the wall to either side of him. “Feels like I’m molesting you.”

Riddick smiled, “I’ll show you molestin’ when I get my hands free. Give me your mouth.”

Nic’s eyes dropped to those lips. Kiss him? It hadn’t occurred to him. But if he couldn’t kiss the guy how was he going to do anything else?

Riddick’s mouth opened under his the second they touched. Nic inhaled at the touch of a man’s tongue on his, hotter than anything he could remember. He pressed forward, his head tilting naturally to fit their mouths together. Riddick’s mouth came alive, sucking, biting, tongue sliding over his. There was no softness, no reason to go easy. Nic let it go on for a full minute without meaning to.

He pulled back and wiped a hand over his chin, noticing his breathing was coming heavier. Riddick sucked in his bottom lip, drawing on it, then his eyes flitted to the door.

“You’re getting acquainted?” Carly asked in her superior tone.

Nic stared at Riddick for a second, then let his eyes drop before turning. “It’s what you wanted, right?” he snapped at her.

“Mm-hm,” was all she said as she raised a hand to dial the lights back up. Riddick instantly dropped his head, air sucking through his teeth in a hiss as he did.

Nic’s eyes narrowed at the woman coming toward him. “You can leave the lights down. You didn’t mention it was blinding him.”

She stared at him for a second, seeming surprised, then smiled, “It wasn’t important. The lights in this room are bright to keep him contained. The other room will be dimmer.” When he continued to just stare at her she continued, “He can earn the lights being lowered. If he behaves.”

“What’s that?”

In her hand she held what looked like a collar. She lifted it for him to inspect.

“It’s a containment collar. Activated by behavior, voice, proximity, or remote. Mild charges are static, but it has setting that could be fatal.”

“Why not a bracelet?” Nic lifted his arm to show the same sort of technology he wore.

Carly was moving toward Riddick. “He needs something stronger. Yours won’t kill you. It’s just for behavior correction.”

The thick strap that was across Riddick’s neck slid back, disappearing into the wall. Red marks showed where it had cut into his skin. Carly had to stand on tiptoe to lift the collar up and click it into place. It gave a few additional clicks once it was in place and then a loud beep. Letting them know it was armed?

“Plus I needed one he could tamper with.” She said this while leaning against him and looking up into his face. “It will come off without killing him, but it triggers the house to shut down, and alerts the guards.”

She stepped back from him. “Riddick, has Nic explained to you what I want?”

“Most of it.”

Nic heard how rough his voice was again. Did the collar constrict his throat more than the strap had? It looked thin, only an inch wide, but it could be heavy. A box attached to it was at the back and looked heavy, but the collar itself didn’t look that tight.

“And you understand that your behavior is monitored by not just me, but by cameras throughout the house as well as the collar?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Nic smiled, hiding it from Carly.

“The straps are going to release you. Do I have to explain what is allowed and what isn’t?”

He lifted his head a little now. “Normal stuff. No one bleeds, everyone breathes.”

“Yeah, that’ll do it. But you must understand I have no qualms about taking you down. The collar will bring you down. If you harm anyone, we’ll let it shock you for a little longer. My men understand their lives are at risk. I will not free you if you kill or take a hostage. I’ll kill you instead. You’re insured, I won’t lose a dime.”

Riddick let his head nod, not really assent, but mocking it.

“Do you have any questions?”

He lifted his head more, “Can I have my goggles?”

“No.”

His head lowered again and Nic felt sympathy. Yeah, the guy was a criminal, and he’d done what it took to survive on the inside. Now that very survival skill was being used to control him, to subdue him, virtually making him helpless.

“The lights will be lowered. They will respond to your collar as well. I even had flood lights installed,” she said, sounding pleased.

Carly moved back to the dial and turned the lights down. It must have been the signal. All of Riddick’s restraints released, the straps slowly withdrawing into their slots, leaving him standing on his own. Each had left similar red marks as the one on his neck.

Nic watched him. Riddick’s eyes were on the woman at the door, or on the door itself. But that wasn’t what interested Nic. He was watching the man’s body adjust to being vertical of its own volition. Muscles flexed and held, from his calves to his jaw. It was probably a painful experience.

“Can I get somethin’ to eat?”

Carly smiled, “Of course. Nic and I have eaten, but I had the table reset. This way.”

Out in the hall the guards had their guns up, sites on Riddick.

“Stand down. I don’t need bullets flying accidentally.”

The double buzzing at the end of the hall, and then they were in the main part of the house. Throughout the lights had been dimmed. Still enough light to see by, and probably out of Riddick’s real comfort zone, but he was able to walk with his eyes open.

She led them to the room Nic had used as his own, surprising him. Was he to be set free so soon? Not to spend another night in the house?

The table had been set again. Just one setting, but there were enough covered dishes for more than twice that. Nic had just eaten, but the food smelled delicious.

Carly pulled the chair out and looked at Riddick, indicating he should sit. When he did she was the one to lift the covers off the dishes. Meat and veggies, another plate of meat and some form of potato, a whole desert and two bottles of wine.

Riddick didn’t wait to be further instructed. He dug in while Carly poured him a glass of wine.

“To your liking?”

He just nodded between bites while reaching for the glass.