Chapter Eleven

For a very long time Anna thought about what Riddick had said about control. It only made sense to trust him; he's been right about so much. And even though he has changed since she last knew him, he's still the same Riddick from yesterday that she'll wind up with tomorrow. At last she got up going to her room. She heard him in there so she went into the bathroom to take a shower, picking up the damp towel that he left on the floor and turning on the overhead fan to draw out all the steam and excess heat. She started the shower and disrobed, climbing in. After washing her hair, body and face she got out and dried off putting the jumpsuit back on.

When she got to her room Riddick was sitting on the bed, his back against the headboard, reading one of her books. She laid down on the bed with her back to him and she felt his eyes on her back. The weight shifted as he lay down and he put an arm around her waist. She could feel him run his thumb back and forth over her stomach, she turned and looked at him, locking eyes with him. She touched his face gently and his lips twitched in what could be considered a gentle smile.

For the first time ever, Riddick was speechless, astounded by the beautiful woman lying in front of him. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip and she smiled. He drew her closer and held her, her face in his neck and her breath warm on his skin.

"Richard?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes Anna?" Riddick said and there was a long silence.

"Never mind." She said and he felt her close her eyes, her long eyelashes brushing against his skin. He ran his hand over her damp hair until he heard her fall asleep, her breathing pattern changing becoming deep and slow. He pushed her away slightly and looked at her, flicking a piece of her really short blood red hair away from her face.

"I love you." He said but she didn't do anything, he doubted she even heard him.

The next morning when Anna woke up she felt amazing completely revitalized. Riddick was sleeping soundly next to her, so that made it even better. She looked at him, tracing the contours of his face with her eyes, memorizing every centimeter of his features. She traced the curve of his jaw lightly with her fingertips and gently kissed his top lip. He still didn't wake; he must be really under. She got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take her morning shower. When she got back to the room he was still asleep, his eyelids fluttering as he dreamed. Sitting on the bed she got her laptop and booted it up, starting to write.

Riddick woke to the sound of softly clicking keys. He rubbed his eyes and opened them, yawning like a big cat. She looked at him and smiled.

"Hi!" she said brightly and he flinched. No one should be that chipper in the morning.

"Hi, writing again I see."

"Yup. What were you dreaming about?"

"Huh?"

"You were dreaming. What was it about?"

"I don't remember." Riddick said.

"Ah." She said nodding. In actuality, he did remember he just didn't want to share it. It was just too personal even for her to know. Looking around he found the book he was reading and opened to his page. He felt her tilt up the cover. "Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison. It's a good book. What part are you at?"

"Rachel turned herself into a mink and got captured by Trent Kalamack."

"The evil Trent Kalamack with the nice behind."

"What?"

"Keep reading." Anna said with a smirk and after a little while he came across what she was talking about.

"Oh." he said and she snorted. "You have the oddest taste in books."

"Don't I?" she asked rhetorically and he gave her a sideways glance, so when she looked over all she caught was a glint of silver and he looked back at the page starting to read again. Anna started to write once more and by the time imagination and memories of the past couple of days ran out she had a dozen pages so she saved it and closed it down, shutting her laptop off and setting it under her bed again. Riddick shut the book and set it aside, he took her hand in his own and she looked at him. He brought it to his lips and gently kissed the back of her hand before letting go of it and getting off the bed and going into the bathroom, taking clothes with him.

Wondering what that has all about, Anna stayed on the bed for a little while before getting up and stripping it, stuffing the sheets, blankets and pillow cases down the laundry chute. She pulled fresh ones out of the footlocker at the foot of the bed and put them on the bed, smoothing the comforter out and tucking in the corners of the sheets. Riddick came in, water beaded on his skin from his shower, and watched as she smoothed the pillowcases. Grinning slightly he went to her and put his arms around her waist from behind and she smiled.

"Do you trust me Anna?" Riddick asked.

"Yes." She said and Riddick stiffened, his voice becoming cold.

"You shouldn't." he said and she felt a sharp pain in her back and something warm flow down the backs of her legs. She then felt herself falling to the floor. "Fourth lumbar down, the abdominal aorta." Riddick said as he slid the knife out of her back, letting her fall to the floor. He crouched down and looked at her. "Stupid merc, letting your guard down." He said and wagged a finger at her.

"Richard." She gasped and he continued to look at her. "I love you." She said and he laughed.

"Okay? Is that supposed to mean something to me?" The ship shuddered as it docked into the station. "That's my cue to exit." He said and stood. "Well merc, it's been fun, you were definitely a good lay." He said and started to walk for the door. "Oh and Anna, it was nice seeing you again." Tears started to leak out of the corners of her eyes.

Why? She thought, she heard him leave the ship as she continued to bleed out onto the floor of their bedroom.

Riddick walked off the ship in high spirits, one less merc. His conscience was yelling at him, mostly because he just killed his only true friend and the woman he loved. But he told the voice to cram it, she was a merc. He was glad that he had changed the coordinates to the nearest station while she had been sleeping, and that while he was in the bathroom with the shower running for cover noise he had been sharpening his blade and preparing himself for the inevitable moment to come. Another merc dead, life was good.

The space station guard watched as Richard B. Riddick, escaped convict, notorious murderer and infamous merc killer walked off a ship with a light smile on his face. There was spots of blood on his green cargos. When he was out of sight the guard called the station and gave him Riddick's whereabouts. He went to the ship and overrode the lock on the ramp. He entered the ship with his gun drawn, following boot prints on blood up to a door, he pushed it open and his eyes went wide.

"HOLY FUCK!" he yelled as he saw the woman in pajamas lying on the bedroom floor, the pool of blood under her steadily getting larger. But she was still breathing. He brought his communicator to his mouth and hit the emergency button. "I need immediate medical backup, my location is docking bay 6, position 8. I have one Caucasian female, approximately 35 years of age with a stab wound to the back. She's losing a lot of blood."

"Richard…why?" The woman rasped.

"I need medical assistance now!" he yelled and knelt by the woman, cringing at the feel of warm blood seeping into his uniform pants and his knees. "Ma'am can you hear me?"

"Richard." She rasped again.

"Where the fuck are you guys!" he yelled into his comm. He heard the medical team enter the ship. "In the bedroom!" he yelled into his comm, these ships were all laid out the same way. The med team entered the room and he heard gasps of horror as they saw the woman.

"Who the hell would do this?" one of them asked.

"I saw Riddick himself leaving this ship." The guard said.

"Richard." The woman rasped. "I love you."

"Poor girl, fell in love with the wrong man." a member of the med team said and quickly went to work.

Anna felt herself get picked up by unknown hands, her blood soaked clothes making a sick sucking sound as they were peeled off the floor.

"Single thrust to the abdominal aorta. Just nicked it, thank god, if that bastard had punctured it she would be dead right now." Someone said and she was laid down on something soft. "Lets get her to the med bay, now!" they said and she was carried off, darkness consumed her leaving her with one remaining thought.

Why?