Rider 7

Ch 7

Riddick woke a few hours later and laid in bed beside Shazza for a little longer after that. He didn’t sleep well, never had. Wasn’t used to safety and now even though he knew he was safe he was restless. He watched her sleep for a little longer before he slipped out of bed, surprised at how reluctant he felt when he did. Didn’t want to leave her side. He stroked over Shazza’s hip as he pulled the blanket back over her and the sound of her murmur in her sleep stopped him for a moment but a gentle caress was all it took for her to fall back asleep. He stalled a little longer as he sat on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep.
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Rider 6

Ch 6

Jack hadn’t wanted to leave Shazza and Riddick, but she would be right next door. Shazza made a point to leave the door between their rooms unlocked. Didn’t want to leave the door wide open, not after she had watched the both of them in the shuttle, she had seen more than enough of that. She felt better when Shazza checked the room for her though; it was such a simple thing, but it made her grin right down to her toes. Followed right behind Shazza and almost walked into her as she stopped at the doorway to the bathroom. Shazza had looked over her shoulder and smiled back before stepping out of the way. A bathtub! Shazza had grinned at her and squeezed her shoulders before she left her alone to finish her exploration.
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Rider 5

Ch 5

At least he was alive. Theo rested back against the headboard and tried to get comfortable; after all, he wasn’t about to go anywhere, at least not yet. Riddick was supposed to be some sort of escape artist, and he had checked the room out thoroughly, he had poked at the vents and examined the locks before he left. Theo knew it didn’t matter anyway; Riddick could have left the door wide open and simply told him not to leave the room, or else. He knew that if Riddick was given the smallest reason to kill him that he would, and yet he was still alive. With the comm system shut out and him not needed to fly the ship anymore, he had half expected Riddick to simply kill him right there, as they had no further use for him, but he hadn’t and that was interesting in itself.
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Rider 4

Ch 4

When Theo saw the ships’ lights flicker off across the console, he decided he had taken about all he could take of Andreas. The ‘accidents’, the fires, even the explosions; the whole crew would mutiny at some point. He had lost four good men earlier, they had demanded to be let off at Tangiers and even the promise of more pay couldn’t keep them, and without decent men, he couldn’t be a merc, or anything else for that matter. That other little dream would account to nothing, because he sure as hell couldn’t do that by himself. If the Odyssey was anything but what she was, a top of the line ship, she never would have left Tangiers with her skeleton crew. Andreas had to go, brother or no brother; except it would appear that someone had already done the deed for him. The puddle of blood beneath his body was still warm.
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Rider 3

Ch 3

Riddick seemed to all but disappear into the shadows behind the storage bins. Shazza would never even know he was there if she couldn’t feel him; he never moved, save once, when he pulled Jack back into the darkness behind him. It was hypnotic to watch the light from the front shield flicker along the length of his arm as he moved, the pale starlight rippled over muscle like water. Shazza doubted many people would really consider Riddick beautiful in the classical sense, the lines were too hard, the steel of his form tempered on the anvil of a brutal existence. He was beautiful in the way all predators were, all sensuality, grace and blinding power; that’s what he was right now, a predator.
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I Can’t Let You Go 45

::FORTY FIVE::

Jeanette hands me a cup of coffee and I move back a little, making room for her to sit in front of me on our back porch, offering her my hand as she steps gracefully over one of the planters. It’s mid-summer and our yard is a riot of the pink daisies she loves so much. They fill every planter and space in the garden now, and I know that she still loves to sit back here. She kicks off her heels and stretches her toes out in front of her, pressing herself into my chest. Her laugh is still a deep purr that can be felt right through her back. “Do we have time to fool around before she gets here?”
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I Can’t Let You Go 44

::FORTY FOUR::

It’s twenty seven steps from one side of the room to the other. Thirteen, sometimes fourteen, of those steps to cross from one side of the table to the other. I know only because I’ve counted it, over and over again as I paced back and forth. “You’re going to wear a hole in that floor, Vetter.” What do I say? Do I laugh, or say something clever? I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Someone asked me for my name earlier when we first got here and I actually forgot what it was. I just stood there trying to think what my name could be. If Alvarez wasn’t here she would have never known that I was supposed to be here at all, and we would have gotten escorted out of the building. We had gotten here early and I don’t think it was something Alvarez intended, I just think I was driving him crazy with my nervous pacing at the house. Now I’m pacing here. I don’t know if it’s better or worse.
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I Can’t Let You Go 43

::FORTY THREE::

The soft knock at the back door sounds strange and at first I thought I had to be dreaming. I woke immediately when I heard the door open. It only sounds strange because I’m listening to it from outside. It’s Alvarez, being quiet, but he’s still making sure he makes enough noise to let me know he’s there. My hand soothes over Jeanette’s arm, coming to rest against her hand and tracing over her ring, she hasn’t woken yet; she loves to sleep and I love to watch her. “I put the coffee on; I’ll give you a few minutes to get up.” He’s crouched down by my side, whispering quietly so he won’t wake up ‘Nette.
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I Can’t Let You Go 42

::FORTY TWO::

I had fallen asleep as we had curled up together on the porch glider out back. I insisted she go back to her book, all I wanted was to sit with her. To just be with her. It was a little strange at first because when we’re around each other, all we want to do is touch each other, but this was nice too. I shifted the pillows around and got comfortable before pulling her to my chest, letting her curl up. One foot outstretched to slowly rock us. I had watched over her shoulder as she read the same page what must have been a dozen times before she fell into her book too.
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