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?”