It was still dark outside when Leilani opened her eyes. Her stomach was roiling. Her head was spinning. She was sweating bullets. And, on top of all of that, she had no clue as to where the hell she was.
This wasn't her bed. It was much too nice. This wasn't her room. Again, the nice factor. Now if she could just figure out where the hell the bathroom was, she could get this hangover business done and over with.
Her head felt like a thousand jackhammers were going at her temples on high speed. She cursed the alcohol with her thoughts, swearing she'd never drink another drop so long as she lived.
Leilani tried to move and realized someone was on the bed with her. No, perhaps on wasn't the correct word. He was in it and he had a death grip on her with his arm wrapped around her waist.
That's when she realized she was naked.
"Oh God," she whispered as a shiver ripped through her. Her stomach wasn't going to wait for permission very much longer.
"What's wrong?" a groggy, deep, terribly sexy voice said next to her.
"I need—bathroom—now," she managed, scrambling to get out of the bed.
He released her and watched her half-walk, half-crawl into the bathroom.
Leilani vomited four times before she was able to regain complete consciousness. As she washed her mouth out and used her finger to brush her teeth, in the dark mind you, the light would have really done her in, realization of where she was and the memory of what happened last night slammed into her like a Mack truck on steroids. She groaned as she spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her mouth.
"Ya gonna make it, champ?" a voice asked from behind her.
Leilani jumped at the sound of his voice and as a result, she almost fell over. Miraculously, he caught her and held her steady while she finished cleaning herself up and regaining her faculties. As she dried her face, he lifted her off her feet and carried her back to the bed.
"It's so dark. How can you see where you're going?"
"You managed just fine."
"I knocked over a chair and was on all fours most of the time."
"I know. I enjoyed the view."
Leilani sighed, then jumped as he caressed her belly with an open palm. He had her lying on top of him, her back to him, with his arms around her and his face buried in the curve between her neck and shoulder.
"This has been the wildest night. And you still didn't answer my question," she probed, thankful that for the most part, the alcohol was out of her system.
"You're like a pit bull on a bone, you know that? Ya just don't let go," he growled, nipping her neck after he said it.
"I just wanna know," she replied, swatting his hand away from her inner thigh.
He chuckled maliciously. "Oh, it's much too late for that. You're about as much of an animal as I am, baby."
Leilani was horrified. She tried to scramble away from him, but he held her fast.
"Just—what did we do? And I must say, you're quite the horrible ass taking advantage of me like that when I'm pretty sure I was passed out."
Riddick couldn't help it. He bust into laughter, holding her to him and rolling so that they were both on their sides in a spooning position. He stroked her belly with a familiarity that startled her. She was beginning to wonder just what exactly he did to her in her drunken slumber.
"We didn't do anything. I just wanted to see your reaction."
She squirmed to get out of his grip, but he laughingly held her to him. He kept chuckling as she spat curses at him and tried to kick her way away from him.
"Easy little girl. We gotta get ready to go."
Leilani quit struggling for a moment. "You're serious."
"As a heart attack," Riddick replied right next to her ear. He shifted, and a second later, she felt a blade trail softly down her spine.
Leilani shivered as he pointed the tip of the blade into her skin, just above her hips at the base of her spine.
"The sweet spot," he whispered. "See, all ya gotta do is one good jab," he mimicked a stab, carefully not letting the knife touch her skin again, "and they bleed like a stuck pig. Dead in minutes. Unsalvageable. Beautiful."
"So why are you telling me that?" Leilani asked, oddly unafraid even in the vulnerable position he had her.
"It's knowledge you're going to need in order to keep company with me."
Leilani turned her head to look him in the eyes. "Let me ask you again. Why me?"
Riddick smiled and leaned in closer so that his face was barely an inch away from hers. "Let me say again. You looked like you needed to be shown a good time. C'mon. Time to go."
He hauled her out of the bed, always staying in close contact. Leilani had the fleeting vague impression it was almost as if he was showing her that he owned her. Oddly enough, it wasn't a feeling she completely disliked at the moment. She reserved the right to change her mind later, should the situation call for it.
He drew his goggles down and turned on the lights. Leilani realized too late that she stood in full view, naked for his viewing pleasure. She covered herself with her arms, searching desperately for the dress she'd been wearing when she first came into this damn hotel room.
Riddick laughed and tossed her some very plush workout pants and a hooded sweatshirt. They were made from a velour cotton mix that was very, very soft. She was still lacking underwear.
"So, where did you put my—"
He smiled viciously as he pulled his own pants on over the boxers he'd donned while she was surveying the room for her undergarments. She wasn't aware that she was staring. She couldn't help it. He was practically a god personified.
"I need underwear. I'm not going—"
"Commando? Why not?"
Leilani walked over to the closet next to which he stood. Lying in a crumpled heap on the floor was the dress she wore last night. Under it rested her shoes. No underwear, though. She looked up and found him watching her with a predatory light.
"I like to keep—mmmm—souvenirs of my conquests," he said, quirking his eyebrows.
"Can you keep them later when I don't need them?" Leilani asked, more than a titch peeved. Her eyes flashed, though there was a peculiar, quirky little grin on her face.
He couldn't help but bust out laughing again. She always had a comeback of some sort. She was a smart ass, though oddly innocent about it. It was a mixture to which he was quite attracted. She was lean, though sturdy. He was attracted to women whom he didn't have to fear breaking should he play a little too roughly. She looked like she could withstand his special brand of playtime.
Riddick reached into his pocket and pulled out her bra.
"This was the only thing that made it. When I went to take your underwear off, I ripped it. You're gonna have to go commando."
Leilani snatched the bra from him and quickly donned it, along with the rest of her attire. The hoodie zipped in the front, and as she was bringing it up, Riddick stopped it.
"Leave it open a little bit," he growled.
Leilani defiantly shoved his hand away and jerked the zipper up to her throat. "I'm going to make one thing perfectly clear. I'm not your harlot. I'm not here for you to just peruse at your leisure. Continue trying to make it so, and I'll do everything in my power to sabotage your little insane mission," she snapped, her eyes flashing.
Riddick smiled, though he did not laugh. Her eyes held a ferocity that left no question as to just how serious this threat was. He may have crossed the line now, but he had no doubts that she'd move that line later and allow him to make her just that: his harlot, as she so eloquently put it. His and his alone, mind you. Riddick was never one for sharing.
"We've gotta go," he said brusquely, shouldering his pack and inclining his head toward the door.
"What's the plan?" Leilani defeatedly asked, walking towards the door as he shut off the lights.
"We're going to get on the elevator. From there, just follow my lead."
Leilani followed him out the door towards the elevator. Two muscle-bound guards stood outside and shadowed them until they hit the elevator doors. Once the doors had closed and they'd dropped a few floors, Riddick hit the emergency stop button on the elevator. In the same motion, he disabled the cameras on the inside of the small space and killed the lights.
"Oh dear Father, I'm going to die," Leilani whispered as Riddick threw open the escape hatch on the top of the elevator.
He threw his pack through the opening, and then vaulted himself through. Leilani needed no prodding as she stepped under the hole in the elevator ceiling and held up her arms. Riddick yanked her up and through the ceiling so that now both of them stood on top of the elevator.
"I disabled the panel. They're going to think the elevator stopped on this floor to pick up someone. In two minutes, it will reach the ground floor. After that, it will take the guards about ten minutes to search this whole damn place and find us. The clock starts now. Climb after me," Riddick briefed her, throwing his pack onto the ledge above where the elevator had stopped.
Leilani jumped after he did, hanging onto the same ledge as the elevator started in motion again. It kept going down and away from them, disappearing into the chasm with a whispering swoosh. She didn't even want to wrap her beleaguered brain around exactly how long of a fall it would be if she slipped.
Riddick climbed down and pushed a button that opened the doors to the floor where their elevator had been stopped seconds earlier. He swung himself through, pack in hand. Leilani clambered over to the doorway and swung herself through. Riddick just now realized that she only wore socks.
"We'll stop and get you shoes before we head out to deep space," he said dryly, dragging her towards the stairs and elevator service hallway.
He peered over the railing, checking to make sure no one would see them. The coast was clear.
"Where is your friend's car parked?" he asked as they jogged down the steps.
"I think the valet said parking section B," she replied, out of breath.
"Finally, a stroke of luck," he growled, shouldering a door to their right open. On the door jamb in bright red letters was a big "B" next to a parking symbol.
Leilani took the lead and was quick to find the silver speedster of which Alana was so fond. Realization dawned on her. Alana wouldn't have the keys—the valet would. She left Riddick at the car and flagged down the kid who'd just freshly come on duty.
"Silver Jaguar, slot 9," Leilani said to him.
He handed over the keys without even asking for her ID. If only stealing a car was this easy every day, she thought to herself as she jogged back to where Riddick stood. His expression was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and evil mischief.
"That was too fucking easy," he laughed as she disengaged the locks and handed the keys over to him.
"Let's get out of here before he realizes his mistake," Leilani panted, slipping into the passenger's seat.
Riddick threw his pack into the backseat and started the cruiser. It roared to life, drawing a wicked smile across Riddick's lips.
"Your friend Alana is ok. Ever consider a threesome?" he asked as he put the speeder in gear and flew out of the parking ramp onto the nearly deserted highway.
"Not on your life, chump," Leilani barked, fastening her harness. This was not going to be a sane trip by any means. She was proved right as he sped onto the highway, slamming both of them back hard into their seats.
Riddick just laughed and slipped through the gears, breaking the speed limit by double in his haste to reach the docks.
"Just how are we going to commandeer a ship?" Leilani asked a few minutes later as they reached the exit for the harbor. She had a white-knuckle grip on the "oh shit" handle above her head.
"I'm working on that part still," Riddick snipped, not looking over at her.
"Great," she sighed, closing her eyes.
"You gonna puke again?" he asked, his voice as unconcerned as it could possibly have been.
"Nope," she hastily replied. "Just wanna kill myself."
"You don't mean it," he said as he parked the speeder next to a seemingly abandoned catamaran-style cruiser. "But I think this is our girl right here."
"What do you want me to do?" Leilani queried, her voice weary.
"Sit tight. I'll be right back."
Leilani watched as he clambered out of the car and silently strode around the ship, searching for a captain or crewmembers. He disappeared for a few moments, which just might have been the most nerve-racking minutes of Leilani's life to date. She just knew the harbormaster would show up and see them. Then, she'd be hauled off to jail for just associating with this rogue leader.
Riddick appeared again several minutes later, a broad, devilish grin on his face. An absolutely terrifying, feral glint sparkled in his eyes. He was breathing heavily, not from exertion perhaps, but from the thrill of the hunt. There was blood on his hands.
Leilani paled.
"No I didn't kill anyone. There's a butcher freighter on the other side. I accidentally put my hand on a barrel I shouldn't have."
Leilani snorted her disapproval, knowing full well what he had done. "What the eff ever."
He laughed. "Just say fuck. Eff is boring."
She tossed him the pack and left the cruiser, its keys still in the ignition. As she rounded the stern of the ship, she saw six hands poking out from under a heap of garbage. No doubt Riddick's handiwork. It started the wheels of doubt to turning. If he could dispose of these three men without so much as a sound or second thought of conscience—what could he and would he do to her when he had no more need of her?
Riddick watched her from the top deck of the ship. She was an astute observer. There wasn't much she missed. She knew he'd killed those men. He could use her keen eyes. She'd make a great scout.
As her gaze met his, he saw something that hit a chord in him no one had ever hit before. There was fear there. Fear of him—something he wasn't at all unaccustomed to, though it was something that until this moment she'd never displayed. He didn't want her to fear him. At least, not to the degree at which her expression registered. It was borderline terrified, that look in her eyes. He held out his hand, wiped clean on a deck cloth left on the railing.
"Don't be afraid of me, Leilani. Your fate will never be theirs. Not by my hand, and not by any others while I'm still standing."
It was all he needed to say.
She kept walking up the landing and finally stepped onto the ship.
"Let's move. We've gotta beat the sun."
"Why?" she asked as she followed him into the cockpit. She sat next to him in the copilot's chair.
"I can't see very well in bright sunlight."
"Ok—but—"
"I'll tell you later. Strap in. No more questions til we hit hyper drive and are out of planetary missile range."
Leilani did as she was told and zipped her lips, not wanting to anger him. Though his earlier words had dispelled her worst fears of him, there still was a great amount of worry in the back of her mind regarding his intentions and the speed at which he could possibly change his mind.
They floated easily out of the harbor and into the sky. As soon as he was able, he slammed on the accelerator to punch them out of planetary orbit. Once they'd jumped out of orbit, he set the hyper drive coordinates and away they went.
"You've done this before," Leilani softly said as the stars blurred past them in a dizzying array of colors.
"Many a time," he replied in the same soft tone, watching as the universe whirled by. "Shined. I had my eyes shined."
Leilani looked over at him, realizing he was answering her previous question. "I've never heard of that."
Riddick chuckled. "You haven't heard of much, kid."
She blushed, not wanting to seem so naïve. She had no idea that it was her innocence that so potently attracted him.
"It's a procedure in dark slams. They keep ya locked up in pitch black darkness with the worst scum bags of the universe. Creeps who'll gut ya for the sake of using your intestines for shoe laces. I've got no use for them. So, paid a doc for the procedure, and I'm solid. No one sneakin' up on Richard B."
She listened as he explained in further detail about his time in that slam and many others. He told her about how he escaped an abandoned, desolate planet once before. He actually got a little choked up about it. Leilani had a feeling he was leaving out details, but she decided it best that she not pry.
After he told her the story of his rise to power over Helion Prime, he grew silent. She processed the new information, using it as a means to gain valuable insight into the man they called Riddick. Yes, he was a criminal—though it seemed that the events of his life had forced him in that direction. It was hard to hold a grudge against him when she understood his background and knew of his experiences throughout his life.
"Alright, kid. Let's go strap in for cryo sleep," he said on a weary sigh.
"You don't like cryo sleep."
He hadn't ever said it, though she gathered it from his demeanor.
"I hate it."
"Me too."
"C'mon," he extended his hand and hauled her to her feet. "You're sleeping in the same pod."
"How did I know that?" she scoffed, following him to the cryo bay.
He just chuckled and helped her in. Within minutes, they were soundly knocked out, and the ship sped on autopilot to wherever the hell it was Riddick had decided to go. Not that Leilani was worried about it. Where they went didn't matter half as much as what he did with and to her on the way.