I Have an Invisible Stalker (Guardians #1)

Chapter 40

Samuel's POV

"I knew you could see us."

My entire body goes rigid at the familiar voice, as does Olivia's. I snap my head in the direction of the entrance into the side alley. Lucien is leaning against the wall opposite to the one I'm still pinning Olivia against.

"I knew she could to see us," Lucien repeats and motions between Olivia and me. "I never expected something like this, though."

I turn around and position myself so that most of Olivia is hidden behind me. "Go," I say to her but keep my eyes on the guy who murdered me in my past human life. "Get inside the café."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Without looking at her, I can imagine the stubborn shake of her head. "Go." This time I don't leave any room for discussion.

"Fine." Olivia gives in with a sigh.

With the corner of my eye, I watch her edge away from me. Too late I realize that the only path out of the alley leads right past Lucien. The moment Olivia is a step away from him, he detaches himself from the wall and steps into her path.

"Let her go," I say.

"I don't think so." Lucien keeps his eyes focused on Olivia. "It would be our loss if we allow such a lovely human to leave."

"This isn't about her. It's between the two of us."

"You're wrong, my friend." Lucien glances at me from above Olivia's head. "This is so much bigger than the two of us. Or even the three of us."

He lifts his hand toward Olivia's face, so I rush forward despite knowing that I will be too late. Before I reach their side, Olivia grasps Lucien's forearm and stops him from laying a single finger on her.

"Olivia?"

All of us turn to the entrance of the side alley, where Nick rounds the corner. He immediately stops with his eyes on Olivia, and as expected ignores Lucien and me.

"What're you doing?" Nick asks. "Is your Dad back to stalking you?"

"No, Dad promised to directly approach me from now on." Olivia glances at Lucien and slowly releases her hold on his forearm.

"Good." Nick nods but doesn't make a single move to leave. "Ramona's waiting for you inside the café."

I take another step forward to forcefully remove Lucien from Olivia's path, but the Guardian moves before I reach their side. He turns to his side and with a mocking bow motions for Olivia to walk past him.

Instead of biting into his childish bait, Olivia turns back to me. Our eyes meet and without speaking a single word I know what she's asking.

"Go," I repeat.

She holds my gaze for another second and then jogs over to Nick. For once, I don't mind him sticking close to her because I know that as long as he's with her no one, not even Lucien, would dare to mess with her.

The moment they round the corner, Lucien and I turn to face each other.

"I can see why you're attracted to her." Lucien chuckles. "She's got spirit. But I like my women with more charm and pose."

I force myself to remain quiet and let the comment fly over my head. Who cares what he thinks of Olivia. As long as he doesn't go anywhere near her, nothing else matters.

"Nothing? I'm disappointed." Lucien leans his back against the wall and strokes his chin. "What shall I do with the information I just gathered? I bet the Head Guardian would love to know that a human is able to see us. Or what about that one of her most obedient Guardians is sleeping with a human? I bet she'll throw a fit."

No matter what, I can't imagine the Head Guardian throwing a fit. Lift her shaped eyebrow? Yes. Anything else? No.

"Why are you asking me?" I clench my hands into fists and imagine them wrapped around his neck.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to make you suffer."

His answer makes me pause. "Why?"

"Don't play stupid," he spits out and detaches himself from the wall. "We both know we're connected through our past human lives."

"So you do remember."

"I do." He clenches his hands into fists, mimicking my stance. "The moment I saw you, I recognized you. And this means only one thing. You were involved in my death."

"What?" I blink, not believing his stupidity. "It's the other way around. You're the one who killed me."

"Do you think I'm a fool?" Lucien snorts. "Why would I want to beat you to a pulp the second I saw you if I was the one who killed you? No, you're the one who killed me."

"Believe what you want." After all, as long as he keeps his paws off Olivia, I don't care what he thinks of me. If he wants to spend his time as a Guardian in a lie, then so be it.

I turn in the direction of the café, before I can take a single step away from him, Lucien speaks again.

"Leaving already?" he says. "I'll have to have my fun with your charge then."

Before he can say anything else, I snap around, grab the front of his shirt and pull him closer to me. "Don't you dare lay a finger on Olivia."

"You think a thin stick like you can order me around?" Lucien shoves me.

I lose my hold on his shirt but then smash my fist into his dumb face. His head snaps to the side, and I'm sure that if we were both human it would have been enough to draw blood.

"Try me." I spit.

One moment Lucien is crouched to the side, holding his cheek and in the next, he drives his fist forward. I'm too slow to block the punch. He gets a good hit at my cheek, so I retaliate by lunging at him. We land on the filthy ground, struggling to win the upper hand. One moment I'm on top, beating the shit out of him, and in the next, he switches our position.

As he pulls his arm back for another punch, his burning eyes above me disappear. While I'm still looking at his face, the angry expression is replaced by a smirk.

"Quit being such a meater." A younger-looking Lucien shoves me, which causes me to stumble a step back.

In an instant, I raise my fist and send it flying to his face. Yet for some reason I hold myself back.

"Who you calling a meater, you gibface?" I snort.

Lucien straightens back up while holding his red cheek. He looks like he's about to jump at me when another voice stops us.

"What are you two doing?" A by-now familiar older version of Hugo walks across the shore toward us. "Quit playing around and let's go."

Lucien and I glance at each other and then wordlessly shove Hugo the instant he reaches us. Our combined force causes him to fall onto his butt, at which Lucien and I burst into a loud laugh.

"What was that for?" Hugo glares at us.

With a shake of our heads, Lucien and I turn our backs to him and sprint away from the sea looming in the background behind us.

"Wait up!" Hugo shouts behind us. "What kind of friends are you?"

"That's because you're such a meater," Lucien shouts and then turns to me with a wide grin.

I return his smile and turn back to Hugo. "Come on! Or we'll leave you behind."

As quickly as the memory appeared, it also disappears. I'm once again lying on my back in the side alley, with Lucien towering over me. He has his fist raised in the air, looking like he's about to punch me.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" he barks.

Instead of reacting, I find myself thinking about the laughter still echoing inside my ears. The memory made it obvious that the three of us—Lucien, Hugo, and me—used to be friends. So, why the hell did Lucien kill me—his own friend?

***

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                - E