The Puppet Assassin [TTR sequel]

The Puppet Assassin - Ch 28 [imagine that]

Sidney Note:

Imagine this; haha, okay, chapter title pun over, I'm sitting at my laptop, tapping the plastic cover, wondering why the hell this chapter isn't sitting well with me... but I can't figure it out. I know some of you will be all good with this standard but if anyone wants to pick at it, feel free. I'll accept any type of criticism... [she's that desperate]

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Imagine That

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“You know, if you don’t eat that, I will force feed you. I don’t think it will be a pleasant experience.”

Larkin raised an eyebrow, his expression otherwise calm. The food he was talking about was a simple salad and, if my stomach hadn’t been churning, I would have gladly consumed it. But I could hardly swallow my own saliva and there was also the added pressure of him staring at me. It was like some kind of interrogation.

I shook my head firmly. “Larkin, I know you’re about to go into one of rants about how I just threw up and I need the nutrition, but I just can’t eat right now. It’ll just come straight back out.”

He considered me for a moment, his eyes drinking me in, and then he gave me a short nod. “Okay, I’ll let it go. If you like, I can get rid of the nausea?”

I thought about the last time he’d ‘healed’ me. Hmm, maybe not. “I’ll be okay.”

His lips pursed. “If you don’t eat by seven pm tonight…” He didn’t finish the sentence, distracted by something I couldn’t see nor hear.

“LARKIN!” Luke’s voice startled me.

Larkin chuckled and stood, picking up my plate of food. He took his time putting it in the fridge while I watched the door worriedly for the angry Luke to come through.

A moment later, the door flew open. Luke was furious, so his cheeks were slightly tinged with red, but he looked less pale overall and he’d lost the fuzziness in his expression.

He didn’t even glance at me and strode straight over to Larkin and grabbed him by his collar, shoving him into the fridge.

“You bastard!” he hissed. “What gives you the right to put me out like that?” He jerked Lark forward again and then slammed him back. It was a surprising feat considering he was about three inches shorter and definitely the lesser muscled of the two. “I don’t care if you think I needed it. It’s not like I’d miss out on a day of work! There are people’s lives at stake, depending on me for their safety!”

I couldn’t see Luke’s expression but I could imagine that his eyes would be spitting golden fire. Larkin, however, was looking down at him coolly, not even bothering to break free of his grip. I stood slowly, wondering if I should do something to break them up. Almost instantly, both of them snapped their heads towards me.

Luke scowled. “Don’t you even think of going anywhere. When I’m done with this asshole, you’re next and, trust me, I’m going to be anything but calm and pleasant. Sit down.”

Without my command, my body followed his instructions and my behind hit the chair with a thud. Luke jutted his chin out and turned back to Larkin, whose eyes were still carefully watching me.

“You’ll be working with me from now on. No excuses. No home trips. No holidays. Until we find the victims, until there are no more ‘blood-witches’, you are my assistant and you will do everything I tell you to.”

Larkin jerked his head back around to face Luke, his brow furrowed. “I’m not one of your Cats who you can boss around.” He reached up and wrapped his long fingers around Luke’s wrist, not moving it away but holding in an obviously tight grip. “If you want me to return you back to the health you were in, I can easily do so. And then we can spend the next two days watching you kill yourself. However, if you don’t want that, back the fuck off. I’ll help you if you want, if it’ll mean you stop stressing yourself to the point of a breakdown, but I’ll be damned if I see it as some kind of punishment.”