Levi urged his horse into a gallop. The man he had chased out of the barn was out there somewhere, and Levi had to get Cassie to safety before she became his next victim.

* * *

Cassie urged her horse up the rise and headed for the gazebo. She needed time to think, time to feel, and time to consider her future now that Levi wasn’t a part of it.

A new wave of loss crested over her, overshadowing the hurt and embarrassment that came from learning Levi had fooled her during their weeks together. She thought about it now, the way Levi never talked about his family or his home, his comment about not having a choice in his reassignment, even his friendship with Janessa. Pierre had mentioned Levi’s arrival in Meridia had coincided with hers. Could he have come to protect his fellow American citizen originally? Obviously, the Meridian royal family appreciated his skills enough to want him to stay. What would have happened had Levi been honest with her from the beginning about who he was?

She knew the answer the moment the thought formed. If her father hadn’t rejected his help, she would have. The walls would have been erected between them, and she never would have fallen for him.

Her first thought was she wished she had never met Levi. The memories of her time with him overshadowed the pain. Despite the deceit, she couldn’t deny that he had opened her heart in a way she had never before experienced. If only he could have been the man she believed him to be.

The information her father had shared with her clarified so many things, details that explained many questions Levi had been asking for weeks. Had they been working together, perhaps Levi could have helped her family neutralize the true threats against them. Of course, she could hardly fault her father for holding back. After all, he was right not to trust Levi fully.

Cassie noted the work crew along the east fence. Another few days and the security improvements would be complete. But now they would have to be revamped again to make sure the CIA didn’t have too much insight into their internal affairs.

She rolled the information her father had shared over and over in her mind, the pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place. King Eduard hadn’t told Levi of her father’s illness, which meant the CIA knew her king was dying.

A new wave of uncertainty bloomed within her. Could she rule her country effectively when her father turned the reins over to her? Or was she destined to let outsiders take over the empire her family had fought so hard to build?

Something rustled in the trees, and Cassie turned toward the sound. She saw a flash of movement to her left even as she heard a horse quickly approaching from the right. She reined in her own mount and looked behind her at a horse approaching at a full gallop, Levi on his back.