Men of Valor, Books 1

by Kiru Taye

  Disappointed, her heart sank into her belly. It was not Ikem blocking her doorway. It was Edozie.

  "What are you doing here?" She couldn't hide the annoyance in her voice.

  "Is that any way to address your brother-in-law and soon-to-be husband," he replied as he pushed past her and walked into her hut. He walked over to the long bench and sat down.

  Nneka's annoyance grew along with her increasing heartbeat. Bile rose in her throat.

  Is that what my father-in-law has in store for me? For me to marry this oaf of a man? I cannot allow it.

  Wasn't it bad enough that Ikem had gotten her so wound up, yearning for his touch? Now she had to put up with the vile Edozie, whom she couldn't stand. How dare he claim he would be her husband soon? She would rather pluck out her own eyes than be married to him.

  While she wanted to yell and tell Edozie to get out of her hut, she bit her tongue and took a deep breath before responding. It would be to her disadvantage to rile him at this stage, no matter how much he irritated her.

  "Edozie, I'm not out of my mourning clothes yet and you talk about becoming my husband. Do you have a wish to annoy Ofonna's spirit or worse, the gods?"

  She stood close to the door with her eyes lowered when she wanted to glare at him. But she had to bide her time. Her future was at stake here. Diplomacy was the tactic of the day.

  He grunted before patting the space on the bench next to him. "A dead man can do me no harm. Come and sit next to me." He leered at her. His gaze stripped her naked. His tongue darted out of his mouth, licking his lips, reminding her of a lizard.

  The thought of Edozie touching her body caused an itching sensation, like ants crawling on her skin. She wrapped her dress more tightly around her chest.

  She shook her head. "Ofonna's ghost may not frighten you, but I wish to sleep peacefully at night. Our father has not decided my fate yet. When he does, I'm sure you'll be one of the first to know. Until then, I cannot allow you in here. Moreover, I don't want Mgbeke at my throat for seducing her husband."

  She gave him a demure smile. Though she wasn't agreeing with him, she knew that mentioning his wife's name would put him on the defensive. It was all a game and she'd learned to play it well in her years of marriage.

  He laughed. "You know better than to worry about Mgbeke. I'll take care of her. She has to go along with whatever I want. When I take you as my wife, as I'm entitled to, she cannot object."

  She bit her tongue.

  And you want me to marry you? A man who has no care for anyone but himself? A man who would use any means necessary, including force, to get what he wants?

  It isn't in my destiny.

  He stood up and walked toward her. She stood her ground. She couldn't let him see any fear in her. He would only take advantage. He stood so close that his warm breath blew against her face and she could hear his heavy breathing. The sick feeling returned to her stomach. His hand moved over her arm. She had to stop herself from jerking away.

  "I have waited this long to have you. A few more days will make no difference. Make no mistake. I'll have you in my bed, and you will discover that I'm more of a man than Ofonna ever was."

  He turned and walked out of her hut. Nneka's body trembled as she suppressed the scream building up inside her. Instead, she walked to the table and gripped it so hard her nails broke.

  Enough was enough. She needed her freedom now more than ever. There was only one person she trusted enough to help her out of her problem. She would seek him out in the morning.

  ***

  Nneka arrived at Obinna's farm the next day. Tentatively, she approached where he stood directing his team of five male laborers. They were harvesting tubers of yams, a task that needed to be completed before the New Yam festival in a few weeks.

  She knew she was taking a risk coming out here in the middle of the day. She was still in mourning clothes and speculation was bound to be rife if people saw her with Obinna. But she was desperate. She had to seek his help now.

  The bustle calmed, and the workers stopped their tasks as she approached. Obinna turned around. His eyes narrowed in a squint. She couldn't be sure if it was the effect of the noonday sun or her presence.

  "You can take your break now," he told his workers before walking over to her. "Nneka, is everything well?" His frown deepened, creasing his normally handsome face. She realized he was concerned for her.

  "I urgently need to talk to you." She spoke as calmly as she could to settle his disquiet.

  "Couldn't it wait? Did you have to come here?"

  "I had no other choice. Please, I need your help."

  "Okay, come with me." He pointed to a clearing shaded by some trees and led her to it. He indicated a felled tree trunk. "Please sit down and tell me what's bothering you."

  When she was seated, he sat down next to her.

  "Obinna, you have known me for most of my life. You know my past—how it was living with a brutal man like my father, being a child and watching my mother die at his hands, knowing he was banished from our lands forever, and that I'd never see him again. I have carried that stigma all my life."

  She looked up at him, determined not to cry, not to let her past overwhelm her. She'd never discussed her past with anyone, not even her late husband. Tragedies like that were rarely discussed, anyway, for fear of bringing a curse on the person talking about them. She'd carried on with her life. However, her father's cruelty shaded her life decisions—her choice of Ofonna as a husband and now her choice to live as an independent woman.

  Obinna's expression remained sober. He took her hand in his. "Yes, I know of your past and you've coped incredibly well, turning into a beautiful young woman."

  She nodded, her smile tinged with sadness. "You also know that when my uncle chose Ofonna as my suitor, I accepted him because he was not a violent man. In fact, he was the opposite of the kind of man my father was. He was a gentle man."

  You mean insipid and boring, don't you?

  She ignored the taunting voice in her head and carried on. "I also agreed even though we were close friends and I'd thought you would propose to me. But your eyes were on Adaku."

  Darkness crossed his eyes and his lips tightened at the corners. "Yes, but what has it got to do with your problem now?" he asked impatiently.

  "I say this because now Ofonna is dead, and my mourning period is completed. I await my father-in-law to grant my release. But I have since found out that Edozie wants to take me as his wife. I can tell you now that I'd rather die than let that happen. That man is revolting, and I personally think he had a hand in Ofonna's death. Though I cannot prove it."

  Obinna frowned again. "That may be so, but without proof nothing can be done about it." He lifted his water gourd to his lips, taking a sip.

  "I know, which is why I need your help. I cannot marry Edozie. The truth is, I'd rather have my freedom. I have been saving and have enough to start a trade. I want to be independent of any man. But I know my uncle would never allow that. So I want to ask you to marry me."

  "What?" Obinna spat out the water in his mouth and coughed.

  "I know how it sounds, but hear me out. I know you don't want a second wife. Neither will I be one in the real sense. It will be purely a pretend marriage. I'll live under your protection so no other man seeks my hand, but I'll live independently. You will not take me to your bed, and so I pose no threat to Adaku."

  "You've got this all worked out." Obinna's laughter reverberated through the clearing. Some of his workmen who sat a distance away in a group turned to look at them before continuing with their lunch break. "So you will be my wife and yet not in my bed. What's in it for me?"

  He carried on laughing and the tension in her body eased. She started laughing too. She knew it sounded ridiculous for her to propose to a man. But these were desperate times. She also knew Obinna well enough to know that he could understand her position. It was the reason she was asking him something she couldn't ask any other man.

  N
ot even Ikem? What do you think he will do when he finds out you've asked his friend to marry you?

  The taunting voice was back in her head. She stopped laughing and physically shook her head to push back the voice asking questions she dared not answer right now.

  "Obinna, please, you have to help me. I really don't know what else to do here."

  He stopped laughing and turned to her again, speaking quietly. "If you have no wish to marry Edozie, why not marry Ikem? I know he has proposed to you personally."

  Her face heated up in embarrassment. How much had Ikem told Obinna? From the way Obinna was looking at her, she couldn't tell how much he knew about her liaison with Ikem.

  "Ikem is just another man like my father. He—he is so powerful and thinks he can dominate and control everything around him. I cannot marry such a man."

  Yet Ikem's strength is his appeal to you.

  Mentally shaking her head again, she clenched her hands together, her blunt nails digging into her skin. She was having trouble keeping her inner voice quiet. She'd never known it to be this outspoken before. She couldn't afford to let the words get to her. She needed to focus on her goal. Freedom from men's dominance.

  "Ikem is nothing like your father. Your father was cruel and had no regard for anyone but himself. Your father abused his strength against the weak. Ikem is never cruel. He is a man in control of himself and has never abused his power. While he is fierce in battle, he is never violent toward an innocent. You're not being fair to him by making him out to be like your father."

  Guilt coursed through her body. She knew she was being harsh by comparing Ikem to her father. However, she really didn't want to have a man controlling her life, regardless of how he made her feel. She was simply fortifying her defenses against Ikem. Whether she liked to admit it or not, he affected her deeply. Could she really trust that he wouldn't turn out to be like her father?

  "I'm sorry, but I don't want to marry Ikem. Please, Obinna, help me. You are the only one who can help me now. Please."

  He sighed calmly. "All right. I'll think about it. Do you know when your father-in-law will decide?"

  "He said soon, but I don't know when."

  "It would have to be before the New Yam festival coming up in a few weeks. I'll let you know what I decide. But be certain, I'll not leave you to Edozie. I'd not wish him on my enemy." He grinned at her. "Go home before tongues start wagging."

  Relieved, she hugged him briefly. "Thank you. Please give my regards to Adaku."

  Feeling slightly elated, Nneka stood up and walked home. Her mission had been accomplished. Obinna would not leave her to Edozie's mercy.

  Chapter Five

  When Ikem arrived at Nneka's hut that night, his fury was under control. At least he thought it was until he found himself continuously knocking on the wooden door frame when she didn't respond immediately. Earlier that evening, his friend Obinna had come to see him and told him about Nneka's outrageous request. To say he'd been overtaken by rage would be an understatement. Not only had she recklessly defied several societal rules by going to see Obinna in broad daylight, she'd also shown her contempt for Ikem by asking his best friend to marry her. She had put herself in danger, at the very least, of speculation, and at the very worst, of punishment.

  Ha!

  At first he'd laughed when Obinna had told him, thinking his friend was making a joke. Who ever heard of a woman proposing to a man? It was never done. However, Obinna had confirmed that it wasn't a joke.

  Nneka had really asked him to marry her!

  He'd nearly kicked Obinna out of his house in anger at that point. His friend had explained to him about Edozie's threat and Nneka's desperation. He'd then understood her need to be protected. It didn't stop the sickening sensation he felt in his stomach or the feeling that she'd ripped his heart out.

  Why didn't she come to me? Does she really regard me with such disdain? Does she think I'm not good enough for her? Does she deem me a bastard as everyone else does?

  The questions had battered his mind all evening, nearly driving him insane. Even as he stood at her door now, his knocks on the door even more insistent, he still didn't have sensible answers. He needed to see her to get the response he needed. Her eyes would tell him the bare truth, even if her lips didn't.

  The door swung open. "I thought I told you—" Nneka stopped talking when she saw him standing there. "Ikem!"

  Radiant. She looked even more so tonight. Her dark skin a tempting contrast to the cream-colored night attire she had on. In the pale light, she looked wraithlike, a river goddess who had come to tantalize and lure him to danger. His heartbeat became erratic, pounding against his ribcage as he held his breath.

  When had he ceded control of his person to this siren…this tigress of a woman?

  He should be angry for her rebellious actions earlier today. As he stood there staring into her stunning, unembellished face, his craving for her overtook all other emotions. His blood bubbled with his need to touch her supple smoothness, taste her honeyed saltiness, and inhale her intoxicating zest.

  For sure, he would do all those things in good time. But first he had to wrest some of his control back. He had to tame his tigress.

  By the gods, she is mine…mine alone.

  Mentally shaking his head, he let out the breath he was holding and folded his arms across his chest. "Who were you expecting?" He was surprised his voice sounded unruffled, a sensation he was struggling to maintain.

  "Oh, nobody." Her voice sounded breathless as she replied quickly, her gaze darting downward.

  Tilting his head and cocking his eyebrow, he studied her composure. The pulse on her neck jumped and her skin tone darkened. "I've told you to stop lying to me. I can see through you easily."

  Her gaze flashed up to meet his. Her emotions raced across their dark depths—surprise, guilt, determination. There was no scorn in her eyes. A sensation close to relief washed over him as his heart raced again. She might not hold him in high esteem—her actions had proven that. But she wasn't disdainful of him either. He hadn't realized how important it was to him until now. Never before had his lineage mattered to him. He'd learned to live with the derision in people's eyes. Now he knew it would have crushed him to see that in her eyes too. Her opinion of him mattered. She mattered to him. She'd crept under his skin and become a source of strength to him.

  She remained silent, as if immobilized by his presence.

  "Are you going to let me in?"

  "Come in."

  He saw her shoulders lift in a resigned shrug before she moved out of the doorway. It was as if she knew what was coming and had accepted there would be a consequence for her actions.

  He strode into her hut, took a pace away from her, and stood still, not turning to face her. To soothe his erratic heartbeat, he inhaled gulps of air. The scent of orange blossoms assaulted his nostrils, inflaming his already fizzing blood. A groan rumbled in his belly. He gritted his teeth to stop himself from letting it out.

  Turning around, he faced her. Her gaze still avoided his. Instead she focused at a spot just off his right shoulder.

  What else was she guilty of aside from proposing to my friend in broad daylight?

  "I'll ask you again. Who were you expecting?" He allowed the steel back into his voice.

  Flinching, she still refused to look at him. "I wasn't expecting anyone. It's just that…"

  She frowned, biting her lower lip. Wishing he was the one biting into its juicy plumpness, his felt his manhood pulse in response.

  "Just that what?" he persisted, his voice acquiring the rumble of a million grains of sand crashing against a boulder in a sandstorm.

  "It's just that Edozie was here the other night and I told him not to come back. I thought you were him at the door."

  The anger in his blood flared again. The thought that her brother-in-law had been in her hut grated on his nerves. It reminded him of the precarious nature of their relationship. The moment she was released from her marita
l bonds to Ofonna's family, she'd be seen as fair game to any man who chose to lay claim to her. He needed to act fast to forestall any potential suitors, including Edozie. If he got his hands on Edozie, he would break the man's neck for daring to threaten her.

  "I've only been gone for two nights, Nneka. Have you taken to entertaining other men in my absence?"

  "Certainly not!" she replied, her gaze finally connecting with his. It flashed with indignation. "Moreover, it's none of your business anyway. You're not my husband."

  She remained standing by the door, just like the other night, as if she expected him to leave soon. He smiled inwardly. With her obvious guilt, she still thought she could manipulate the situation. She was in for a shock. In the dim lamplight, her dark skin had the luster of burnished wood. The effect of the flickering light on her delicate neck called him to run his tongue along its smoothness. Even in her indignation, she was stunning.

  Ikem had been away from their clan the past two days on a mission for the king. Knowing he would come back to her had quickened his pace and fed his need to return expediently. He'd come home to claim her, to make her his. Finally. Tonight.

  "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact, Nneka." He took a step toward her. He could no longer keep his distance. He needed to connect with her. He had to touch her. "I'll soon rectify it." He took another step. "What else have you been up to today?"

  "Nothing," she answered very quickly, her eyes darting away just as quickly.

  "What did I just say about telling lies to me? You’d better start telling me the truth otherwise your punishment will be even more severe."

  At his words, he saw a flicker of fear in her brown eyes. Still, her chin rose in a challenge. "You don't control my life, and I'm not a child you can punish at whim."

  "You had your chance."