False Dawn

Chapter 12

In her bedroom Jack just stood in the middle of the room staring at the disheveled bed before her. How many Riddick's were there? She'd seen the vulnerabilities in the man who'd saved her from a planet of killer creatures, and in the man who'd lain beside her through the night, and in the man who had spoken of his childhood. She knew him as a capable and strong and clever and untrusting man. But just now she had seen the killer. He'd shown no remorse for the lives he had taken. She didn't blame him for what he had become, she understood. She really did. But the reality of what Riddick was had always been removed from what he was when he was with her. She knew he'd killed the men that had attacked her, and had even thanked him. He had been protecting her. Now she wondered. Had he enjoyed it?

Tears spilled down her cheeks. Her heart literally ached for the young boy wanting nothing more than for someone to care about him. He'd been disappointed terribly, and then used, betrayed, and deserted. He'd been forced into a harsh, brutal word at a tender age, and from that point on only his own survival had meant anything to him. She understood that. She understood survival. But Riddick had committed atrocious crimes. She knew, she'd read and seen the endless reports on his crimes. Did Riddick belong in Slam? Was the whole universe right in wanting him returned to captivity where he couldn't harm anyone?

No! Even if that was true, in the end it really didn't matter. Not to her anyway. Who cared what everyone else thought, or even what she thought really. He had earned her loyalty, and she would never do anything against him. Whether he should be free or not didn't matter. He was free, and she would do anything to keep it that way.

Slowly she walked to the bed and began stripping the soiled sheets, the scent of their activities surrounding her. She smiled. Yeah, Riddick was a cold-blooded killer, but he was her killer. She didn't fear him, for she knew and had seen that he would never hurt her. She loved him.

And what had created that killer? Was he so indiscriminate now? Handing death to anyone he passed? No. Chem Industries, or, better yet, Aurick Ndale had turned him into a murderer. He'd killed in prison most likely because he hadn't had a choice. He was a reformed killer, if there was such a thing.

A sound behind her alerted her that he was in the room and she turned to see him leaning against the wall near the door. His features could have been chiseled from stone as he looked at her. No emotion betrayed him. He never wore his goggles on ship since they kept the lights low for his comfort, but those silver pools were as emotionless as the rest of him.

"Jack?"

She smiled, realizing suddenly that he had stopped calling her 'kid'. After last night though, if he ever called her 'kid' again, she might just maim him. She pulled her thoughts back to what was important.

"I'm sorry. You overwhelmed me there for a minute," she told him, smiling softly. "I sometimes forget what you do." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Ndale betrayed you like that."

He just stared at her for a long time. "You walked away from me."

Jack frowned at his calm statement. "You scared me."

"Did I?"

Jack couldn't help feeling pissed. Why was he suddenly acting like she had done something wrong? "Riddick, the person you just described to me isn't the person standing before me now."

He stood, and she was secretly pleased to have gotten some sort of reaction, no matter how small. "How, Jack?"

"The kid you once were learned to kill because he wanted somebody to love him. The man here now already has that."

He actually frowned, "Why?"

Jack smiled, "Why? Why do I love you? I just do. You earned my respect and my loyalty and I've always loved you."

"I didn't ask you for that!" He was yelling at her and she just smiled at him.

"I didn't ask for it either, Riddick. It just happened, and I'm sorry if it bothers you, but I can't take it back." She was crying and she couldn't help it. She wasn't asking him to love her. She knew he cared, and that was probably about the best she'd ever get from him. But she hadn't expected him to lash out at her about it. "And I didn't hear you bitchin' when I was learning how to suck your dick!"

He grinned! The son-uva-bitch actually grinned at her, just when she was working up a good steam. "What the fuck are you smilin' at?!"

He stepped forward, that stupid grin still in place and pulled her into his arms. He squeezed her so tight she could barely breath, but she held onto him anyway. "Jack, you're such a fuckin' treasure. You're so damn pretty when you start yelling at me, I forget I'm not supposed to take that."

She laughed into his chest. "Big Evil gets his ass handed to him, huh?"

He pulled back to smile down at her. "By you? Never. But I like watchin' you try."

"Well, I'm gonna keep trying till you fuckin' learn something."

They held each other for long minutes, just standing there wrapped around each other. Jack felt him press his face against her hair. "I just . . . Jack, I . . ."

She squeezed him tighter. "I know. It's okay. I know who you are."

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Jack leaned back in her chair, making it squeak with the force she used. She glared daggers at the monitor before her and shoved the keyboard away, making the drawer it was in slam back into its place.

"I feel like an idiot."

Riddick was standing behind her. "You knew you weren't going to be able to find anything."

She shook her head, "There has to be a way. Chem is hiding something. Why else would none of their files about you be public?"

He snorted, "Oh, they're hiding shit, but you'd have to be a hacker to get in."

She turned slowly and smiled up at him, "A hacker, huh?"

Riddick returned her smile, "Jack, you look to be hatching a plot."

Jack stood and walked slowly toward him, her hips swaying provocatively. In the past weeks they had scoured the universal data system's files and found little to do with Chem Industries' link to him. And he had enjoyed sharing his bed with Jack. She had surprised him by taking to sex like a duck to water. She'd fondle him as she walked past him during the day and never objected when he would carry her to his room. She was lusty and insatiable, and he was thrilled to show her all he knew.

She reached him and leaned into him, her breasts pressing into his chest, causing an instant reaction. "You had to work with a man to get those creds out of hiding, didn't you?"

He smiled. His dealings with a man named Chip, of all things, had forced them to make a stop before they reached Urika. She'd hounded him endlessly about what they were doing on the watery moon of Tiborne 1. He'd told her only that he had a contact that could hack his creds out for him for a fee.

"You know I did. But I don't know if Chip would be the right person to ask for this."

She made a pouting face at him as her arms wrapped around his neck. "Do you know anyone else?"

He smiled, "No."

"Then it's decided?"

He rolled his eyes. It was impossible to argue with a woman who was determined. Especially when he'd rather just give in and have her beneath him that much sooner. He lifted her, her legs quickly going around his waist. "Yeah, it's decided," he said as he walked toward his room. It had been a good three hours since they'd climbed out of bed, too long for him. "We'll stop after this delivery. Okay?"

She smiled, pressing her lips against his, "Whatever you say, Riddick."