Claimed By My Secret Husband

Chapter Two

Two Years Ago

Gerrard’s POV

I have spent over two years searching the country for my wife now, and I have found nothing, there was no record of Zoe Santiago anywhere. No driver's licence, credit cards, passport, nothing, all of which I know she had, it is as though she has been scrubbed from existence, which is most likely true as her entire life was a fabrication designed to dupe me.

I received the divorce papers two weeks after she walked out of my life, sent via the US Government to my lawyer. I resisted the urge to rip them apart, instead, I sent them back without reading a single word, scrawling two letters in marker across each page, NO.

I’m almost at the stage of giving up hope of finding her, I thought when she stated that I wouldn’t be able to, it was just words, no one can completely disappear, but I was wrong. I realise now that my wife, the woman I love, isn’t just a government agent for the CIA or FBI, she is something else, in so deep within the government network, that she doesn’t even exist on paper.

I have just received another dead end response from the sixth PI I’ve hired to find her, the few leads he thought he had have all hit impenetrable walls and I’m feeling discouraged.

I glance at the invitation on my desk, muttering a curse word under my breath, it’s for tonight, a party being hosted by an old friend of mine.

Howard LeGrange, a genius of a man who has made a lot of people money with his revolutionary ideas, including me. Everyone knows me as the owner and founder of the Tierra Diamond Hotel chain, but my dealing run a lot deeper than that, investing in people like LeGrange has made me a very wealthy man.

I am tempted to cancel my driver who is already prepped to collected me, hardly in the mood to party, but I just can’t bring myself to let Howard down. The reclusive man, wants to talk to me about some renewable energy idea that could radicalize the way we power our world and I know he will be upset with me if I don’t make an appearance.

Sighing heavily, I push back my chair and walk out of the study, heading toward the master bedroom on the other side of the penthouse suite that I’m currently residing in. Crossing though the living space, I glance at the floor to ceiling windows that give me a perfect view of the Maine skyline. One of the perks of owning your own hotel chain? Having a penthouse in over half of the states of our great country and a few internationally too.

Opening the closet, I glance over the three suits I brought with me, before pushing them out of the way, and choosing the black tuxedo hanging behind them, and pulling it from the rack.

Carrying it back into the bedroom, I lay it across the king size mattress before toeing off my shoes and loosening the tie that is still around my neck from my earlier meetings.

Heading into the adjoining bathroom, I strip out of my remaining clothes, tossing them into the basket by the door for housekeeping to deal with before leaning into the opulent shower and turning the dial until water starts to rain down from the sprinkler above.

Once the water is warm enough, I step under the spray, soaping up my skin with the complimentary body wash that is a staple of every hotel I own. I scrub away the dirt of the day, revitalising my body, the fatigue that comes from yet another false lead over my wayward wife washing down the plug hole with the soapsuds.

Once clean, I step out, drying my body and hair before striding back into the bedroom and starting to get dressed in the clean suit.

As I knot the bowtie at my neck, my cell vibrates, and snatching it from the bedside table I find a message from my driver, Carlos, informing me that he is downstairs, waiting for me.

Glancing at myself in the mirror, I take in my broad frame, and piercing grey eyes that I was informed I inherited from my mother, though I have hardly any memories of her or my father now. Long gone is the skinny, undersized, child that took the brunt of every angry moment of his adoptive parents' lives, now, I’m an intimidating, successful man, respected and feared in the economic world just how I like it.

Snatching up my wallet, keys, and the invite, I head out of the suite, and toward the private elevator, taking it down to the first floor where I step straight out into the parking garage where an imposing black SUV awaits me.

As I approach, Carlos, a man in his late fifties, jumps out, moving around the vehicle to open the rear door for me, nodding his head silently as I thank him before sliding into the seat.

Closing the door sharply, Carlos heads back to the driver’s seat, climbs in, and starts the engine.

We head out into the evening traffic, Carlos moving with practiced ease as I stare out of the window beside me at the passing scenery. My mind moves back to the woman I haven’t been able to forget once again, as it always does when I’m alone. You’d think I’d be angry, bitter, filled with hatred for the lies she told me, the way she used me, but I’m not, because I know that despite everything, what the two of us had was real and I damn well want it back.

My fingers clench, as I remember, the feel of her curves against my pads, the sounds she made as I took her, so pliant but in no way submissive, no my Zoe was a fighter in everything she did, that’s what I loved about her. She was like me, she fought for what she wanted, and she took no s.hit from anyone. You only end up like that if you had to fight throughout your life, I may not know her real name, where she is, or her background, but I KNOW my wife, I know who she is inside, she couldn’t hide that from me.

‘Sir, we are here’ Carlos’ voice calls out from the front of the car, seconds before the door opens and one of the staff hired for the party steps back, allowing me to step out.

I straighten to my feet, nodding to the man holding the door before straightening my jacket and striding toward the entrance. I pass at least two members of hotel security in the foyer before I even reach the entrance to the party. A man steps forward as I approach, blocking my way.

‘Name?’ he asks curtly.

‘Gerrard Tierra’ I reply. If the security guard recognises my name, he doesn’t let it show.

‘Invitation?’

I produce the white embossed card from the inside pocket that I placed it in before I entered my car, and hand it over.

The guard takes it from my hand, checking my name against a list that is clipped to a board in his hand before glancing behind him to a second man who is busy with a laptop. I take the moment to appraise both men, they have military written all over them, these are not security provided by the hotel, not that I’m surprised. Howard has garnered more than a few enemies during the years, not everyone appreciates progression.

The second guy raises his head to us, catching his comrades eye and nodding imperceptively. The first man, lifts his chin before turning to me again and stepping aside.

‘Welcome Mr Tierra’ he rumbles, ‘enjoy the party.’

I nod my thanks before walking past, glancing back as the security guard moves back into place, glancing at his friend just in time to see my photo and information on the screen before it disappears.

Turning back toward the doors, I walk through, noting the two further, obvious members of the security team, these ones not even trying to blend in, but I’m damn sure that there are others posing as guests.

The party is in full swing, having started a few hours ago, people are laughing, dancing and there are waitresses moving through the crowd with trays of drinks and appetisers for the guests.

I glance around me, noting a lot of familiar faces, before I head straight for the bar. I’m going to need a drink to deal with the amount of smarmy snakes that are bound to head my way when it gets around that I’m here.

I don’t even manage to get further than ordering my drink before I hear the gruff voice of Janis Ozols, a pain in my ass that has been trying to get me to invest in his shady deals for years.

‘Gerrard’ he booms, clapping my shoulder with his pudgy hand as I try not to shudder, I don’t like being touched . . well unless it’s by her . . .

I turn toward him, smiling stiffly as he wipes his pudgy red face with a large handkerchief.

‘Janis’ I reply, picking up the glass of scotch that the bartender has thankfully just placed at my elbow, and taking a sip. ‘I’m surprised to see you here’ I add, not even trying to hide my meaning, he’s hardly the kind of person Howard wishes to deal with, much like myself.

Janis stiffens, a slight scowl inching not his face before he smooths out his features and smiles.

‘Yes, yes, normally I would be too busy, but when the great Howard LeGrange requests our presence, who are we to deny him?’

I nod, not buying a word of it, the only reason Janis is here is because he managed to convince some poor friend of Mrs LeGrange, to take him as her plus one.

Janis is talking to me, but I’ve already tuned him out, looking around the sea of people in search of the only person I’m here for. The sooner I speak to LeGrange, the sooner I can get the hell out of here and go back to the hotel to prepare for my journey back to Vegas tomorrow morning.

I spot the man in question after a few minutes, and without bothering to excuse myself, step around my companion, heading toward him as he moves through the crowd.

I stop a few feet away when he takes the hand of his wife, making her laugh as she allows him to lead her toward the dance floor, a man in a tux on his heels. His shadow is suddenly joined by a raven haired woman, tall, in a skin tight dress that hugs her body like a second skin. She takes his hand, the two moving next to the host and his wife, the second man turning his partner to face him as he places one hand in hers and the other on her bare back.

They begin to move, and as they turn, the woman’s face comes into view, and I practically stumble as I realise it's Zoe, my Zoe, and that some f.ucking asshole has got his hands on her, on MY f.ucking wife!