“That’s Julien?” Theo asked, now addressing one of the guards.

“This is the shooter.”

“I need to see him.” Theo struggled to stand. “I need to know he can’t hurt anyone else.”

The guard looked at Alejandro for approval. Alejandro nodded.

As soon as Theo stood beside the body, the guard pulled the sheet back far enough to reveal the man’s face.

Theo took a hasty step backward. “That isn’t him.”

“What?”

“I saw my brother. He’s the one who shot me,” Theo said, his voice panicked. “That isn’t him. Julien is still out there.”

CHAPTER 43

Levi took in the news Darius had dropped on them, his protective instincts surging. He and Cassie had been right. The person after her, Julien Bartolli, was after the throne.

“I don’t feel comfortable sitting out here in the open. We need to take cover,” Levi said. “You take point. I’ll carry Cassie.” Darius opened his mouth to respond, but Levi cut him off before he could argue. “Unless you’d rather have me pointing a weapon.”

“I’ll take point.”

“Can’t we just wait here?”

“I don’t want to stay exposed,” Levi said. “Hopefully, Julien was working alone, but I don’t want to take the chance.” He squatted down in front of her. “Come on. Time for a piggyback ride.”

Cassie hesitated a brief moment before she linked her hands around his neck. Levi boosted her onto his back as he stood.

“Head for the trees,” Levi said.

His gun in hand, Darius angled toward the nearest section of woods. They cut the distance in half, with another twenty meters to go when Darius’s phone rang.

He answered it with his free hand. “Yes?”

Levi didn’t know who was on the line, but Darius listened for only a second before he dropped the phone and yelled, “Run!”

* * *

Julien squeezed the trigger a moment after the guard shouted. He missed.

He couldn’t fail. Not this time.

Again, he aimed at the princess clinging to the other man’s back. Julien shot a second time, but the guard cut into his line of fire and fell to the ground. The man carrying the princess kept going.

Another few seconds and they would reach the woods. A third shot. Another miss. Julien cursed under his breath. Would the woman not die?

His mind raced. He couldn’t go through this again. He aimed for the space right in front of where the man was headed. The man dove for the brush as Julien shot again.

From where Julien stood, he could see the princess fly off the man’s back and roll onto the ground, but Julien couldn’t tell if he had hit his target.

Not willing to take any chances, he abandoned his position and angled toward where the princess had fallen. If he was lucky, Cassandra was already dead. The man with her was next.

No witnesses, Julien promised himself. He needed the loyalty of the palace employees when he took over here. Besides, the longer it took for the royal guard to figure out what had happened, the better.