“So did I.” Janessa sat in the chair across from him and waited for him to reclaim his seat. “That didn’t keep me from falling for Garrett, nor did knowing I was human take away the guilt when an assassin almost succeeded in killing him.”

“You aren’t helping,” Levi muttered.

“I’m about to.”

“How are you planning to do that?”

“I’m going to give you advice I wish I would have been given when I was protecting Garrett.”

“And what is that?”

“Don’t fight your feelings for Cassie. Learn to work with them. Learn to work with her.”

“Janessa, this is different from when you were protecting Garrett,” Levi insisted. “You were pretending to be his fiancée. Now that we’ve been seen together, my presence invites extra attention at a time when she should have been kept invisible.”

“You managed to keep her invisible for over a week,” Janessa said. “You know our security will hold up against outside threats.”

“Our security force is trained to identify threats. They aren’t military. Even though they are well trained, if someone sends in a special-forces squad like they did in Sereno, we’ll lose lives.”

“I agree. That’s why I asked King Eduard to lend us some extra assistance.”

“What kind of assistance?”

“One of our special-ops teams that trained with the Navy SEALs last year is stationed here in Bellamo,” Janessa said. “They are going to provide extra security outside our gates for the next two weeks.”

“They need to be cleared.”

“Rachelle is already working on it, but they won’t be coming onto the grounds unless a threat occurs,” Janessa said. “No one will even know they’re here.”

“This is one time I don’t mind a little extra protection, especially if it makes Cassie feel like she can keep living her current normal.”

“I understand completely.” Janessa reached across the desk and put her hand on his. “Rachelle will keep things under control. You focus on helping Cassie get home.”

Levi mulled over the issues laid out before him, weighing the risks with Janessa’s advice. “What do you think it would take for me to get Director Palmer to lend Alan to me for a month or so?”

“Alan Niesler?” Janessa asked, referring to their CIA buddy who worked with a K-9 partner.

“Yeah. Max is the best bomb-detection dog I’ve ever seen, and the possibility of an inside source at the palace in Sereno worries me,” Levi said. “I’d like to know someone I’m working with.”

“Normally, I’d say it’s a good idea, but Alan doesn’t speak Italian well enough to pass for a native. I’m afraid he would be recognized as an American,” Janessa said.

“You’re right. I hadn’t thought about that.”

“The good news is that King Alejandro has agreed to let Jeremy and Noelle help with his security,” Janessa said. “I spoke to Jeremy this morning. He and Noelle are on their way to the palace in Sereno. They’ll arrive this afternoon.”

“That’s great. Thank you.”

“He’ll give you a call when they get settled,” Janessa said.