The Bodyguard ✔

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I sit down in Lucas' Audi and he closes the door. I watch him walk in front of the car to the driver's seat. The lights from the car's headlights cast shadows on Lucas' face as he looks into the darkness behind the car, like he's expecting someone or something to be there. He opens the door of the driver's seat, takes place behind the steering wheel and starts the engine: all in one fluent movement.

As soon as the wheels begin to rotate on the asphalt, I speak. "Thanks for inviting me, I could really use the distraction."

Lucas looks more relaxed and smiles, while looking at the dark road ahead of us. "Yeah, Frank definitely looks like a fun guy to have around 24/7."

My heart cramps together by the sound of his name and the intense emotions attached to it. I turn away my face from Lucas, pretending to be looking outside.

How long have I known Frank? A week maybe? It's ridiculous, to feel as strongly as I feel now, no pleasant emotions, by hearing only a name of a person I have known one week.

You know why you feel so upset? Yes, I know. The bastard came in my life at a point I was more vulnerable than ever. Then, he saved me, there in the woods. I stood no chance. I didn't want to admit it, but he was my hero. Until I discovered he was spying on my friend and lying to me. Not more than an hour ago, my so called 'hero' scared me to death. I can still feel the sharp corner of the kitchen counter pressing against my ribs.

"Does he know you left?" Lucas' sweet voice interrupts my sad thoughts.

I try to shake them off and cough. "Ehm, I don't think so."

The rest of the ride passes in silence, until we reach the Duchoix' residence and, just as last time, subdued music comes from the house. I look confused at Lucas. "Are you having another party?"

We step out of the car and he locks it. "Not really. I think Pete is trying to make it one." He holds the door open for me as I enter and I walk to the living room. It has been darkened and around five people are present: two are dancing on the loud music, another three are sitting on the couch.

Nobody notices me until Lucas appears from my right and heads straight for the stereo. He shuts it down. "Pete, are you serious?"

Not until Lucas puts on a light, I recognize Pete as one of the persons who were dancing. "What? We were just having some fun." Pete, being taller than anyone else in the room, lays his arm around the shoulder of the girl whom he was dancing with. She's a bit shorter than me, way shorter than Pete, and she has long black hair. I'm not sure if I'm standing too far away to see it clearly, but I think she has a silver necklace resting on her collarbones with the name 'Lisa' on it, written in elegant letters.

She frolics towards me and takes my hand. With a big smile and widened eyes, like those of a child, she gazes at me. "You're that girl with the cute-looking bodyguard, aren't you?! Oh, did you bring him with you?" Her playful eyes jump behind me and search the space.

Ehm. "Not really, I left him back home."

Her lips form a reversed 'U' as she turns around and dances with disappointment to a table with drinks. I notice Vicky sitting on the couch next to the table. As soon as she recognizes me, she beckons me with her hand. "Hey, Giselle, how cool that you're here as well! I didn't knew you were coming."

I take place on the soft couch between her and a boy I don't know. "Yeah, Lucas texted me like an hour ago, so I came." I escaped through my bedroom window on the second floor, which sounds completely crazy when I think about it now, after I wanted to get away from my potentially dangerous bodyguard. But I'll leave out the details.

Lisa is dancing alone, while Pete and Lucas are talking. I can't hear what they're saying, because of the music, although they're standing not so far away. The guy next to me stands up and joins Pete and Lucas in their conversation. Now I notice another person sitting on the couch, a guy as well. He looks intoxicated or something. That reminds me of something. "Vicky, would you happen to know something about those drugged girls?"

She nods very seriously. "Of course, I was one of them."

What?

But... that can't be.

Why would Vicky's brother drug his own sister?

Pete leaves Lucas behind to go dance with Lisa again. He turns his back on us, revealing a tattoo on his neck. Chinese symbols.

I hear a bottle fall on the ground. Only it was not a bottle.

Lucas lays on the ground.

Lisa screams.

Something is wrong.