Pain and Possession

“Stay down” he growled at her as his mind raced and he contemplated the best way to attack without her being hurt.

The gunman circled wearily around the bed and he let him. When the hapless man was in his sight he pulled out the knife he’d hidden in his waistband and with a flip of his fingers threw it at his pursuer. It buried itself up to the handle in his chest and a horrible scream burst from his throat as he died.

She was filled with panic and fear now he could smell it coming off of her in waves, his first thought was that he had to get her out of there before she did something silly and something happened to her. Securing his hold on her arm he pulled her behind him and exited the bedroom.

He stopped suddenly at the sight of at least five guns trained on him. The beast wanted to charge them all but he ignored it, he couldn’t take the chance, she might get injured in the ensuing battle and he couldn’t allow that to happen.

With a calm expression that hid the fury at being caught unawares, he lifted both hands above his head in a position of surrender. He gave her a look of what he hoped was reassurance as he laced his fingers behind his head.

She looked as if her world was about to end. He hate to see that look on her face especially after he sworn to her nothing would ever happen to them. It made him feel as if he had failed her.

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs made him look away from her and his stomach clenched when he saw Johns smiling face approaching. He loathed the man with every fiber of his being. He’d always promised himself when he had the time he was going to kill him, he’d never found the time but now he was wishing that he’d made it.

His body tensed as Johns approached them both, he was expecting a blow from the sadistic asshole and he tried to prepare himself for it.

Johns walked by him and to his surprise and horror he grabbed her. The guns trained on him were forgotten in the combined rage of both him and the beast. No one touched her but him. She was his. Theirs.

His fist connected with Johns' nose and he gave a slight smile at the crunching sound he heard as he broke it. He didn’t have long to savor it though because the men were on him in an instant. For a long second he considered fighting back but her presence made him realized he couldn’t. She might get hurt.

“Stop it” he heard her scream as he absorbed the many blows that were being heaped upon him as best as he could. “Please…” she pleaded with Johns, “Make them stop…”

It galled him to hear her beg the piece of shit for anything, it made him want to kill Johns even more. He made brief eye contact with her and tried to tell her with his eyes that it would be okay but a fist connected with one of his eyes and all he saw was stars.

“Please...” she was weeping now.

“Ok fellas that’s enough” Johns said in an almost lazy tone and one by one his tormentors moved away from him.

He hurt everywhere and was barely able to stand; leaning heavily on the wall he gave Johns a baleful glare as the other man grinned happily at him. He was sure Johns hated him just as much as he hated johns.

“Richard .B. Riddick” he said still grinning, “You’re under arrest”

“Fuck you” he growled through a mouthful of blood. He despised Johns and as he stood there he vowed that he would kill Johns in the most horrifying way he knew how.

Johns pulled his guFuckFuck me?” he said, “I don’t think so…you’re the one who’s fucked Riddick. Put your hands behind your head”

Riddick just stared at him.

“I said put your hands above your head asshole” Johns said in an angry voice.

“Richard please…” she cried, she was terrified and for a second he was tempted to do it so he wouldn’t cause her anymore fear but the beast used his weakened state to take over. Nothing cowed the beast.

Ignoring her he said assuredly to Johns, “You’re not gonna kill me…I’m useless to you dead…”

The fire in Johns eyes confirmed what he’d guessed. Johns had no intentions of killing him; he wanted to make money of his very valuable hide.

“No you’re right” Johns drawled after tempering the anger that Riddick’s words produced in him, “I do need you alive…” he pointed the gun at Riddick’s leg, “But injured is something else” He shot him in the upper thigh and Riddick went down with painful curse.

He tried to ignore the pain in his leg but it was excruciating, it was all he could do not to scream out loud. As it were he gritted his teeth and fixated the measure of pain his wound caused him in his memory, when he took care of Johns the he would make sure he received twice as much pain from his hands.

“You son of a bitch” she screamed and flew at Johns scratching his face with her nails, “You promised! You promised me you wouldn’t hurt him…”

“I promised you I wouldn’t kill him…he’ll live” Johns told her callously and pushed her away roughly.

Riddick stared at them both with wide eyes, his expression for once in his life unguarded. The pain that radiated from his leg was nothing compared to the one he was feeling now. It felt as if someone had just stabbed him with a red hot knife and ripped his heart out of his chest with their bare hands.

A howl of rage and painful betrayal erupted from the throat of the beast as he realized what was happening. A blood red mist covered his eyes as the realization that she set him up burn away at his heart.

“You fucking Jezebel…” he growled at her and launched at her, his injured leg forgotten. His hands were around her slim throat before anyone else could move.