Claimed By My Secret Husband

Chapter Six

Zara's POV

I can feel Harrison’s annoyance radiating from him, a man who has never taken kindly to being told what to do, my boss is struggling to bow down to the other man’s demands. After a few tense moments, he reaches the decision that I knew was coming, one that I probably realised as soon as I stepped into the office and saw my estranged husband sitting in the room.

‘Fine’ Harrison growls, ‘we will take your job, and Zara will be assigned to protect you . . . if she’s OK with that’ he adds glancing at me.

Every eye is on me again as I suck in a breath, schooling my features as I curtly nod.

‘I’ll be Mr Tierra’s bodyguard’ I agree roughly, ‘for two weeks’ I add, my gaze snapping to the triumphant looking man sitting just a few feet from me.

Gerrard nods, ‘two weeks’ he agrees, ‘that is all I ask for.’

‘And if Zara cannot find your mole in that time?’ Gage asks roughly, still shaken it seems, by the knowledge of my marital status.

The hotelier pushes to his feet, ‘she will’ he replies, eyes on me, ‘I am more than confident in the abilities of Ms Diaz.’

He faces my boss, holding out his hand as Harrison pushes to his own feet, the two grasping palms as they shake firmly.

‘I’ll get the paperwork printed up for you this week Mr Tierra’ he tells the hotelier, ‘when would you like us to start?’

Gerrard’s gaze flicks to me before returning to my boss as he smiles.

‘Right now, Mr Cadell’ he replies, ‘I expect Zara to accompany too the airport today to return us to Las Vegas tonight.’

Once again, the men look stunned, but I’m not, of course he wants me to go right now. Gerrard Tierra was never a man to sit idle, now he has what he wants, he’s not going to give me a chance to weasel my way out of it.

‘I have a go bag already packed and in my locker downstairs’ I reply smoothly, ‘I need to make a few telephone calls to make arrangements whilst I am away, but I can be ready to leave in about an hour if that works.’

Gerrard nods, ‘that works perfectly’ he murmurs, releasing Harrison’s hand, ‘as long as Mr Cadell can organise the paperwork in that time.’

I glance at my boss who quickly gathers himself as he nods. ‘I’ll get Elijah to print it up now for you’ he agrees, ‘if you head downstairs, you can sign the contract there.’

‘Wonderful, in that case, I think our business here is done then.’

The older Cadell twin nods, moving around the desk as I step aside, to let him pass. Opening the door, Harrison steps back, waving for Gerrard to go first.

Instead, Gerrard steps toward me, his hand moving to my back as he ushers me toward the door with him.

I allow him to guide me, not wanting to cause any further of a scene, the four other men moving to follow when my husband stops them.

‘No need to see me to the reception area gentlemen’ he tells them firmly, ‘I’m sure Zara can guide me.’

Without waiting for an answer, Gerrard moves with confidence, his palm burning through my shirt as we walk away from Harrison’s office and toward the staircase that will lead us to the ground floor. I can feel the eyes of my work colleagues following us as we leave, no doubt wanting to know what the hell just happened, but thankfully, it looks like they won’t get the chance to interrogate me.

Reaching the ground floor, I find Elijah already on the phone, his eyes lifting to us as we appear in front of him, telling me that Harrison is already cluing him in on what just happened.

‘I see’ he replies smoothly, ‘of course Mr Cadell, I’ll get right on that for you.’

Hanging up, he focuses on Gerrard, ‘I will print up the contract now for you Mr Tierra, if you would like to take a seat in the waiting area just behind you, I will bring it over to you.’

Gerrard nods, finally removing his hand from my back and moving away, allowing me to take a real breath for the first time since I walked into Harrison’s office half an hour ago.

Once he’s seated, I turn to find Elijah eyeing me, sternly.

‘What?’ I grit out defensively.

The receptionist huffs, ‘don’t you what me Miss I’m married and didn’t tell anyone’ he mutters back.

I roll my eyes, ‘I’m not married’ I retort, ‘not really.’

Elijah’s attention flits back to the man behind me, a smile curling his lip.

‘I don’t think your husband got that memo I’m afraid’ he replies under his breath.

Glancing over my shoulder, I can’t suppress the shiver that runs through me. Gerrard is watching me, his gaze almost feral, a predatory look in his eye, and I’m his prey.

I raise an eyebrow at him challengingly, letting him know that I’m nobody’s prey.

A smirk dusts his lips, the man lifting his chin slightly as our gazes lock once more, and I can read his response in his eyes.

Challenge accepted.