The Blame Game: A Brook Brothers Novel Read online

  “Very comprehensive proposal, Jax,” she said, faking composure as she casually tapped her pen against the file.

  “So you can help?” He might have been trying to keep a sense of urgency and pleading from his tone, but fear had a scent. He didn’t fool her. Jaxon Brook needed this deal—badly.

  “Leave it with me for a couple days. I’ll talk to some investors who might be interested in this type of opportunity and get back to you.”

  “But it’s positive?”

  She nodded, finding the more she concentrated on the job in hand instead of the man she needed to ruin, the slower her pulse beat. “Like I said, it’s a solid business case. Nothing’s certain, of course. Lots of different factors come into play when deciding whether to invest such a large sum of money in a venture that isn’t even off the ground yet, but I’m confident a deal can be struck that will benefit all parties.”

  Jax blew out a breath. “That’s terrific.”

  She smiled. Come on, Indie. Here was a chance to show an interest in Jax the man and, in turn, have him think of her as a woman rather than his potential financial savior. “It sounds like this venture is very important to you, especially given how much you’re willing to risk financially.”

  “It is.”

  She thought he was going to leave it there, yet as she scrabbled around for another leading question that wouldn’t sound like she was being overly nosy, he expanded. “I want somewhere that my brothers can always think of as home, even though they’re all grown up and living their own lives. We were orphaned. That was a long time ago, but I still see myself as their guardian, and it’s my responsibility to make sure they are healthy and happy. I want this hotel to be a safe haven, their soft place to fall.” He laughed. “That didn’t sound as lame in my head.”

  Indie didn’t laugh, because she was too busy trying to figure out why a rather uncomfortable feeling had decided to take up residence in her chest, sort of like heartburn. She repressed an urge to rub her sternum. “I don’t think it’s lame at all. I think they’re lucky to have you.”

  Jax looked directly at her, his gaze unwavering. “I’m not sure they would always agree with that, but thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Indie pushed back her chair and stood. She needed this meeting to be over so she could examine the strange feelings swirling inside her—and then make them go away. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Jax rose from his chair and refastened his jacket. He reached into the inside pocket and pulled out a business card. “I appreciate your time. If you need anything further, don’t hesitate to give me a call.” He handed over the card. His fingers lightly brushed against hers as she took it from him, and she shivered in delight. To distract herself, she gave the business card a cursory glance before dropping it on her desk.

  They shook hands, but as Indie went to pull away, Jax held onto her for a second longer than was normal between two strangers. His eyes flared with an interest that had little to do with the reason for his visit.

  Indie suppressed a victorious smile. Thank goodness. For a few minutes, she’d worried his only interest in her was what she could do for him financially, which would have made achieving her real agenda a lot trickier.

  She watched him as he walked away, his posture erect, his gait confident with a hint of swagger despite his money worries. After he left her office, she remained standing, her eyes fixed on the closed door. Her teeth grazed her lip. He hadn’t turned out at all as she’d thought. He was nothing like his father. She hadn’t known Jaxon Brook Sr. personally. No, her knowledge came from detailed research made over a number of years. Jaxon Brook Jr. came from bad stock. It was a shame really. He was extremely attractive—the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome with high, defined cheekbones and a strong square chin. And those eyes: dark pools of intense green that it would be so easy to fall into and never escape from.

  With a sigh, she sat back down and reached for her cell. She scrolled through her contacts list, found the one she was looking for, and held the phone to her ear. She waited for the person on the other end to answer. When he did, she spoke only two words.

  “We’re on.”

  She hung up without waiting for a reply. She didn’t want to hear the jubilant voice come back at her. She might have been waiting ten years for this opportunity, but now that it had arrived, the expected rush of excitement at the chance of a longed-for retribution had been replaced by a nasty taste in her mouth.

  Not that it mattered. She was locked in, committed to a course. There was no veering off in a different direction. The time had come to see it through to the bitter end. She owed it to her family, and nothing would make her deviate from their plan.

  Chapter Two

  After a couple of days passed without any word from India Monroe, Jax had no choice but to assume the deal was a no-go. Bone-deep disappointment weighed heavily upon him, not only because it meant his plans were shot to hell but also because he wouldn’t get to see India again. He’d picked up his cell to call her several times in the last forty-eight hours but then changed his mind. He couldn’t allow himself to come across as too desperate, either in regard to the financial help he hoped she’d secure or in the degree of his attraction to her. During those twenty minutes in her office, she’d made him feel like a horny teenage boy, which, considering he was thirty, more than pushed the boundaries of believability.

  Accepting that he couldn’t put off the inevitable, he asked his brothers to stop by after work. As he heard their heavy footsteps and laughter bleeding down the hallway, anxiety gnawed at his insides. He sat them down at the scratched and paint-strewn table in what he’d hoped would be the restaurant kitchen, ready to share the bad news.

  “Fuck me, who’s died?” Calum said as he unfastened his suit jacket and pulled up a chair when Jax indicated for him to sit.

  Cole, still dressed in his NYPD uniform, gave a resigned shake of his head and fingered his Glock. “Can I just shoot him now?”

  Despite the black situation he found himself in, Jax’s lips twitched when Calum flipped off his twin. They might be identical in looks, but that was where the similarity ended. Calum was the more hotheaded and blunt of the two, whereas Cole was calm, measured. Their personalities fit well with their chosen careers. Calum was a sales director for a start-up liquor company, which meant his charm, along with his dogged determination, served him well. In comparison, Cole had joined the NYPD as a cadet straight from high school. He was a damned good cop too, destined for great things, although at the moment he was perfectly content with being a police officer.

  “There’s a problem with the hotel,” Jax said, deciding there was no point dragging out the inevitable.

  Calum narrowed his eyes. “Oh yeah?”

  “What problem?” Cole asked.

  “Paul’s discovered there’s a restrictive covenant in place.”

  “English, please,” Calum said, getting a firm dig in the ribs from Cole.

  “Give him a chance to explain,” Cole said.

  Jax gave them both a tight smile. “It basically means we can’t turn the place into a hotel—not without buying out the covenant, and it’ll cost a half million dollars to do so.”

  “Great,” Calum said, smiling wide. “That means we can sell the dump and get our money back.”

  Jax shook his head. Calum had been against this venture from the get-go. Why couldn’t he see past the cracked plaster and peeling paint to appreciate what an amazing business this would be when Jax’s vision came to life?

  “We’re not selling it. We’ll find a way through. Somehow.”

  Calum snorted. “There is no ‘we,’ Jax. There’s only you. None of us were consulted when you bought this money pit. Not me. Not Cole. Not Nate.”

  Jax let out a deep sigh. “I’m doing this for all of us.”

  Calum got to his feet, his eyes narrowing in irritation. “No, you’re not. You’re doing it for you.”

  “Calum!” Cole snapped.

&nbs
p; Jax held his palm up to Cole. He stood too, drawing himself up to his full height, which put him an inch or so taller than Calum. “That is not fair. Nor is it correct.”

  Calum shrugged and brushed at a little dust that had landed on the sleeve of his suit jacket. Jax rubbed down the center of his chest with his knuckles, the growing ache making it feel tight. After all these years of trying to do what was best for everyone, his efforts still weren’t enough. He was so damned tired of the responsibility, of the altruism—of feeling guilty if it crossed his mind to do something for himself.

  He met Calum’s impassive stare. “Everything I’ve done since Mom and Dad died has been with the best interest of all of you at heart. I’m sorry if you think otherwise.”

  Calum planted his hands on his hips. “You don’t get it, do you? The capital you’ve sunk into this… this… money pit wasn’t just yours. It was ours—our inheritance—and yet you made this decision without consulting any of us. And now you want to spend more money? No, Jax. Enough is enough.”

  Jax held back a resigned sigh because he didn’t want to show Calum he agreed with him… to a point. If Calum sensed any weakness, he’d use it as an excuse to prove Jax wrong. He’d made that all too clear when Jax had sold the family home within a few short weeks of their parents’ deaths. Jax had assumed that moving his younger brothers to a location with fewer memories of what they’d lost would help them manage their grief. It had been the wrong decision, something Calum reminded him of whenever the mood took him.

  “Despite what you think, I am doing this for you as well as me. I want our family to have a legacy, something that would make Mom and Dad proud. Dad’s will left the money to me. He trusted me to make the correct decisions, and I know this is the right thing to do. Plus,” he added, showing Calum his palm as he started to interrupt, “if we have a place where we can all be together, maybe Nate will come home more often.”

  Calum’s cheeks puffed up, and he blew out a long breath. “So this is really about Nate? What a fucking surprise.”

  “No. Not just him.” Jax wiped his dusty hands on his jeans. “Ever since you guys graduated, you’ve been so busy building careers, that I’m worried we’re losing touch. It’s bad enough that Nate hates being here so much he moved to California.”

  “Where all the acting jobs are,” Calum said in a sarcastic tone.

  “He always wanted to be a stage actor,” Jax said. “New York’s where it’s at.”

  Calum vigorously shook his head. He poked his finger in Jax’s direction. “No, you wanted to be a stage actor. Nate was always more interested in movies and TV.”

  Jax’s chest tightened, and his throat constricted. How could he not have known about this? Somehow Calum knew, yet Jax had been completely oblivious. “Since when?”

  Calum gave him an exasperated look and gestured to Cole. “You tell him.”

  Jesus, Cole knew too? What the fuck was happening to the family he’d worked so hard to keep together?

  Cole pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger and gave a heavy sigh. After directing a flash of irritation at his twin, his eyes cut to Jax’s.

  “Nate told you he wanted to be a stage actor because he felt guilty you’d had to give up your dreams to take care of us when Mom and Dad…” Cole gave another shake of the head, this time a sad one. “Anyway, he felt he owed it to you to follow in your footsteps, but movies and TV were always what he really wanted to do.”

  Jax cupped the back of his neck. Disappointment in himself and in Nate made his skin prickle. Was he really so self-absorbed that Nate hadn’t felt able to talk to him? “Then why didn’t he tell me?”

  Calum laughed. “Jeez, Jax, you really are a piece of work sometimes. For years, all you banged on about was seeing Nate on stage, how great it would be, how you’d be right there in the front row cheering him on. The poor bastard didn’t stand a chance.”

  Yep. He was that self-absorbed. After all the sacrifices he’d made, he’d still managed to mess it up.

  “If that’s true, what made him change his mind and follow his heart? Which, I might add, is what he should have done anyway.”

  Calum shrugged. “No idea. Up until he moved to California, none of us had a clue that’s what he was planning. Even during that last time he came home for Thanksgiving, he didn’t mention a thing. The next thing I know, he’s moving out west.”

  Jax scrubbed his face. “Jesus, I’m such a fuckup.”

  “One problem at a time,” Cole said. “Let’s deal with one we might be able to solve first. Can you take out a loan to pay the covenant?”

  “I tried,” Jax said, looking gratefully at Cole. “Paul introduced me to one of those venture capitalist firms. I went to see them Tuesday. Heard nothing since.”

  “Have you called them?” Cole said.

  Jax shook his head. “Don’t want to seem too desperate. If they haven’t called by now, chances are they don’t think it’s a good investment, or at least not one they want to risk their capital on.”

  “How was this missed?” Calum asked.

  Jax shrugged. “Believe me, I’ve had the lecture from Paul. This is my screwup for being too anxious to secure the place and picking some cowboy lawyer from a Google search rather than waiting for Paul to return from vacation.”

  Calum squeezed Jax’s shoulder, his prickly attitude receding as he finally picked up on Jax’s despondency. “We should sue.”

  “I said the same thing to Paul. He said it could take years to get through the courts, not to mention the additional cost.”

  “What about asking Nate for a loan?” Cole asked.

  Jax violently shook his head. “I’m not asking Nate for money. He’s distanced himself enough from this family. I want to pull him back into the fold, not alienate him further.”

  “And this might be your option to do that,” Cole said. “At least give him a call.”

  Jax swept a hand down the back of his head. “When was the last time he answered one of your calls?”

  Cole twisted his lips to the side. “Fair point.”

  “I agree with Jax,” Calum said. “Treating Nate like some sort of money tree just because he’s doing well out in Hollywood won’t go down well.”

  Cole scratched his cheek. “You’re probably right. So what do we do?”

  Jax unscrewed the top off a bottle of water and took a swig. “I’ll give it another twenty-four hours or so before calling my contact at the venture capitalist firm. Get a definitive answer one way or the other.”

  “And if it’s a no?” Calum said.

  “Then I’ll have no choice but to sell the property and start over.”

  Chapter Three

  Jax dug his fingertips into his back and stretched. Although he wasn’t used to physical labor on this scale, there was something very satisfying about making the space open up by getting rid of all the stuff the previous owner had hoarded. The property had been owned by an elderly gentleman who’d passed away, and his family had sold it fully furnished. Apart from a dresser Jax had taken a liking to, the rest of it wouldn’t work with his image for the hotel.

  Craving a shower, he’d started to gather his stuff together to go home when there was a knock at the door. He dropped his tool bag on the floor and went to answer it. As he drew back the heavy oak door, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

  “Ms. Monroe. I didn’t expect to see you.” A spear of hope made him hold his breath. Maybe all wasn’t lost. What other reason could she have for stopping by?

  “Call me Indie, please. Can I come in?”

  Jax stuffed his greasy hands into the pockets of his jeans and stepped back. “Sure.”

  Her heels clacked on the old wooden floors, and she cautiously stepped over a couple of cracks in the ancient slats.

  “Watch your step.”

  She grinned. “Now you tell me.”

  “Yeah, stilettos aren’t exactly the right type of footwear for a building site.”

  “You’ll be ask
ing me to wear a hard hat in a minute,” she teased.

  “If the builders were here, they’d insist on it. As they’re not, we’ll keep it a secret between us.”

  As they walked into the living room, Jax picked up another rag from the floor. He quickly wiped his hands, taking off most of the grime.

  “Sorry I don’t have any coffee. I could run down the street and grab some water or juice if you like.”

  Indie gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “Not a problem. I’m caffeinated enough after today.” She walked around the room, her finger trailing along the chair rail. Her eyes cut to his, and Jax felt a tightening in his lower abdomen. Was that attraction in those hypnotic hazel irises?

  “So, how’s it going?”

  Jax shrugged. “We’ve decided to give it a bit of a spruce up and then sell it.”

  Indie’s brow creased. “Why?”

  Jax shrugged. “I don’t have the money to buy the covenant. And as I hadn’t heard from you, I assumed our deal was a no-go.”

  Indie gave him another of those looks, almost as though she wanted to eat him. Just say the word, beautiful.

  “Not at all,” she said. “It took me longer than planned to put the deal together. That’s why I’m here—to give you the good news personally.”

  His pulse began to race. Oh God. It’s going to be okay. “You mean you found investors?”

  She nodded. “Three.”

  As he began to smile, she held her hand up, palm facing him. “Don’t get too excited just yet. They want their pound of flesh—trust me. You may decide to walk away.”

  “Doubtful,” Jax said.

  She nodded. “I hear you, but do me a favor. Get your lawyer to go over the proposed contract in minute detail. You have to make sure it’s the right deal for you, Jax.”

  After his screwup the first time around, he’d be getting Paul’s colleague to go over every single word in the contract. Twice.