Oliver moved closer, crouching down before her so he was eyelevel with her and she wouldn’t have to crane her neck anymore. The gesture was kind, she realized, and wondered why he did it.

“We’re civilized. We’re all part of the same group. We work for a company called Scanguards. Most of us are bodyguards or security guards, and we’re sworn to protect humans. Even against our own race.”

She shook her head in disbelief. It was impossible. No, she had to be delirious to be hearing something so incredible. “No, that can’t be.”

“It’s true,” Blake chimed in. “As much as some have difficulty keeping their lust for blood under control—” He tossed a pointed look at Oliver. “—Scanguards’ men live by a strict code of ethics. Believe me, if that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t be alive today, nor be living among them without fear for my life.”

She shifted her gaze back to Oliver. “You mean you don’t bite people?”

A flash of guilt flared in his eyes before he dropped his lids to avoid her scrutiny. “Most of us drink blood from a bottle. It’s donated. We purchase it through a medical supply company.”

His careful phrasing hadn’t escaped her notice. “Most of you?”

His eyelids swung open fully, his long dark lashes almost touching his brows. The intense blue of his eyes mesmerized her, just like it had when she’d first met him in the dark street.

“Not all. Some of us still struggle to . . . adjust. But it’s not easy. The temptation is always there.”

She noticed his gaze drift to her neck and felt a tingling sensation race through her body. Fear clamped down her vocal cords, making her unable to speak. At the same time she was unable to tear her eyes away from his.

Fear and desire collided as he inched closer, reminding her of their kiss. He had been so warm, so tender. And now she knew also how deadly his kiss could be. He could have bitten her then and finished what the other vampire had started. Still, she couldn’t move, could only watch as he approached.

“Oliver!” Cain’s sharp voice made him jerk back and jump to his feet.

Oliver ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry. As I was saying, we won’t hurt you.”

Ursula nodded as if on autopilot, while her brain tried to understand what this development meant for her immediate future. Was she truly safe? It was too good to be true, and when something was too good to be true, it wasn’t true. Everybody who’d ever seen a commercial for a miracle weight loss pill knew that.

“This company you mention, Scanguards, what do they do?” Were they just another front for the blood trade that did the same nefarious things her captors had done to her and the other girls?

“Scanguards is a security company. We protect individuals: dignitaries, politicians, or celebrities. Anybody really who can afford us. We have both human and vampire employees. Humans work all daytime jobs, but the rest of us, we take on the nightshift if you will. Our assignments are generally more dangerous. But we’re trained for that.”

Ursula couldn’t help but notice the pride in his voice when Oliver spoke, nor the sheen of excitement that sparkled in his eyes now. Yet his words sounded so foreign, so impossible to believe. “Vampires who protect humans?”

Oliver smiled. “We’re the good guys.”

She couldn’t help but shake her head. There were no good guys.

Next to Oliver, Blake grinned at her too. “They are. When I was kidnapped by a bunch of bad vampires, all of Scanguards came to my aid to rescue me. They risked their lives for mine.”

Oliver tossed him a mischievous sideways glance. “Only because you’re Quinn’s grandson. If I’d had a say in it, I would have let them keep your sorry ass.”

Ursula watched the exchange with interest. Scanguards had fought other vampires to save a human? Could she hope that they would come to the rescue of those girls that were still imprisoned as blood whores? Or would Scanguards only lift a finger for their own family members?

“Admit it, bro, you love having me around.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Right.” Then he turned back to her. “Don’t mind him. But what he said is true: we come to the rescue when we’re needed or when one of our own, human or vampire, is in danger. I’ve been involved in a lot of rescue missions myself.”

Again, pride shone through his words. He clearly loved what he was doing. Had she stumbled upon the only group of people who could help her and the other girls? Could she trust them? Were they what they claimed to be, or were they no better than the vampires who’d held her in captivity for three years?