The Puppet Assassin [TTR sequel]

The Puppet Assassin - Ch 16 [what's a lie? - | - luke]

Larkin closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. I knew what he was feeling. How could this guy, the man who had fathered this girl, be so cruel and devious? How had Dizelde managed to survive three years with him anyway? How had she managed to be conceived? My temper whipped up, roaring to be unleashed. I took a step away from everyone. I should get out of here before I hurt someone, or say something I'll regret later.

"Larkin... check Dizelde for any injury..." I gritted my teeth and looked away from Dizelde's wet eyes. "Garth, update Liam. I need - I need to..."

Garth stepped over and gripped my shoulder. "I get it, boss. You haven't gone for your run yet, right?" he said, making a shooing motion with his head.

I smiled, more of a tightening of my lips, and nodded jerkily.

"Go to Paddy," Lark said suddenly, "if your headaches are as painful as they look."

I cracked my neck, annoyed that he was trying to take care of me but when I opened my mouth to argue, he simply raised an eyebrow and smirked. That fucker, I'd kill him later. I needed to get out of the tension filled room.

** **

"I'm surprised you're still standing with this migraine." Paddy rubbed gently on my temples and I winced as pain stabbed sharply through my skull.

"I've had worse, Paddy, you should know. Can you get rid of it? It's been almost constant since that time I was knocked out and dragged to the LASER holding rooms."

He sighed and I felt the tingling magic transfer from his fingers to seep into my skin, clearing the ache like water on a fire.

"I'll let you get back to your other patients," I said, shifting forward to stand up. I stopped when he raised a hand.

"You stay right where yeh are, Luke." He had the tone of voice that warned me he was going to treat me like a little kid. I only barely stopped myself from pouting.

"My fix is only temporary, you will still keep getting those headaches." He scratched his scraggly beard and frowned at me. I don't know why he was giving ME that look. He was the one who had forgotten to scrape the dead cat off his chin for the past few months. "You're too stressed. You need t' give yourself a break."

I thought about Dizelde, the phone call, the murders. "I can't do that at the moment, Paddy. You know that. It would make me look weak if, when a tough situation arises and I'm required to be the leader, I go on a bloody holiday." I ran my hand through my hair, then tugged my fringe forward so I could see it. I should get a professional to trim it. And I should get it done before... oh, that's right. "I've got a date soon, anyway. That should pick me up, right?"

He gave me an exasperated look. "A first date? Where yeh panic and freak out about the girl and how you'll come across t' her? Give me a break, boss. I can't trail after you everywhere, getting rid of your migraines as they pop up."

"It'll be fine." Bianca's image, never to far from the backs of my eyelids, popped up in my mind, laughing, carefree. "There's no pressure." I smiled. "It'll be more of a release of strain than the opposite."

Paddy struggled for a moment, and then beamed at me. "Are yeh gonna introduce her t' me soon?"

I stopped short of chuckling when I saw that he was serious. "Paddy! I've just met the girl!" I suddenly felt a little embarrassed. My healer had been there for all of the literal rough scrapes in my life so far and he felt like family. And telling him anything to do with Bianca was like telling my father about my girlfriend... Awkward.

I stood up, fidgeting with my tele-wire. "Er, I've got to go. There are a few things I need to check in with at Garth's place..." Which was true. That reminded me. I needed to find a counsellor, someone who'd be able to help Diz recover from her trauma.

He gave me a stern look, one I'd seen aimed at his most intolerant patients. "In a week's time, come back and see me again. If you're no better, I WILL 'accidentally' sedate you for the next week."

"Well, that's a good incentive for me to visit," I drawled.

"If I have to come after you, Luke Remington, I'll put you down."

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Well, er, I don't know how to start this author's note. Oh, there you go, that worked...

Luke had a bit of a childish moment in this chapter. It's good to see that he's not perfect and that pressure, etc, does get to him. Remember, he is... nineteen-ish. I'm pretty sure he turns twenty soon. His father was a bit of a slacker, eh? Giving the title of alpha away to his totally young son... gosh, I'm babbling.

Anyway, to the Luke fans, he wanted me to say that he normally keeps his cool... He's a 'cool, relaxed guy'... erm, he wanted me to add other... adjectives... Maybe some other time.

Cheers for reading!

Sid x

PS. Teehee, I couldn't write this in the chapter because it wasn't something that Luke would pay attention to, but, yes, Garth was in his grundies [underwear] ;D The. Whole. Time. Mwahahahahaha!

PPS. Sorry, chapter's pretty short... But I couldn't do much about that... :-D