He nodded, worry creasing his features. “I don’t have experience with private investigators, but his line of questioning caught me off guard. It didn’t feel right.”
“No,” I agreed. “None of this is right.”
I admired that he didn’t press me for further details. He had to be curious, but it was clear he saw this for what it was: a gross invasion of Zara’s privacy.
“I gave him nothing,” Javier reiterated. “And I won’t. I’ll let the office staff know any outside inquiries come straight to me.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I mean it, Cormac.” His eyes held mine. “Zara is a good person. A great employee. Whatever’s going on, she shouldn’t have strangers calling around trying to map her life.”
My jaw tightened so hard, it ached. “Did he say who hired him?”
“No. I asked, and he said he couldn’t reveal that.”
I had a hundred more questions, but Javier had shared all he could. He’d done the right thing, cutting Mercer off without giving anything away.
Turning away from the window, I moved to the other side of my desk. “If you hear from him again, put him through to me.”
Javier stood, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Of course. Should I let Zara know about the call?”
“No.” I rubbed the space between my brows. “I’ll talk to her.”
“She’s leading a horseback ride this morning then taking a group out climbing. She should be done with her day around four.”
“Thanks.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Really, Javier. Thank you for your discretion.”
“It goes without saying.” He stopped at the door, his hand on the knob. “Zara’s great at her job. She knows the ranch like the back of her hand, and she really likes being a guide. We don’t get many like her.”
There wasno onelike Zara.
Javier shut the door softly behind him, leaving the office too quiet.
I stood there a long moment, staring at nothing.
My jaw flexed.
Zara had fought too hard for her peace. This was her fresh start, and her ex’s business was trying to invade.
That wasn’t going to happen. Not while I was still standing.
I had some calls to make. Courses of action to consider.
If Mercer or Jackson—hell, ifanyone showed up wanting to map her life, they were going to find out very quickly every road led through me.
Zara picked up her phone then put it right back down. This wasn’t the first time she’d done that. Or even the second. But I didn’t blame her for her reluctance. I’d dropped this bomb in her lap the minute she’d gotten home from work. She deserved to know what was going on.
Her dark gaze shone on mine. “I never want to hear his voice again.”
“I’ll talk to him if you want me to.”
“No.” She let her head fall on my shoulder, and I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her into my side. “Let me complain about it for a minute, then I’ll do it.”
I smiled into her hair. She smelled like sunshine, sweat, and Zara. “Complain all you want.”
I didn’t want her to call Jackson, but after talking it over with my dad, followed by our family’s lawyer, it seemed to be the right starting point. This was Jackson’s problem. He needed to be the one to handle Mercer. And while I sincerely doubted Jackson would do the right thing, there was a small chance he might. So we were going to start with him and go from there.
Zara gave herself a full minute before sitting up and grabbing her phone off her couch. “Okay. I’m ready.”