Forbidden

Forbidden

Book Three in Music City Moguls Series

Cheryl Douglas

Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas

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Forbidden © 2014 Cheryl Douglas

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Lee Elliott is working hard to re-build his relationship with his brother, Drake, and prove to him that he’s a changed man after a series of bad choices created a serious rift in their relationship. When Drake agrees to give him a chance, Lee vows he won’t do anything to screw it up. There are four simple rules: no drinking, no drugs, no stealing, and no messing around with Drake’s employees. Lee can handle the first three, but Drake’s personal assistant, Indie, is making it nearly impossible to obey his brother’s fourth commandment.

Indie Eaton has been working for Drake long enough to know his brother is a train-wreck, and when Drake tells Lee is coming to work for him, she has no problem obeying his command to steer clear. Given her history with men, the last thing she needs is to date another loser.

But when Lee reports for duty looking and acting nothing like the man she remembers she begins to wonder if he’s really changed… or is she just seeing what she wants to see?

Lee Elliott struggled to find the words his brother was waiting to hear, but they wouldn’t come.

“I know you’ve worked hard to prove yourself to me,” Drake said, leaning back in the bench seat as he made eye contact with his twin. “I’m offering you this job because you have nothing left to prove.”

Lee hadn’t turned his life around to prove himself to his brother, though he was happy he had. His main goal had been to become a man his daughter could be proud of. “I appreciate your faith in me, really I do…”

“But?”

“I don’t know if us working together is such a good idea.”

Drake and Lee had taken years to put the past behind them, and Lee didn’t know if he was willing to risk that for anything, even a steady paycheck. Granted, he was doing well as a freelance sound engineer, but the music industry could be an unpredictable beast. In Nashville, it didn’t matter which side of the microphone a person was on. Guys like Lee were dispensable, no matter who was footing the bill.

“Why not?” Drake asked, looking irritated. He no doubt thought his brother was unwilling to cooperate. “We’ve worked together on a few projects now. I think they’ve gone pretty well, don’t you?”

“I guess.” Lee shrugged. At first, the members of Drake’s team had assumed his charity to helping Lee make his way in Music City. Their attitudes changed after a few months when they realized Lee would do whatever it took to get the job done. “But not everyone would be thrilled about it.”

Drake frowned. “If you mean Cassidy, we talked about it. What happened between y’all is—”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” Lee said. He could barely stand to think about what had happened between him and Cassidy before she became Drake’s wife. “I’m talking about your admin assistant. She hates my guts, remember?” Lee didn’t know what he’d done to her, but Indie Eaton had made no secret of the fact she could barely stand the sight of him.

“I’ll talk to Indie,” Drake said, taking a sip of his vodka. “She won’t be a problem, trust me.”

Drake had a lot of influence with his staff, mainly because they liked, respected, and feared him. But Indie was as strong-willed as any woman Lee had met, and he knew no one would be able to tell her how to act or who to like. Not even her boss.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Lee said, reaching for his Coke. “I think you’re underestimating how she feels about me.”

“What’d you do to piss her off anyhow?” Drake asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I know you’re not her type, so it couldn’t be that.”

“Not a chance.” Lee had asked one of the boys in the studio what Indie’s deal was a few days after they met, and the message he got was to steer clear. Apparently rattling her cage was a bad idea. “To tell you the truth, she kind of scares me.”

Lee was only half-kidding. He’d met a lot of scary people—drug dealers, convicted sex offenders, guys who carried guns in their back pocket—but none had the same vacant look he often saw in Indie’s eyes. She looked as though she wasn’t afraid of pushing back if pushed too far because she had nothing left to lose.

“She’s a sweetheart.” Drake dismissed Lee’s comment with a chuckle. “Once you get to know her.”

“I know you and Cassidy are close to her, but it doesn’t seem like she really likes anyone else all that much.”

“She just has a hard time letting her guard down,” Drake said, swirling the contents of his glass instead of taking a drink. “I get the feeling she’s been through a lot.”

“She hasn’t told you about her past?” Lee knew it was none of his business, but he was curious.

“Not much,” Drake said, lifting a shoulder. “She’s talked to Cassidy about it a bit, but my wife honors the girl code when it comes to shit like that. I think Cass is worried it might color my opinion of Indie.”

Mulling over what might be too sordid for Cassidy to share with her husband, Lee asked, “You think she’s got a criminal record?”

“No, I run a check before I hire anyone. She’s clean.”

“Huh, I wonder what she’s hiding then.” Lee waved at their friend, Tucker Brooks, when he walked into Jimmy’s.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care to know,” Drake said. “She does a good job for me. She’s loyal, trustworthy, and reliable. Frankly, that’s all I need to know about her.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“So, about that job offer.” Drake shifted in his seat. “I have to lay down a few ground rules, man. No offense, but it needs to be said.”

“Go on,” Lee said, feeling wary.

“Four simple rules. You agree, and the job’s yours.”

Lee was almost afraid to ask. “I’m waiting.”

“No drugs, no drinking, no stealing, and no dating my employees.”

Given that Lee’s addictions had driven him to steal from his brother in the past, he wasn’t surprised by the rules. He couldn’t deny that Drake putting him on notice stung, but his twin wasn’t the type to pull punches. “The only one I might have a problem with is number four,” Lee said, trying to ease the awkwardness. “I’ve seen that hot little brunette you just hired. What’s her name, Lovenia?”

“I’m serious, man,” Drake said, obviously missing the joke. “I know you’ve been going through a tough time since your divorce. I don’t want you getting mixed up with someone who works for me.”

“I haven’t been going through a tough time.” Lee was lying through his teeth. He didn’t want to see the sympathy in Drake’s eyes. Lee missed his daughter like crazy, and he hated living alone. To avoid going home to his empty apartment, he’d been biding his time with a host of women who reminded him how much he hated dating.

“Liar.” Drake smirked.

That was the thing about being identical twins. Sometimes reading each other’s minds came as naturally as breathing. “Okay, so I haven’t been having the time of my life, but so what?”

“Cassidy told me that Chris and Katie set a wedding date. You okay with that?”

“I’m happy for them. They’re great people. They deserve each other.” Most people would have accused Lee of lying, but he knew Drake would see the truth.

“You just might be a bigger man than I am.”

“I don’t know about that,” Lee said, laughing.

“Listen,” Drake said as he stood. “I’ve got to get home, but think about the job offer, okay?”

“You know I will.”

“It’s never too early to start an education fund for that little angel of yours.” Drake smiled as he pulled a few bills out of his pocket.

“I got this.”

“It’s a business dinner,” Drake said. “I can write it off.”

Lee rolled his eyes. “Burgers and fries. Big spender.”

Drake chuckled. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

“Sounds good.” Lee watched his brother walk away and thought about what he’d said. Drake was right; the extra money would go a long way toward securing his daughter’s future. Not to mention helping him get out of that shoebox apartment and into a house with a backyard.

“You mind if I join you while I wait for my wife?” Tucker asked, drawing Lee from his thoughts.

“Sure, sit down, man,” Lee said, gesturing to the spot his brother had vacated. “You wanna beer or anything?”

“No, I’m gonna wait on Lauren.”

“How is that gorgeous wife of yours?” Lee asked. He’d met Tucker and Lauren when they accepted the job renovating Chris’s century home, and they’d become fast friends. “Keeping you outta trouble?”

“She tries,” Tucker said, grinning as he slid across the bench seat.

“I haven’t seen your father-in-law around in a while. What’s J.T. been up to?”

J.T. McCall had owned Jimmy’s for as long as Lee could remember. He’d picked Lee up and thrown him out a time or two back when Lee was mixing booze and drugs, but he never did so without first trying to talk some sense into him. If not for people like J.T., Lee may never have gotten through that time of his life.

“He and Nikki are traveling a lot.” Tucker looked around to make sure none of the wait staff was hovering. “In fact, he’s thinking about selling this place.”

“No way.” Lee looked up at the small stage. Country superstars like Trey Turner, Tori Warner, Clint Davis, Ty McCall, and J.T.’s wife, Nikki Spencer McCall, had all graced that stage. Careers had been born there because Jimmy’s had always been a place where struggling artists had a chance. What if the next owner cared more about the bottom line than the entertainment? “It won’t be the same around here without J.T.”

“I know what you mean. I’ve got roots here too.” With a slow grin, Tucker said, “I can’t tell you how many times I busted this place up. Before Lauren and I got together, of course. I was going through a rough time then.”

“Been there. Got the scars to prove it.” Lee suspected everyone in their circle knew about his shady past, but most of his scars were on the inside. Scars like self-loathing and regret.

“You know, J.T. was going through a rough time when he bought this place. He’d just given up the rodeo, and he thought he didn’t have a chance of winning over a girl like Nikki.”

“Really?” J.T. had always seemed like he had it together. After seeing him and his wife together, Lee had a tough time imagining them apart.

“Yeah, he bought the bar ‘cause he was kind of at loose ends. Didn’t know where to go or what to do. He knew he needed to lay down some roots, and his family was all here in Nashville, so it made sense for him to stick around.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that.” Lee counted J.T. among his friends, but since Lee didn’t like re-visiting his own past, he rarely asked anyone else to. “I sure am glad he did.” He gestured to the crowd. “I’m pretty sure most of these people would agree with me. J.T. has put a roof over a lot of heads when they didn’t have anywhere else to go. He’s a good man.”

“He sure is.” Tucker nodded. “I’m damn lucky to call him family.”

“I think that’s why I still come here. You know, even though I don’t drink anymore,” Lee said, gesturing to his soft drink. “It’s the camaraderie. The sense of belonging. I’d hate like hell for someone who was more interested in the bottom line to come in and take over.”

“J.T. feels the same way. He’s had a few damn good offers, but he didn’t get a great feeling about the prospective owners, so he took a pass. You know him, he couldn’t care less about the money.”

“Yeah.” J.T. was lucky to be in a position where he didn’t have to worry about money. Lee wished he could say the same.

“He actually asked me and Lauren to think about taking over. He wanted to keep it in the family.” Tucker shook his head. “I wish we could, but we’re swamped with our own business. We’re doing everything we can just to keep up with the demand.”