Riddick landed a powerful straight jab to the leather punching bag and it buckled against the chains holding it to the floor and ceiling.
"What're you gonna do?" Jack asked, standing to the side of him. He kicked the bag and it jerked to the side. "Riddick!"
"What!" he snapped looking at her.
"What're you gonna do?"
"I fuckin warned him." Riddick said and hit the bag with a grunt making the chains creaked. "I warned him that if he continued to hurt her I would take her away."
"You can't take her Riddick."
"Why not?"
"Because for the past three years you've been low key. You kidnap this girl…and you will be kidnapping her…then every merc and law enforcement will be after your ass, if you take her. Then what? If you take her and we manage to get away, we'll all be one big happy family? A murderer, a hacker, and an innocent five year old? I don't fuckin think so!" Jack said and he shot a murderous glare at her, but after three years of living with him, his glares don't scare her anymore. "Riddick." Punch grunt, "Riddick." Kick grunt, "Will you fuckin stop!" he did and looked at her.
"How could someone do that Jack? Hurt someone so small, so precious, so helpless?" he asked pleadingly.
"She's not helpless Riddick. She's got you." Jack said and he looked down. "So how come the mom hasn't noticed anything?" Riddick snorted humorlessly.
"She's have to climb out of the wine bottle first."
"Why do you care so much? Where is the 'I don't give a shit about anything' Riddick that I've come to know and love like a brother?"
"I care about her Jack, I know I got too close, but she's just so…pure. I don't want to see that purity shattered." He said and they were silent for a long time, an eternity it seemed.
"Do you think you're going to get away with it?" Jack asked and he shrugged.
"I don't know."
That night Alex McKane, father of Claudia McKane, undid his tie and took it off, throwing it on his bed, his eyes drawn to a note lying on his pillow. Color left his face and with a shaking hand he picked up the note and opened it, his eyes went wide and fear flooded his body at the two words.
Behind you
"I warned you." He heard a deep voice say behind him.
"You're not taking her."
"Oh I think I am. I'm not going to leave her to be hit by you."
"If I'm unable to stop you, my wife will."
"You mean the wife that's passed out drunk on the couch? She'll be out for a while. Don't ya think?"
"You won't get away with it."
"I suppose I don't need to introduce myself."
"I know who you are."
"Then why don't you say my name, let the words sink in so you'll know who exactly you're fuckin with."
"Richard B. Riddick." Alex said and swallowed loudly.
"That's right."
"Are you going to kill me?"
"Believe me, I want to. But I won't."
"Why not?"
"Would you prefer it if I did kill you?"
"No, but you can't take my daughter."
"Oh but I will." Riddick said as he walked closer. There was a heavy thump on the back of Alex's head and the man fell to the floor, knocked out. Riddick left the room and went up to Claudia's.
He stood in the doorway, watching the small body sleep. He went to the side of the bed and knelt down touching her shoulder lightly. She woke and looked up at him.
"Riddick!" she whispered and sat up, hugging him. He returned the hug but then pushed her away.
"Claudia you know how I said that one day I might take you away with me?"
"Yeah."
"Today's that day."
"It is?"
"Yeah, but since you're still sleepy, I won't make you walk."
"Okay." Claudia said and giggled as Riddick picked her up in his arms. She curled against his chest and wiggled around a little before finding a comfortable position.
"Go back to sleep Claudia, and when you wake up, you'll be in my home."
"Okay." She said sleepily.
Riddick carried her down the stairs as Alex was coming out of his bedroom, rubbing the back of his head.
"Must have not have hit you hard enough." Riddick said, feigning surprise.
"Claudia!" Alex called out to the prone figure in Riddick's arms. Her eyes opened and fixed on him. "He's going to hurt you honey."
"He's not gonna hurt me, he's my friend." She said. "You hurt me."
"I would never hurt her, I wouldn't be able to hurt something so…pure." Riddick said and then looked down at Claudia. "Say goodbye to daddy."
"Bye daddy." She said and Riddick carried her out the open front door.