Amaury pointed to the far corner which lay in almost complete darkness.

“I see them,” Cain replied.

Paving the way through the throng of dancers on the dance floor that occupied the middle of the club, Amaury charged ahead, Cain on his heels. He ignored the come-hither looks he received from some of the women he passed.

The three punks looked high, but the moment he laid eyes on them Cain knew it wasn’t alcohol or drugs that had caused their inebriated state. After all, alcohol or drugs didn’t have any effect on a vampire. Only blood—massive amounts of it—could make a vampire high. That, or tainted blood. The kind of blood that ran through the veins of Ursula, his colleague Oliver’s mate. But to Cain’s knowledge, all women with the special blood that could drug a vampire had been removed from San Francisco and given new identities.

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.”