“Levi has already been given access to everything. I don’t think there’s anything you can say that will surprise him at this point.”

“Theo’s real last name is Escobar.”

Cassie’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“He came to King Alejandro three years ago after his father died, looking for protection.”

“Protection from what?” Cassie asked.

“Not from what. From whom,” Darius said. “After your family, Theo was the next in line for the throne here in Sereno. He abdicated his claim in order to work for the royal family. In exchange, the king helped him hide his location,” Darius explained. “The man who shot Theo in the stables was his younger brother.”

* * *

Alejandro paced across his living room, his cell phone in his hand. Darius continued to give him updates on the situation outside, Alejandro’s blood pressure steadily rising.

“Alejandro, you need to sit,” Elliott said, addressing him as he only did when they were in private.

“You can’t sit still either,” Alejandro pointed out as Elliott paced the room.

“I’ll sit if you will.”

Alejandro’s phone rang, and he answered on the first ring. “Yes?”

“Your daughter is safe,” Darius told him. “She injured her ankle, but one of my men will bring a cart up to the cliffs to retrieve her as soon as the injured are delivered to the ambulances.”

“Thank you.” Alejandro hung up the phone and turned to Elliott. “Cassie’s okay.”

“Thank goodness. Where is she?”

“Darius is bringing her down in a few minutes.” Alejandro headed for the door.

“Don’t you think you should wait here?” Elliott asked. “You had people shooting at your daughter a few minutes ago. I think it would be wise to stay out of sight until security has time to recover from the incident.”

“I need to see my daughter.” Alejandro continued into the hall. As much as he wanted to rush down the stairs, he recognized his fatigue and stopped at the elevator.

“I really think you should wait in the residence,” Elliott said.

“You can wait here. I’m going downstairs.” The elevator doors slid open. Alejandro wasn’t surprised when Elliott followed him inside.

They made their way outside to where three ambulances occupied the driveway by the main entrance. A guard lay on a stretcher as paramedics tended to him. A second guard sat in the back of a golf cart while another paramedic applied a bandage to his leg.

Theo sat on yet another stretcher.

Alejandro headed his way. “Theo, what happened?”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I don’t know how he got here.”

“Julien?”

“Yes.” In a complete breach of etiquette, Theo grabbed Alejandro’s hand. “He’s after Princess Cassandra. He’ll kill her, and when he’s done, he will go after your other daughters. Someone has to stop him.”

“Someone already did.” Alejandro looked up at a guard driving a golf cart toward them, a prone figure visible on the backseat, a sheet draped over it.

The guard parked a few meters away. Another guard joined the first, and together they lifted the body, sheet and all, from the golf cart and lowered it onto the ground.