Relentless
Relentless
Book Five in the Nashville Nights Series
Cheryl Douglas
Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, including photocopying, graphic, electronic, mechanical, taping, recording, sharing, or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the author and / or publisher. Exceptions include brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Persons, places and other entities represented in this book are deemed to be fictitious. They are not intended to represent actual places or entities currently or previously in existence or any person living or dead. This work is the product of the author’s imagination.
Any and all inquiries to the author of this book should be directed to
[email protected]
Relentless © 2012 Cheryl Douglas
Dedication
To the men and women who risk their lives
for our safety and freedom…
There are no words to describe how much
I appreciate and respect your efforts.
You are the real life heroes
.
Thank You
Read What the Reviewers Are Saying About Nashville Nights…
“
Shameless
has wonderfully flawed characters that have to fight to get back what they lost, but when they get it right, it is absolutely fantastic.”
Cocktails and Books
“
Shameless
is a sensual story packed full of passion, temptation, and forbidden love.”
For the Love of Reading
“
Shameless
drew me in heart and soul from the very first page to the satisfying conclusion after the final page was turned. Those wanting an emotional roller coaster ride, climb on board and add this one to your bookshelf.”
Wow from the Scarf Princess Blog
“There were times throughout
Shameless
where I was actually overcome with emotion. It made me cry and smile, and sometimes gasp or laugh out loud; a piece of art that couldn’t have come at a better time. Simply a must read. I give this book a solid five stars!”
Read2Review
“The flow of this story
(Fearless)
was perfect. I cannot wait for the 3
rd
installment.”
Insightful Minds Reviews
“I really adore all of the characters in this series.”
Autumn Review
Five Years Earlier
Nikki Spencer was tired of waiting for her life to begin. At eighteen, she knew she wanted to be a country singer. She had the talent, connections, and determination. There was only one thing standing in the way of her dream, her father. Luc Spencer was considered a dream maker in country music circles. As manager to the hottest names in the industry, he earned a reputation as being ruthless. But artists knew it was difficult to make it in this highly competitive business without a tyrant like Luc on your side. Now that he owned his own record label, he was even more of a dictator, especially when it came to his daughter. His plan for her was simple: get a degree. Then he would help to launch her career. Unfortunately, his terms were non-negotiable. Despite the fact that she felt ready now, her father always got the last word.
“Hey, why the long face?” Trey Turner said, wrapping his arm around her neck. Trey was where she wanted to be, at the top of the country music charts, with a roomful of platinum records and legions of adoring fans.
“I just wish I could make my dad see reason. It’s so damn frustrating. Talking to him is like trying to puncture a brick wall, impossible.”
Trey threw his head back and laughed. “Darlin’, you’re preachin’ to the choir. Your daddy and I have been best friends for a lot of years, and when he has his mind made up about somethin’, the only thing you can do is surrender, ‘cause it’s a done deal.”
Nikki crossed her arms, glaring at the man in question. In spite of the fact her father hadn’t raised her, they had developed a strong bond in the three years since they re-connected. She loved and respected him, but that didn’t mean she had to live her life according to his rules. “Your sister must have been crazy to marry him,” she muttered.
Trey laughed. “Believe me, Marisa isn’t blind to your daddy’s faults, but she loves him. Always has, always will.”
She leaned her head on Trey’s shoulder. In the past three years, Trey had become like an uncle to her. Someone she could confide in when her father’s expectations seemed impossible to live up to. “I know, and I’m glad he has her. I’m just in a pissy mood tonight.” She sighed. “Sorry you have to listen to me bitch and moan again. This is your big night; you should be celebrating your success, not babysitting me.”
Her father was hosting a party for Trey, to celebrate his sixth platinum album.
Trey smiled, kissing her forehead. “You know I’m always here to listen, sweetheart. I know it’s frustratin’ for you, workin’ on your degree, instead of focusin’ all of your attention on your music career, but at your age, this business could easily chew you up and spit you out. If that happened, you’d have nothin’ to fall back on. Sorry to say it, but your daddy’s right about this one, princess.”
She’d heard that tired argument too many times before. “We both know there are musicians who started out as teens and went on to have long and successful careers.”
“They’re the exception, baby doll, not the rule.”
Obviously her father had gotten to Trey as well, claiming her one and only ally in her fight for independence. “God, you’re even starting to sound like him.”
Trey turned her to face him, holding her at arm’s length. “Look, your daddy loves you. He only wants what’s best for you.”
“Why does he get to decide what’s best for me? I’m old enough to make my own decisions about my future.”
He smirked. “Darlin’, at eighteen, I was ready to take on the world too. I thought I was gonna be a pro football player and…”
Nikki held her hand up. “Wait a minute. You didn’t want to be a musician when you were my age?”
“Hell no. My life revolved around football until an injury in college put me out of commission permanently.”
That surprised her. She and Trey had become close over the past several years, passing countless hours talking about life and music. She just assumed, like her, he had always wanted to be a musician. “It must’ve been rough, having to give up on your dream.”
“I was crushed,” he said quietly.
“How’d you get through it?”
“In a word, Sierra.” He smiled, glancing across the room at his wife and daughter. “She was my rock, helped me to regroup. I began to realize there was more to life than football.”
“That’s when you developed a love of music?” It was difficult for her to imagine someone as gifted as Trey had considered wasting that talent.
“Nah, I’d always loved music, been playin’ the guitar and piano my whole life. I just hadn’t considered it a viable career. I knew how hard it was to make it in this business.”
Intrigued, she asked, “So, what happened? Why did you decide to go for it, in spite of the odds?”