Cain's Identity (Scanguards Vampires Book 9)

by Tina Folsom

  It appeared that the three juveniles had indulged in too much of a good thing.

  Cain exchanged a quick look with his colleague. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

  Amaury grunted. “Why is it that I always get the babysitting jobs? Do I look like a fucking kindergarten teacher?”

  “Well, let’s take ’em out back before they cause any more trouble.”

  The three vampires still hadn’t spotted them, too busy with their prey: three scantily-clad women who couldn’t be older than eighteen or nineteen. And who clearly didn’t know what they were getting into. They had no business being in this club. How they’d gotten past the bouncer who was supposed to check ID was anybody’s guess.

  Cain had to hand it to the three vampires. They were warning their potential victims. Their black T-shirts had it imprinted in bright red letters: I’m a vampire. Come closer and I’ll bite you.

  Clearly the three females hadn’t heeded that warning.

  “Sick fuckers,” Cain cursed and grabbed one of the bloodsuckers, pulling him up so he had to release the woman he was about to dig his fangs into.

  A startled outcry from the vampire was the response, while the girl dropped back onto the sectional, her glazed-over eyes testament to the fact that the vampire had used mind control to make her unaware of what was happening to her.

  From the corner of his eye, Cain noticed that Amaury snatched the other two in a similar fashion, barely exerting any strength as the two vampires in his grip struggled.

  “What the fuck?” the one Cain was restraining cursed.

  “Yeah, I could say the same!” Cain snarled. “Retract your fucking fangs, jerk!”

  When the guy didn’t immediately comply, Cain kneed him in the back, forcing him toward the ground, while he bent his arms back so the idiot lost his balance and fell face forward onto the floor. Cain jammed his boot on his neck, pressing his cheek into the ground.

  “Now let me translate that into a language you understand: retract your fucking fangs or I’ll rip them from your mouth!”

  “You can’t do that,” his captive ground out.

  “Watch me!”

  “Lay a hand on me and the mayor will have your hide!” the idiot claimed, glaring at him with red eyes.

  Cain glanced at Amaury. “You know this punk? He claims the mayor will protect him.”

  Amaury shot him a quick look, while the two vampires in his grip still continued to struggle. “Will you fucking stop it?” he commanded them. “Ah, fuck it.”

  With amusement, Cain watched as Amaury simply knocked the two vampires’ heads together, making their resistance crumble instantly.

  “You should learn when to listen. Didn’t your mother teach you anything?” Amaury asked, before he turned his head back to Cain. “Now what were you saying?”

  But before Cain could respond, the vampire on the floor piped up. “My uncle will kick your ass if you hurt me.”

  Cain exchanged a look with Amaury. “Do you want to tell our out-of-town guest or shall I?”

  Amaury feigned a bow. “Go ahead. I like watching.”

  Cain crouched down to the juvenile vampire. “Here’s the deal, buddy. The mayor sent us to clean up, and guess what: you’re the trash.”

  The vampire’s eyes widened.

  “I’m not done, so don’t even think of interrupting me,” Cain warned, though his voice wasn’t as ice cold as it had been before. He had to admit he was having fun now. Working for Scanguards did have its perks, such as teaching some assholes a lesson. “You and your two useless friends here—” He jerked his head in the direction of the two vampires who now hung their heads like dogs with their tails between their legs. “—will be taken to a nice, cozy cell tonight, where you can sleep it off. And once you’re sober, the mayor will pay you a visit and decide on your punishment.” He pulled the jerk up by his shirt. “Because, believe it or not, wearing stupid T-shirts saying you’re a vampire, and biting people in public isn’t something we tolerate here in San Francisco. Maybe you can behave like that in the shithole you come from, but not on our turf.”

  “He’ll never punish me!” the vampire said, full of defiance.

  “Oh, I see, you’re a betting man.” Cain grinned at Amaury. “Wanna make an easy twenty bucks?”

  Amaury chuckled. “It would be like taking milk from a baby. I have ethics.”

  Cain winked at him. “I keep forgetting.” Then he wiped the smile off his face and glared at his captive. “Now move your fucking ass out of here before I get really pissed off.”

  The other two vampires seemed to shiver at his commanding voice, but the mayor’s nephew clenched his jaw. His eyes darted past Cain, as if looking for an escape route.

  “Don’t even think about it.”

  When the idiot lunged for one of the girls, in a misguided attempt to use her as a shield or a hostage, Cain had had enough. He jumped and wrapped his arm around the kid’s neck, taking him down in a chokehold. For a few moments, the mayor’s nephew struggled, trying to use his hands to pry Cain’s arm off him, but not even the claws digging into his forearm stopped Cain from choking the air out of the defiant vampire.

  Only when the kid went slack in his arms, did Cain ease off the pressure. While vampires could lose consciousness when out of oxygen, they couldn’t die from loss of air.

  Amaury shrugged. “You put him out, you carry him.”

  Cain shook his head. “I have a better idea.” He motioned to the two other vampires. “You two carry him.”

  “You heard him,” Amaury concurred and pointed toward the back of the club. “Back exit. Now.”

  Cain had never seen two juvenile vampires follow a command so swiftly and without complaining. It only took moments until they reached the door that led to the back exit. Cain opened it, peered outside, and surveyed the area.

  “The coast is clear.”

  As they reached the outside, Amaury pulled his cell from his pocket. “I’ll get us a van.”

  Cain nodded and kept his eyes on the three delinquents. “You’re a disgrace to our race.”

  “It was his idea,” the shorter one said, motioning to his unconscious friend. “I swear.”

  Most likely it was true, giving that the one Cain had tackled was the one putting up most of the resistance. “That’s not an excuse for bad behavior!”

  The vampire dropped his head. “No, sir.”

  “Don’t call me sir!” Cain growled.

  “No, don’t call him that. He deserves more than that,” a voice from the other end of the alley said calmly.

  Cain’s head snapped in the direction of the newcomer. From his aura it was instantly evident that he was a vampire. And not just that. He looked like a warrior, one who’d seen countless battles and emerged as the victor. A force to be reckoned with.

  “If you must address him, show him the respect he’s due. Call him Your Majesty.”

  5

  In shock, Cain stared at the stranger, not believing his own ears. In human years he looked to be no older than thirty-five, but there was no indication as to his true age. Although by the way he carried himself Cain suspected that he’d been a vampire for a long time. He wore loose-fitting cargo pants with plenty of pockets, which looked like they were filled with weapons. A black T-shirt stretching over his muscled torso and an open jacket made of the same material as his pants completed his outfit.

  “Who are you?”

  The vampire glanced at the two juveniles and the unconscious vampire they were still carrying. “If you remembered anything of your former life, you wouldn’t want me to disclose that information in front of outsiders.”

  Next to Cain, Amaury grunted in displeasure. Cain put a hand on his forearm to stop him from whatever he was going to do. If this stranger had any knowledge about Cain’s past, he needed to find out what it was.

  Cain turned to his colleague. “I need to deal with this.”

  “Not alone, you won’t,” Amaury countered. “Scanguards lo
oks out for their people.”

  For a moment, he wanted to object, but he knew Amaury well enough to know that the linebacker-sized vampire wouldn’t take no for an answer. At the same time, Amaury’s acknowledgment that Cain still belonged to Scanguards gave him peace of mind. “Fine.” He motioned to the three juvenile vampires. “Let’s send them on their way.”

  Amaury hesitated then grunted his approval a moment later.

  Cain pointed to the three offenders. “Tonight’s your lucky night. We’re letting you go. But don’t think you’re off the hook. If we hear one word about you three behaving inappropriately again, we’re on your ass like a fly on shit. Is that clear?”

  The two nodded, seeming shell-shocked.

  “Tell your friend, and make him understand that, if he doesn’t comply, he’ll regret the day he was turned.”

  The boys’ eyes widened, but they nodded quickly. “Yes. We promise.”

  Amaury growled at them. “Now get the fuck out of here!”

  The two rushed out of the alley, taking their unconscious friend with them. The moment they were out of earshot, Cain turned back to the mysterious vampire.

  “Now talk!”

  The stranger eyed Amaury. “What about him?”

  “I have no secrets from Amaury.”

  “Very well.” The man took a deep breath. “I’m John Grant, the leader of your personal guard.”

  Cain raised an eyebrow. “Personal guard?”

  John inclined his head slightly. “The personal guard of the king of the vampires of Louisiana. You. Cain Montague.”

  Cain’s breath caught in his throat when the outrageous claim reached his brain. “Fucking lunatic!” Anger churned up from his gut. Somehow this vampire had found out about Cain’s amnesia and was now trying to make a fool of him. “I need nobody mocking me!”

  “I would never dare mock you. You have my utmost respect,” John declared.

  Cain scoffed. “Who are you? I want the truth!”

  The stranger remained surprisingly calm despite the accusing words Cain lashed at him. “I expected your reaction. If I were in your shoes, I would react the same way. But that doesn’t change anything about the facts. You are the king.”

  “I say we take this joker to HQ and find out what he really wants,” Amaury suggested, a sharp tone in his voice.

  Not taking his eyes off John for even a second, Cain said, “I agree.”

  “You’re making a mistake,” John said. His hand came up, as if he wanted to reach for a weapon in his jacket.

  Cain and Amaury pounced simultaneously, slamming John against the wall of the building and pinning him there. Air rushed from the vampire’s lungs.

  “I suggest you answer Cain’s questions,” Amaury said. “And make it quick, because my hand’s twitching.”

  Surprisingly, there was no fear in John’s eyes when he glared back at Amaury then shifted his gaze to Cain. “Is he your new guard? Well at least that means you still have your instincts and are protecting yourself.”

  “Amaury isn’t my guard. I’m working with him. So cut the bullshit and talk!” Cain ordered.

  He was at the end of his patience. Despite his instant suspicion of John, he’d gotten his hopes up of finally finding out who he was. Ever since he’d awoken one night over a year ago without a shred of memory of his former life, he’d longed to know his past. Even though he’d used Scanguards’ resources and the help of their resident IT genius, Thomas, he’d come up empty. To be told by this stranger that he was a king was a cruel joke, one this vampire would be paying for.

  “There was an assassination attempt. You were injured in the head. When you came to, you’d lost your memory. I had no choice but to make it look like the assassin succeeded and smuggle you out of the palace. It was for your own safety.”

  Cain shook his head in disbelief. The story was too fantastical to believe. And he would prove that the man was telling lies by taking his story apart. Scanguards had taught him well when it came to interrogation tactics. “Why?”

  “Why somebody wanted to assassinate you? There could be many reasons somebody would want a king dead.”

  “No! Why smuggle me out?”

  “Because you knew who was behind the assassination.”

  “What?”

  John’s lips set into a grim line. “You said so. But when you woke up, you couldn’t remember anything. Not even who you were. But I figured that if you knew, then the person who was behind it might know, too. Keeping you in the palace without your memories would have put you in danger. A danger I couldn’t protect you from.”

  “What exactly did I say?”

  “I know it was . . . and then you passed out. You never got a chance to tell me.”

  “The story makes no sense.” Cain glanced at Amaury, who nodded in agreement, before looking back at his captive. “And you know why?”

  John narrowed his eyes, still showing no fear, only defiance. “Why?”

  “Because if I learned anything from my time with Scanguards it is that a guard is never to leave his charge unprotected. You claim you were my personal guard, yet you abandoned me in a world where I knew nobody, not even myself. If I were really a king, you would have protected me. So where were you during the assassination attempt, and where were you during the last year?”

  John’s eyelids dropped in shame. “A ruse. Somebody set it up so that I would be led to a different part of the palace, away from you. I didn’t recognize my error until it was almost too late. I failed you.”

  The sincere tone in John’s words gave Cain pause. The vampire seemed genuinely saddened. Could there be a kernel of truth to his story after all? Cain pushed the thoughts away. No, he was just so desperate to find out about his past that he was trying to cling onto anything that might lead him to his old life. He couldn’t allow this stranger to get to him and fill his head with nonsense like kings, assassinations, and palaces.

  “Yes, you failed. In more ways than just one. Your reasoning doesn’t square up. Even if you couldn’t prevent the assassination, why send me away without protection?”

  John glared at him. “Because I was being watched! I could sense it. Had I made any attempt to provide protection for you, whoever wanted to harm you would have found you and killed you. I couldn’t risk it. It was safer this way. Everybody believes you’re dead. I made sure of that. I took your ring and some of your personal effects and placed them with the ash of the dead assassin so everybody would think it was you.”

  “And now?” Cain asked. “Why come to me now?”

  “Events have forced my hand.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “Let’s take him downtown and lock him up,” Amaury suggested.

  “Let’s go,” Cain agreed, tightening his hold on their captive and trying to pull him away from the wall.

  John resisted and dropped his head, motioning to his jacket. “Please. I have proof. In my inside pocket.”

  Cain hesitated.

  “Let me,” Amaury interrupted and patted the area with his hand. “No weapons.”

  Cain gave a nod then reached inside the vampire’s jacket. He felt a piece of smooth paper, gripped it and pulled it out.

  A moment later, his heart stopped beating, and it felt as if the earth underneath his feet had stopped turning.

  Cain stared at his own likeness. Though he’d never seen himself in a mirror since vampires didn’t reflect in mirrors, when he’d gotten his ID at Scanguards, they’d taken a picture of him. The man in the picture he was holding in his hands now and the photo on his ID were identical. But this fact wasn’t the reason his heart had stopped. It was the woman next to him.

  She was the voluptuous beauty he’d made love to in his dreams. The woman whose name he couldn’t remember.

  “Who is she?” His voice was only a faint echo.

  “Faye. The woman you were going to marry.”

  Cain stroked over the picture, wanting to touch her face. She was real. He hadn�
�t invented her. He met John’s eyes. “I have to see her.”

  John hesitated. “There’s something you need to know.”

  A bolt of adrenaline shot through his insides. “Is she alive?”

  “Yes, yes, of course. But . . .”

  Cain gripped John by the collar. “Damn it! What is it then?”

  “Your brother Abel has asked Faye to marry him when he ascends to the throne in less than two weeks.”

  Cain released John and jerked back. The news crashed over him like a tsunami, drowning him in a devastation he hadn’t thought was possible.

  “No!” The scream dislodged from Cain’s throat without any conscious effort on his part. Only when he heard it echo in the night did he know that he’d screamed.

  With it one thought settled in his mind: he would take his old life back.

  6

  Faye heard the angry voices before she reached the large room on the ground level of the palace where the king, or now the regent, conducted business. It was part office, part living area, with a comfortable seating arrangement in front of a roaring fireplace.

  She remembered the many times she had sat there in Cain’s arms after he’d dismissed everybody when his work for the night was done. She’d looked forward to those rare moments with him where Cain would talk to her about everything that concerned him. She’d become his sounding board.

  Faye swept into the room, ignoring the two guards who stood at the open double doors. They’d once been Cain’s guards and didn’t stop her, still affording her the same courtesy as during Cain’s reign.

  She wasn’t the only spectator to the scene that played out in Abel’s presence. Other members of the royal household were present, too: advisors, guards, and other staff. All watched the vampire who stood before Abel, his head hung in defeat.

  Faye recognized him instantly. “Robert!” She rushed toward him and Abel. “What’s going on?”

  Abel turned his gaze to her, but Robert, the man who was in charge of procuring human blood for the palace—both packaged as well as in the form of actual human donors—didn’t turn his head.