“Come.”

The door opened, and his captain of the guard stepped inside.

“How are your men?” Alejandro asked.

“Three dead, two wounded.” Darius clasped his hands together. “Antonio is still in surgery.”

“And the other survivor?”

“No news yet.”

The grave tone of Darius’s voice spoke volumes.

“What do you know so far?” King Alejandro asked. “Who were those men? And why did they want me dead?”

“It wasn’t you they were shooting at,” Darius said.

“Are you certain?”

“When they entered, they had a clean shot at you. They didn’t take it.”

“If I wasn’t the target, who was?”

“Princess Cassandra.”

A sharp pain pierced his heart, and he dropped into the chair behind his desk. Alejandro looked up at Darius, fighting to keep his voice calm. “Are you sure?”

“Antonio was shot pushing her out of the way. When I reviewed the security footage, their intention was quite clear. More than a dozen shots were fired at your daughter. None were fired at you.”

“Why would someone want to kill her?” Even as the question escaped him, he knew. Not waiting for an answer, he said, “Double the guard on Victoria and Anabelle.”

“I already did, and I arranged to have them moved to the villa in Switzerland.”

“Good,” Alejandro said, approving of the move. The family getaway in the Swiss Alps was heavily guarded and not known to the outside world, not even the family who would ascend to the throne if his family was no longer able to rule. “Tell me how those men made it past the gates.”

“The guards at the side gate were drugged, and another was killed by the east entrance.”

“And the patrols? How did they not see what was happening?”

“Someone told them you had requested an audience with the chefs.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.” Guilt and frustration laced his words. “The call came from the phone at the guard house where my men were drugged.”

“So it could have been the attackers.”

“We believe that is the case,” Darius confirmed. “Sire, if I may. Perhaps it would be wise to have Princess Cassandra moved to a safe location until we can identify the security breach. If one of my men . . .”

“You think this is an inside job?”

“I would like time to rule out the possibility.”

Alejandro contemplated the wisdom of his captain’s suggestion, his heart torn between ensuring his eldest daughter’s safety and keeping her close to him. Logic made the decision for him. “Where do you suggest I send her?”

“Somewhere unexpected,” Darius said without hesitation. “If someone on the inside did help these men gain access to the palace, we have to assume the traitor knows the family’s patterns well.”

“Thank you, Darius. I appreciate your insight.” Alejandro’s gaze landed on the painting on the wall. “I’ll take care of the arrangements myself.”

“Yes, sire.”

CHAPTER 2

Levi strolled through the manicured gardens that spanned the wide area between the royal chateau and the Mediterranean Sea, his gaze constantly sweeping past the shrubbery, the arched trellises, and the climbing roses. As though he didn’t have a care in the world, he took a circuitous route around the garden’s edge before approaching the sea wall that separated the royal chateau grounds from the private beach.