The Twin Contract (The Contract Series Book 1)

by Ceeree Fields

  When Brianna and Derrick disappeared into the crowd, Callie's hand wrapped around his forearm, and she dragged him to the side of the port-o-potties.

  "What the ever-loving hell, Callie? The port-o-pots? Really?" Jackson stomped away from the stench that surrounded the blue plastic outhouses.

  "I needed to check on you." Her gaze scrutinized him, and he took a careful step back.

  "Why?"

  "You used Briony twice when calling for Brianna, and I wanted to know if you'd seen her parents here."

  "Shit." His eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, I-I just … "

  "Thank God." The tension left Callie as her shoulders came down from her chin. "Why're you calling her Briony then? Is it the things your parents taught you?"

  "I didn't know I called her Briony, no wonder she was jumpy." It explained why she kept looking around. He scrubbed a hand over his mouth.

  "Well, you've done it twice. I told her it was probably the cons your parents ran and that you've been to so many events the past week—"

  "Dammit, she'll blame herself and not tell me when the next events are." Jackson jabbed a finger at Callie. "This was none of your business."

  "The hell it isn't. She's my best friend, and she's halfway in love with you, so yeah, totally my business." Callie rubbed her temple. "But it sucks that she basically said what you just said, that she should give you a break from the events."

  "No, absolutely not. Christopher has been stalking her at these things. It's all I can do to keep him from being placed next to Brianna since Bianca is on his side." And if they were attending more than one or two events a week, Jackson would be screwed because he couldn't keep switching place cards around, eventually someone would get suspicious.

  "He's been to all the things?"

  "Yes. She didn't tell you that did she?"

  "No, she did not." Callie frowned.

  He huffed in frustration.

  "Why are you not snapping out of the con thing when you're not with the rich folk? I thought that's how it worked."

  Jackson growled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Usually, when I leave, the con is over. That's not the way it is with this one. Brianna is the focus, I'm still the same, but she's the one who remains constant. So in order for me to remember, I've been calling her Briony repeatedly in my head. It's driving me crazy because she doesn't even act like her twin based on yours, Evelynn's, and Brianna's stories. Even when she's Briony, she acts like Brianna just dressier and quieter."

  Callie's mouth dropped open before she sputtered. Then a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Holy shit. You're right. Besides the fancier clothes and barely opening her mouth, she acts exactly like herself."

  "You never noticed that?"

  "No."

  "Well, I don't know what to do because it's getting confused in my head." Jackson raked a hand through his hair. "It will be bad the next several weeks if Bianca keeps forcing events on Brianna because I will be there."

  "I get it."

  "No, you don't." Jackson's heart clenched at the pain he knew he'd bring Brianna. "She needs to know I see her for her and not her sister, but if I'm calling her Briony … " He flinched as he trailed off, unsure how to voice his worry.

  "You've only done it twice." Callie patted his arm. "This entire mess will be over soon but until then we'll figure something out."

  "How? I mean, she won't even trust me with the details of the contract thanks to that NDA—"

  "I think I've found a workaround for that, Evelynn's checking into it today and should—" Callie stopped as the 'Imperial Death March' played. "Speak of the devil." She waggled her brows as she swiped her cell. "Evelynn, tell me it works."

  A muffled voice drifted to him, and then Callie released a loud 'Woop!' before telling Evelynn she would see her at Brianna's tomorrow. She pushed the cell into her purse and turned a mischievous grin on Jackson. "My idea is a go. But we've got to wait until Evelynn can be there with us tomorrow afternoon."

  "And Brianna's okay with—"

  "Yes, she didn't want to tell you in case it didn't pan out, but she's the one who kept pushing to find a way for you to know everything."

  A grin stretched across his face and happiness filled him. He hadn't screwed up with the whole Briony thing, but he would need to pay closer attention to what name he was using. It wouldn't be forever, but it would test him. Not that he cared, he was up for a test if Brianna was his at the end.

  As he and Callie circled through the rest of the show, he worked out how he would tell her about Chase. It was the last secret of his that stood between them.

  "Oh, my God!" Callie screeched, making Jackson jump and reach for a gun he wasn't wearing. She grabbed his arm, still nattering away. "Why didn't you tell me the time?"

  He glanced at his plain black watch and winced. They were supposed to meet Brianna and Derrick at the food tents in ten minutes. He jogged across the grounds toward the middle. "Why are we meeting them at 11:30? We could have asked them to come to us and finished the show." Not that they weren't done. Only three cars were left, and none of them were unicorn caliber, but they had looked interesting.

  "Because," Callie said, racing ahead she seemed to have some kind of homing beacon where Derrick was concerned because she ran right to him.

  Jackson grabbed Brianna around the waist in a hug while answering Callie. "'Because' isn't an answer."

  "Nope, but it's all you're getting."

  "You two are still at it? We thought for sure you'd be done with the quips and jibes by now."

  Jackson shrugged. "Not so much. I love having a little sister to torment."

  Callie jumped on Jackson's back and tried to give him a noogie, but he grabbed her by the legs and swung her at Derrick. "Do something with your woman, dude."

  Brianna laughed at their antics before moving to the tent boasting falafels. Callie linked her arm with Brianna's, and Brianna arched a brow. "Did you end up telling him?"

  "Of course not, I know how to keep a secret." Callie slammed her hands on her hips. "Did you tell Derrick?"

  "No, I'm not a snitch!" Brianna tossed a fierce frown at Callie before they both turned wide eyes on him and Derrick. "We have a surprise for you two, but we have to meet the person at one, which is why we're eating early."

  "I love surprises." Jackson snagged Brianna back to his side while hip shooting Callie at Derrick. "Go give your man some love, pipsqueak."

  Her gaze narrowed. "I know where you live."

  "That's okay, my neighbors have dogs. They'll bark to warn me if you come anywhere near my street," Jackson stated. He so badly wanted to stick his tongue out and shout 'so there' just to see Brianna and Derrick's reaction, but he refrained. Callie, on the other hand, didn't as her tongue darted out, and her eyes crossed.

  "Ray always told me if I did shit like that, my face would get stuck that way." Jackson's grin broadened as they moved up the line closer to the register to order. "But then again, you don't have to worry about that."

  Derrick slapped a hand over Callie's mouth, and Brianna did the same to Jackson. "Truce for lunch."

  Mirth danced in Callie's gaze as she nodded. Jackson tipped his chin in agreement, and they all turned their attention to the extensive menu. While Callie and Derrick debated what to order, Jackson stepped behind Brianna and nuzzled into her ear to whisper. "So, did I pass the all-important friend test?"

  She jolted as her cheeks turned pink, and her body turned to stone in his arms. "You realized—"

  "Hon, I'm a police officer, of course, I knew Callie wanted to grill me. I just wasn't expecting it to be over an hour."

  "You're not mad?"

  "Nope."

  Brianna slumped against him. "You never react like I think you will."

  He kissed the skin behind her ear. "That means there will be a lot of surprises in our future."

  She chuckled and craned her neck to peck his lips as the cashier asked for their order.

  * * * *


  Brianna couldn't contain her excitement. The entire day had been a dream. Callie had been demanding time alone with Jackson to get to know him better. With how close she was to Callie and how they were in each other's back pockets, it was good to get him desensitized now. Or find out if he had a problem with her best friend.

  But there were no problems; the two got along like a house on fire. And if she didn't see the difference between Jackson's lust-filled gaze when he looked at her and his more brotherly gaze when he looked at Callie, Brianna might have been jealous. Instead, she was ecstatic. Now, they were on their way to the big surprise. The finale of the day. Something she and Callie had put together for the men. They would go nuts when they saw it.

  "So, ladies, where are you taking us?" Jackson laced their fingers together.

  She nudged his hip with hers. "It's a surprise, so quit interrogating us."

  He leaned in; his breath sent a shiver down her spine as he whispered. "But it's one of my specialties."

  "Hey, Callie. Hey, Brianna."

  Brianna jumped well away from Jackson as her face heated at being caught thinking about Jackson's other specialties. His dark chuckle made her cut her eyes at her errant boyfriend.

  Ignoring him, Brianna spotted their three regulars who came out to ride the trails a few times throughout the year and headed their way. Bobby Lowe flagged them down, and she and Callie fell into discussing when his group would be coming again. She still heard Jackson's whistle of appreciation as he took in the sleek lines of Bobby's Shelby Mustang. It was his prize with the Wimbledon White and blue panel stripes. She remembered him complaining years ago when he first got the car to fix up. Someone had painted the car candy apple red, which to Bobby was a travesty. Luckily, Callie knew a great body shop and sent Bobby their way.

  "I'm shocked someone brought this car out." Jackson reached out to brush his fingers across the shiny

  "They're meant to be enjoyed, not just tucked away in a garage or climate-controlled safe," Bobby stated rounding the vehicle to show off his baby.

  Brianna introduced them, "Jackson McCord, this is Bobby Lowe."

  "Nice to meet you," The white-haired man shook Jackson's hand.

  At a glance, Brianna put the man in his early sixties. Designer jeans, a burgundy shirt, and mirrored aviator sunglasses completed the picture of a rich man knocking around with friends. She had forgotten Bobby came from money so used to his rougher trail clothes when he came to knock around with them. Sitting on either side of Bobby's empty chair, were Wayne and Silas. Both men sprang from their seats and introduced themselves before joining the discussion.

  Wayne's hair was more gray than white, and Silas only had a thin ring of gray the rest of his head was bald.

  "So, you like Bobby's Shelby? How about ya' come see my fully restored Camaro," Wayne said, gesturing up the row to the right.

  "Don't nobody wanna see the Camaro, Wayne. They're gonna wanna see my Corvette—"

  "Pfft." Wayne half turned, taking up what looked like a continuing argument with Silas.

  Bobby waved his hand, an exasperated look on his face. "Come with me, boys. I'll show you around while those two settle their argument."

  Brianna smiled, shaking her head. "Thanks, Mr. Lowe, but we're meeting Frank Garrett."

  Bobby's eyes widened. "I might wander down to the track then."

  "We've gotta hurry, or we'll be late," Brianna retook Jackson's hand while Callie disentangled Derrick from Wayne and Silas. They tossed a wave at Bobby and his friends before loping to the far end of the field. Callie and Derrick quickly moving ahead as Derrick seemed to realize what the surprise was.

  Before Brianna could suggest they catch up, Jackson pulled her to a stop. "Who's Frank?"

  Surprised, she tipped her head to the side. Could he be jealous? Snorting at that thought, she tightened the grip she had on his fingers. "Frank and Callie were my only friends in school. Briony used to call them the F's. She said I was even a failure at the friend's department—"

  "Not to speak ill of the dead, but your sister really isn't a nice person."

  Brianna grinned. "You wanted to call her a witch."

  "No, I wanted to call her a bitch, but seeing as how you're related to her, and she's not here to defend herself anymore, I'll go with the softer version."

  She hugged this facet of his personality close. As rough as he looked and sounded, he still treated people with respect and dignity. Even if they didn't deserve it.

  "So, what does he do?"

  "Well, Frank is one of the primary backers of these shows an—"

  His green eyes narrowed on her. "You didn't use your parent's contacts for any of this?"

  "What? No! I don't associate with my parents or their friends unless I absolutely have to."

  "So, Frank won't call you Briony?"

  Her heart melted at his concern. "No, he won't call me Briony. He even calls me Brianna if my family's around."

  Disbelief that she'd let that nugget of information slip, Brianna tried to bury any thoughts of the contract down deep. Tried to wall off that information so she wouldn't slip again because if anyone overheard them … well, it could be disastrous. Not that she had much luck today, Brianna had heard him call her Briony a few times. The name at first caused her immediately to go on alert as she looked for her parents. When she realized they weren't anywhere nearby, pain had raked across her heart until Callie had reminded her about Jackson's past. The reminder settled something in her and made it easier to accept when he slipped up. Not that it mattered, in a month, this whole thing would be done and dusted, and she could get on with her life. Hopefully, with Jackson in it.

  Turning her attention back to the man she wanted to lay claim to, she held up a hand as he opened his mouth for more questions. "Before you ask, you've met Callie. She doesn't give in to anyone, and Frank is the same. Especially if it has to do with my family, they won't back down."

  "So, your mother is the one who keeps the whole Briony fiasco alive?" Interest sparked his eyes.

  "Yes and no." Huffing out an exasperated breath, Brianna tried to come up with enough of an answer to satisfy him without breaking the NDA. "I'm sure Callie told you that we're explaining everything tomorrow."

  Jackson grinned. "She did."

  She was happy they'd found a way to share this last secret with Jackson. Brianna hated the wall that the contract represented coming between them. His frown grew fiercer and worry began to eat away at her happiness.

  "I'm planning on coming by early so we can talk."

  She flinched, but he gathered her to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

  "It isn't bad, but you're not the only one who has a past—"

  Confused, she traced the Deputy's logo over his heart. "But you already told me about your parents."

  He held her tighter. "It has nothing to do with them. This is about why I moved to Alabama."

  "I wondered." She met his turbulent gaze. The gray murky and dark. "I heard you talking at the silent auction. It sounded like you enjoyed your job and were moving up the ranks—"

  "Tomorrow I'll explain everything, and we'll rip both secrets off like a band-aide."

  She pulled his forehead down until it rested against hers. "Or you could come tonight."

  "Can't. I'm on the overnight shift for the Booking station."

  "I forgot. So, tomorrow and I can show you around—"

  "Hey, you two!" Callie shouted, making both of them jump.

  Brianna's heart raced at the loud interruption. "What?"

  "Move your asses! It's not like Frank can keep these things just for himself. There are other customers, you know."

  "Shit." Brianna stepped away, missing the warmth of his arms the second she left them. But she knew he would love this, so she grabbed his hand and dragged him toward Callie.

  He jerked her to a stop and gave her a quick peck. "I would love for you to give me a tour. I heard Callie's kids mention bears."

  Brianna grinned
. "And you were curious."

  "Of course."

  "Well, we'll satisfy all your needs tomorrow."

  His eyes darkened further as they turned predatory.

  "Hello! Am I invisible!"

  "Jesus, she's got a big mouth," Jackson muttered.

  Brianna laughed.

  "Okay, show me the surprise before pipsqueak loses her shit."

  They hurried to Callie's side before she started shouting more. Frank was headed toward them. The tall, lanky man with his shoulder-length brown hair pulled back at the nape of his neck ate up the ground. Dressed casually in jeans and dark green polo, he drew many a woman's appreciative gazes. Not her or Callie as they thought of him more of a brother than anything else.

  "There you are," Frank shouted, running up to her, swinging her up into a hug. "Thought I was gonna have to send out the dogs to look for you."

  "Nope, Frank, this is Jackson." Brianna moved to stand by Jackson, sighing when he laced their fingers together again.

  "Damn you're taller than Callie said." Frank placed his sunglasses on the top of his head and tipped his head back. "You're like a giant."

  "Or I'm normal size, and you just need to grow some more like pipsqueak there." Jackson hooked a thumb at Callie, who had her mouth covered by Derrick again.

  Frank laughed. "Good. You'll need a sharp tongue to keep up with Callie and me. And I'm sure Callie already talked to you about not hurting Brianna … she probably mentioned a pencil and your balls. So, I'm just throwing my warning in too. However, I don't use pencils … I use my guns."

  "Duly noted. They are registered, right?"

  Brianna laughed. "He's got you there, Frank."

  "Smartass, yeah, they're registered. Now come on, I can see Brianna's all but vibrating with excitement over her surprise, and Derrick's been salivating to get on the track." Frank tromped across the packed dirt road into the paved parking lot.

  Security nodded to them as they passed through the doorway into the air-conditioned building. A short hallway led to a glass door, then they were outside again with the newest car releases.

  "Holy shit." Jackson dropped her hand and immediately made a beeline to the Cobra. The second he reached it, he ran his hands over it in reverence. Derrick headed for the Tesla.