Chapter Twelve
George Taniwha, the figurehead of George Taniwha & Sons, was a handsome man with unruly black hair and a welcoming-pleased-to-meet-you beam, much like his son. But also like Hone, those eyes held keen intelligence, and Cassie sensed not much got past him. He stood when Hone guided her into the spacious office.
A large wooden desk held a pile of folders, one of which was open in front of George. The office was functional and gave off a busy vibe that would reassure clients.
“It’s great to meet you, Cassie. I’ve heard a lot about you from June and Samuel.” He stretched out his hand and took hers in a firm grip before gesturing at the pair of chairs adjacent to his desk.
“Good things, I hope.” Cassie sank onto a chair.
George furrowed his brows, studied his son in the way of parents the world over. Hone broke and shifted his weight.
“June said you were dating Manu,” George said.
“No,” Cassie spluttered, her spine going poker-straight to hit the back of her office chair. “We…Manu and I are friends.”
One of those weird growls emerged from Hone, and George straightened, his features shooting to stern. Oh, yes. Parent-mode in full force. Cassie was glad she wasn’t the only one who buckled beneath parental disapproval.
The rumble abruptly ceased.
George studied them with clear expectation. Cassie glanced at Hone, unsure of where to start.
“I need information from Cassie, but she is reluctant to give it to me without a confidentiality agreement in place. She requires a bodyguard.”
The way Hone said this made her feel low, but she had to protect herself, didn’t she?
“I have one here,” George said. “It’s the standard contract our clients sign to protect both us and them.” He opened a folder, extracted a sheet of paper and pushed it over the table to her. “Read it, and if you find it suitable, we’ll all sign and go from there.”
Cassie’s phone rang. “Sorry.” She plucked it from her pocket, scanned the screen. “It’s Emma.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Hone said. “You read that.”
“I’m getting tired of people bossing me about.” Cassie glared at Hone’s father when he had the audacity to chuckle, but handed over her phone to read the confidentiality agreement.
Fortunately, it was in plain English and easy to understand. It was typed on George Taniwha & Sons letterhead, the silhouette of the taniwha drawing her attention. She had a thing for dragons and liked to read shapeshifter romances in her downtime between shows. A secret between her and her e-reader.
The document held gaps to fill in names. Seemed straightforward, and it spelled out what would happen if either party disclosed confidential information.
“Pen?”
She filled in the blanks and scrawled her signature as the office door sprang open. The receptionist scrambled after Emma while Jack shook his head in amusement.
“Are you all right?” Emma demanded.
“I told you she’s fine,” Hone grumbled.
“I wanted to see for myself.” Emma strode into the office and Jack prowled after her.
“Janice,” George said. “Can you come in here and witness a document for us?”
“I’d like Jack and Hone to sign the agreement as well, then I can tell you all together,” Cassie said. “It will be easier that way.”
She watched everyone sign, and the receptionist witnessed the document and left the room.
“Right,” Hone said. “Now tell me why you need security.”
“I’m not a personal assistant to a singer,” Cassie said. “Iamthe singer. My manager asked me to do two concerts at local vineyards. I’m filling in for a last-minute cancelation. With all that has happened in the last two days, Emma has decided I have a rabid fan after me.”
“No one recognized you at the beach,” Hone said.
