Riddick went into the cockpit and slumped down in the pilot's chair. He rubbed his tired eyes and sighed. This was proving more difficult than he'd imagined. Since he'd decided to make nice with Jack, she'd attempted to do him in twice. How much more 'nice' was he expected to take before he just fucking snapped?
Choosing to push the whole problem to the backburner he began checking out her systems. On board weapons were incredible. What the hell had Jack been anticipating, an entire squadron of fighters? Holy shit, this computer interface was unbelievable. He attached the neuro-net pads to his temples and started a quick scan. It looked like she had some kind of accounting system with a client list. She must work on-line. Wondering what her deal was, he tried getting in to the secured data.
No luck. He hit a firewall. Okay, so she's a bit paranoid. Not exactly a bad quality in his book.
What else does she have in here----? He sifted through file after file before he found her personal journal.
No password. Hmmmm.
Shouldn't leave doors open unless you want people to walk in.
It was several hours later when he sat back in the chair and yanked off the connections to the interface. At least he had some idea of why she was so pissed at him now. It looked like they'd had had it pretty bad when he'd taken off. No food, no place to live. Then later on, the fights at school, the police busts and the string of loser that she'd attached herself to sexually or otherwise. It was obvious, even to him, that she had serious abandonment issues.
After the first couple of years it seemed she'd picked herself up and the journals had reflected a stronger, angrier girl. One with determination. Oh yeah! She was determined all right. Determined to pay him back for every shitty thing that had been done to her. That was how she'd finally learned to deal with everything. Directing her fury towards someone she could blame.
Riddick absently rubbed his now swollen jaw and contemplated how to put an end to that much anger. Did he even want to bother? She was just some brat that he'd helped out a long time ago. He wished that he could believe that, wished that it didn't matter but for some stupid reason it felt like his own salvation was connected to hers. Goddamn you Carolyn Fry!
He got up and walked quietly back to her lush quarters. It was a flash ship! He wondered what kind of a game she was running to have a nice ride like this. Wondered if it was legit.
Sitting down on the edge of her bed, he examined Jack while she slept. Damp hair had curled softly around her face and those accusing eyes were closed, long black lashes brushing against her pale cheeks.
The bed dipped with his weight and she shifted and rolled slightly towards him, her legs cozying up behind him and her head coming to rest on his legs.
He froze as Jack adjusted herself around him in her sleep.
One slack hand landed in his crotch and he stared at it. Such an innocent gesture but the thoughts that entered his mind were most definitely not innocent. He hadn't really considered her as a woman until that moment. At least not as a woman that he would want to ----- well, that he could---- oh fuck! This was wrong and he knew it. She was a messed up kid and he should be thinking about cutting her loose.
Suddenly she grumbled and rocked back to the other side of the bed, leaving his lap cold. The blanket slipped down and he caught a glimpse of her bra. Black. Hmmm. His favorite color.
Riddick paused, his eyes flashing in the darkness.
Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. If 'nice' wasn't going to work, seduction might.
He stood up and quickly stripped his shirt off, then his pants. Naked, he slid into the bed beside her and carefully pulled the blanket over both of them. His heavy arm slowly nestled her to his chest and he settled in. It probably wasn't safe to sleep so he figured on relaxing here and pretending to wake up when she did. It was a hell of a lot harder to hate someone when they held you in your sleep. At least, that's what he was hoping. One step closer to letting go of all that rage.
Riddick nuzzled the back of her neck and smiled.
The sacrifices he had to make.
Things did not go exactly as he'd planned when Jack woke up.
It must have been because of all the damage that she'd inflicted on him over the last two days but Riddick was fast asleep when she turned over and realized he was there. She lay there for a minute in complete shock, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Then she looked under the covers and got another jolt.
Oh my God! How had she gotten in bed with a naked Riddick?
Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that she couldn't believe that he was still sleeping.
Her eyes fixed on his face. The lines in his forehead had smoothed out and he looked peaceful. It was an illusion, of course, but she almost wanted to giggle at seeing him appear so tranquil. Talk about surreal.
In fact, everything seemed hazy. Her mind was in turmoil and she just couldn't connect the man she was suppose to hate with the one laying next to her.
Before she realized what she was doing, her fingers reached out and traced the softness of his lips. Jack was so focused on the sensations running through her, she didn't see Riddick's gleaming eyes slowly open and gaze at her.
His lips parted slightly and she let one tapered finger slide along the reddish skin exposed. Velvet. So different from what she'd expected.
Finally she looked up. Captivated by his intense stare, she was held motionless for long agonizing seconds. This was mortifying. Lying in bed with a killer, molesting him. Oh Jesus Christ!
Then, he drew her finger past his sharp teeth, into his hot mouth, sucking and she forgot that he was a killer, forgot everything. The warm heat from his mouth ran through her like a bolt of lightening, igniting every nerve ending.
Unwillingly, a moan escaped her. She had to stop this but didn't want the exquisite feeling to stop.
His teeth grazed the soft pad and she watched his eyes light up. They said very clearly, now I've got you!
For a moment, all Jack wanted was for him to continue what he was doing to her. An overwhelming need was building inside her, a need to have Riddick touch every part of her. But that look of triumph in his eyes angered her. How dare he! How fucking dare he climb in her bed and manhandle her like this! She yanked her finger out of his mouth and, with both hands, shoved him as hard as she could.
The surprised look on his face as he slid off the edge of the bed was extraordinary. Elation thrilled her, only slightly faltering when his head smacked against the nightside table. She hesitantly crawled over to the side and peered down at him.
He wasn't moving, eyes closed, blood sluggishly pooling on the floor.
Well, you wanted him out of your bed Jack thought wistfully as she put two fingers to his throat and made sure he was still alive. Not that a bump on the head was going to kill the Big Evil, but----.
A steady pulse throbbed and she let out the breath that she'd been holding. Okay, get up Jack she yelled silently to herself. Get him in the cell before he wakes up.
She didn't even bother to dress, just started dragging his nude body down the corridor. She didn't want to stop, didn't want to risk the chance that she might talk herself out of this. Riddick the killer was going back to the slam. Maybe she didn't feel the need to torture him anymore but that didn't make him an innocent man.
The blood from his head wound was smeared all over her hands and, since she had put her hands under his arms to lug him to the cell, it covered his chest and sides in bright red smears. Moving him was causing the cut to gush and crimson rivulets ran down her legs. Jesus this was disgusting. She definitely was not made for this type of work. It wasn't helping that she had to do all this while averting her eyes from the lower part of his body. She should've put some pants on him. For that matter, she should've put her own damn pants on; she glanced at her bra and panties.
At the entrance of the holding room she paused for just a second to catch her breath. She lay him down and stepped over to check his pulse again but her foot slipped in some of Riddick's blood and she fell on him. Her ass landed squarely on his stomach and she heard a grunt as the air was forced out of him.
This was quickly becoming a comedy routine Jack thought ruefully as her slippery hands tried to find something to hold on to.
Riddick felt the blow as she crashed down on him. Oh God! His head was pounding. What the fuck had happened?
He remembered Jack's eyes all dewy and that sexy little moan she'd made when he------she'd pushed him off the fucking bed! Jesus Christ! This woman was a huge pain in the ass.
Putting a stop to her wiggling around on top of him, he grabbed her with both hands and flipped them over so that he was on top and she was face down on the ground. It was then that he realized there was blood everywhere.
"Are you hurt?" He yelled, trying to make her hear him over her own cursing and shouting.
She stilled under him for a moment. "No. It's your blood."
A drop rolled over his brow and dripped on to the floor. He looked at the red splatter in shock. "What are you trying to do, kill me?"
"You fell." She didn't sound very sure of herself now.
"I fell?" Not likely.
"Okay, I pushed you and you hit your head while falling."
"And instead of bandaging me up, you thought dragging my ass down here was a better plan?" Riddick was really starting to get pissed.
"I was going to ------ after I put you in -----."
He looked at the open cage door. "I see."
He sat up and released Jack. She scrambled up off the floor and sat against the far wall. It wasn't a pretty sight; blood painted up and down her, big terrified eyes. He knew he had to calm down and deal with this so that she didn't freak out. He just couldn't believe that she had been gonna lock him up again. After that finger ---- thing, he figured that she'd be a lot easier to reason with.
Apparently it was gonna take a bit more convincing.
He stood up, careful not to step in the red smears on the floor and held out his hand. "Come on."
"Where?"
"We need a shower."
He didn't wait for the protest, just picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
