Jackson took his gloves off and set them on top of hers. "You've got to think about all that?"
"And more."
He learned how different this sanctuary was from the other Brianna ran. That one was all about people. This one was better without the general publics' interference. The more she showed him, the more in awe he grew. She'd built all this from the ground up despite her parents' machinations. And despite being forced at least two weekends and several weekdays to play the role of her sister.
Pride burst in him at all she'd accomplished when others would have just given in and lived in the lap of luxury. Hell, his own mother would have molded the outside and the inside to become Briony. Especially if it meant getting money anytime she held her hand out, or access to a mansion with servants and cars and private planes.
They came to the building where they started from, and Brianna snapped the switch off to the cart. Stillness fell around them as he struggled to express his feelings.
She twisted to face him on the bench seat. "So, this is the last of my secrets."
"Except for the contract."
She tipped her chin. "Which we'll get handled in a little more than an hour." Her gaze tangled with his, burning in its intensity. "Your turn. Why did you leave Chicago?"
He scrubbed a hand over his jaw nerves twisted in his gut. But he knew it was past time to open up to her. Starting at the beginning, he told her everything. "We were rookies when Chase and I were paired together in the academy … "
He talked about his partner, always watching his back when they would be sent to the gang riddled sections to restore order or try to find witnesses to drive-bys when no one wanted to talk. The streets had bonded them, and when Jackson took his exams, Chase did the same. "We moved up together. Our snitches knew both of us and trusted us … "
He trailed off, remembering them tag-teaming different officers in the departments as they got their snitches off for various petty crimes. Most weren't bad guys, just people that life let down, and the rest were trying to catch a break. But there were more than a few Jackson would have left to the system if they hadn't needed their intel. "One of our snitches told us about this massive deal that was going down—"
"Drugs?"
Jackson shook his head. "We would have forwarded the drug stuff to Vice. No, this was guns supposedly, and I had a friend from college who signed on with the ATF. I was planning to pass the information to him, but we needed confirmation."
"And he gave it to you, and the bust went bad?" she asked when he stopped again.
This was harder than it seemed. If he told her, Brianna would look at Jackson differently.
He had begged their captain to leave it out of his report, so Julie, Chases wife, would just think the entire incident went sideways. But he refused to lie to Brianna.
Her slender fingers slid across his upper thigh, and she squeezed, offering comfort. However, his dick plumped at how close her hand was to it. Shaking off those thoughts, Jackson took a breath. "Chase hated his vest—"
"You've said that several times now. Did he go somewhere without?"
"Yeah, to the meeting." Jackson shuddered as the memory tried to take over. All the blood as bullets ripped his best friend and partner apart. "I told him to put it on. I even slammed it into his chest before he opened the car door, but he laughed like it was a big joke." Jackson could remember Chase's big ass grin as he tossed the vest to the back "He told me I wasn't his damn mom and to quit acting like it. 'We've met this guy here a million times, Jacks with nothing happening. He's just jumpy because of the shipment and us needing proof.'" Jackson rubbed a hand over his mouth as bile rose to the back of his throat. "But the asshole was jumpy because his boss caught on to him and knew how to get him to talk."
Brianna gasped. "He tortured him?"
"No, he gave the asshole drugs, and when the guy was high, he got every little tidbit from him."
"Jesus, did the snitch survive?"
Jackson laughed, but it held no humor as he remembered the pictures from that crime scene. "No. The second the boss had the information he had, the guy made an example of … " He shook himself from the memory as there was no way he'd tell Brianna how he was made an example so no one would ever rat on him again. "Anyway, after the funeral, I tried getting back to it, but I kept seeing Chase everywhere I went. And the memories were too much." Not just the memories but being forced to use his gun. Anytime he pulled the damn thing his hand would shake though it had gotten better since he moved to Alabama, he still hated touching his weapon. His gun hadn't helped Chase one bit as Jackson laid pinned under his friend with his gun lying several feet away.
Luckily, Mercotti's men weren't thorough, or they'd have found that Jackson was still alive and finished the job.
"What happened to the boss?"
"I testified on the two that killed Chase, and one of them flipped on their boss. So, he'll be in prison for some time."
"Justice then."
Jackson would have preferred the asshole had died. But him living in a small cell and being forced into close proximity of other inmates daily had to suffice. The man would never leave that prison unless it was in a body bag. "Maybe it is justice."
"I would say so. He gets to suffer and wither away in a prison as his empire slowly dwindles, and he'll be forced to watch it."
He hadn't looked at it like that only focused on his own guilt at not making Chase wear the damned vest.
"You still feel guilty, though."
His eyes jumped to hers. How had she known?
"I'm learning to read you." Brianna swung over, so she straddled his lap and perched precariously on the narrow bench. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her earnest gaze tangled with his. "Here's what I've learned. We all have choices; most times, they're nothing but a blip on our radar. But every once in a while, one will have an impact like a comet slamming into the earth with ripples that can be far-reaching. Like me signing the contract. My only thought was to help my family, but also, I wanted to see what it would be like to walk in Briony's shoes. I never in my worst nightmares thought I'd be stuck." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Chase's decision was the same. You two had met the informant a million times before with no incident. He thought he would be safe, and he paid for it."
"Like you're paying," Jackson said, his fingers digging into her thighs to prevent her from falling.
She tipped her head from side to side. "His price was higher, but both were life-altering. But you should understand all this because you paid a price as well when you turned your parents in all those years ago."
Jackson hugged her to him as he took in her words. For someone who should be jaded and cynical, Brianna kept showing him that she'd not allowed the contract to alter the core of who she is. Only shape her life in the present. Everything around her spoke of their future. A future he wanted to be a part of with all his being.
She squeezed him before wiggling away.
"Come on, I want to see if Callen made it in, and then we'll drag the last of our secrets into the light of day."
Jackson laced their fingers together. "Lead the way, hon."
He met the last of her employees. Where Erica was studying wildlife to work on the preserves in Africa, Callen was studying to take over the management of Brianna's wildlife sanctuary in a few years.
That was what was finally clicking with Jackson; he saw that she had built a foundation on bedrock, and he'd be damned if he let a contract break it apart under her feet.
Tugging her away from the adorable sloth, Jackson pointed to the cart. No way he'd be able to find his way back, not without a map. At least not yet. "Let's go. I'm ready to get our present settled so we can focus on our future."
She beamed at him as she started the cart. "Together."
He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Our future together."
* * * *
Watching Brianna's nerves eat away at her, Jackson laced their fingers together as they pulled to a stop next to
her home.
"I'll tell you everything when we get inside."
Proud that he had finally earned her trust, he narrowed his gaze. "Are you sure?"
"I know you won't tell anyone if I ask you not to. But that doesn't mean Father won't try to implement the NDA on suspicion alone. I won't perjure myself, and I would never ask you to either. So if it comes to that, then … " Her gaze raked over the surrounding area, but Jackson knew she saw every inch of land and animal that she helped. "I'll lose at least this farm but not the pieces we've purchased that are under Callie's and my names. Those will remain ours, so it won't be a total loss."
He squeezed her hand. "I'd rather not risk any of it—"
She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know. So let's go talk while we eat."
He fell into step next to her the silence between them comfortable if filled with a bit of nervous tension.
"Were you expecting company?" Jackson pointed to the strange cars parked in the drive.
"No," Brianna frowned. "I specifically told Callie I didn't want anyone here because I was telling you everything today."
"Huh." Jackson scratched his chin. "Well, the dark SUV looks like Derrick's vehicle."
"It is."
"Who does the Town Car belong to?"
"That's Grandmother's car. Her driver is there with Vince at the paddock."
Jackson's gaze landed on the bulky man. "He looks like a bodyguard."
"Among other things. But we can get into that later, I want to know what the heck they're doing here." Brianna dragged him with her as she marched up the stairs and into the house.
She kicked off her tennis shoes and set them on the rack. "I wonder if Callie used Derrick's SUV. It wouldn't surprise me for her to be behind this."
Jackson placed his shoes next to hers and trailed her in the kitchen, unsure what they would walk into but letting Brianna take the lead.
"Why are you all here?" Brianna grimaced. "Not that you aren't welcome, but … " she huffed. "I wanted to talk to Jackson alone."
"About the contract?" Evelynn asked.
"Yes." Brianna faced her grandmother with her arms crossed.
"Don't," Derrick ordered as he began setting a spread of sandwiches on the table.
Jackson frowned but bit off the angry response. They did not have a right to come between Brianna and him like this. It was up to Brianna if she shared this with him, not these people.
Brianna beat him to a more reasonable response. "Why not?"
"Callie and I think we might have a workaround, but we wanted Evelynn here to confirm it. Which she's done, and now Jackson can know everything about the contract, and you won't be in danger of losing the farm." Derrick said smugly. "Win-win, as Callie would say."
Jackson laughed. "She'd probably say 'Screwing Reginald is a win-win.'"
Derrick guffawed. "Too true."
"And where is my bestie?" Brianna grabbed the pitcher of tea while Jackson filled his glass with water.
"The boys needed to be dropped off at my mom's, but she should be here any—"
"I'm here." She raced into the room, her hair askew and dust on her shoes.
"Callie, go take your—"
"Shoes off. I know, sorry." She turned and tromped away. A few seconds later, she flew back into the room in her stockinged feet. "Have you told them yet?"
"Only that we have a workaround. I saved the devious piece for you to disclose." Derrick took a large bite of his roast beef sandwich.
It looked delicious, so Jackson grabbed one of the meat-filled slices of bread and slapped it on his plate before digging into the chips and adding those too.
Evelynn and Brianna chose their own from the other platter while Callie slapped together peanut butter and jelly before joining them.
More than a little curious about how this would work. But if it allowed Brianna to keep the farm while also giving Jackson the information, he was all for it. He wiped his mouth with the napkin next to his plate and met Callie's gaze. "Okay, how can we get around the NDA? Because Reginald not getting this farm is the top priority for me."
Callie tossed him a toothy grin. "Well, Evelynn and I know every piece of the contract inside and out." She leaned forward as if to impart the greatest of secrets. "And we didn't sign an NDA."
Jackson threw his head back and laughed. Jesus, this woman was sneaky. He was glad she was on their side. Brianna's disgruntled sound drew his attention. "Hon?"
"I want to be the one to tell you. It was my mistake, and I want you to hear it from me," she whispered.
He rubbed her thigh. "Is it more important that you tell me? Is it worth the risk of you losing everything you've worked for?"
Her brow furrowed as she slowly shook her head.
"I'm still getting the information, and if anything is missing, feel free to jump in." He wrapped an arm around her waist. "But personally, I do not want Reginald getting the better of you."
"He'll come after you, Bri. You know he will. The second you and Jackson make it official, he'll be like a shark scenting blood and will push for a breach of the NDA," Callie stated with Evelynn nodding in agreement.
"I hate to say it of my son, but Callie's right. He's already angry that you've found a way out as it puts him in the precarious position of explaining things to your mother. And as he's not been enforcing the therapy appointments, she won't take it well."
Brianna slumped into his side. "Okay. I just don't want to hide anymore. I want Jackson to know everything. It's important that we don't have secrets that can be used against each other later."
Callie patted Brianna's hand that lay next to her plate. "And that's why we're all here together. If Evelynn or I miss something poke us. You can tell us, and then Jackson can just listen that way, he won't be forced to lie. Because technically, we'll be telling him everything."
Brianna straightened; her chin jutted forward at a determined angle. "Let's do this."
Jackson met Callie's gaze and nodded.
"So, basically, the contract is ironclad. It's an entertainment contract drawn up by specialty lawyers from California." Callie rubbed her left eye. "The terms are basic. She plays the role of Briony whenever Bianca is around, and in payment, her college is paid for. A full ride."
College? "What about the farm?"
"That's where it gets sticky," Derrick chimed in. "The farm was purchased as an add on, and she needed to pay the loan off before the contract could end. Sort of like an incentive."
Jackson frowned. "Is that legal?"
"It's a gray area based on the lawyers," Evelynn said. "He also tied the farm to the NDA. If she shares the details of the contract to anyone that doesn't already know, she loses everything and can be sued." Evelynn grinned. "By us telling you about it, it frees Brianna to discuss it with you later. As long as Callie and I get into the details."
"Jesus, that's devious." He met Brianna's gaze and smiled. "I like it."
"It's the main reason I wanted to meet with Evelynn as the fine print in the NDA stated Brianna could only discuss it with people who already know about the contract. So, by putting that in there, I wanted to make sure it opened it up if she and I told you everything. That way, you and Brianna could talk about it later." Callie all but bounced in her chair with excitement. "I should've been a lawyer."
"You really should have, but then you would have been bored with all the legalese," Brianna teased.
His eyes narrowed on Evelynn. "And you set that contract up?"
"Hell, no. Mine was her playing Briony for one year. Period. End of contract," Evelynn snapped.
"So, that means this one is illegal or invalid since you didn't agree to it?"
Evelynn shook her head. "No, because I was an idiot."
"You weren't the only idiot, Grandmother," Brianna stated, patting the woman's age-weathered hand.
Callie made an annoyed growly sound and jabbed a finger at the table. "You only wanted to see what it was like to be Briony. How the heck were an
y of us to know she wouldn't come back this time?"
"So Briony had done this before."
Evelynn, Callie, and Brianna all nodded, but it was Brianna who elaborated. "She was always sneaking out for one party or another. Depending on the event, she could be gone a night or days."
"Or a summer," Callie added.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Brianna shook her head, a frown marring her face. "Our parents were in Europe for the summer, and Briony figured if they could have a summer-long vacation, she could too. So she and her friends just left."
Jackson's jaw dropped. "Left? Where was your supervision?"
"That woman was forever getting me, and Briony confused, so she assumed we were both still there. Mostly because I was coming and going at all hours since I was volunteering at a local vet."
"Okay, and what did Briony do during the time?" Jackson asked, still not sure how anyone could confuse the two sisters.
Brianna's fingers traced the lines of the wood's grain across the table. "That's the summer she got hooked on drugs."
Jackson scrubbed a hand across his face, unsure where to even start asking questions in the minefield he was presented. There was nothing he could do about Briony's drug habit. She was dead and gone, and anything she did while high was over, so he began to pick apart all the information they'd dumped on him about the contract.
"So Brianna has to pay the loan to the farm off? How much are we talking and how long will it take?" Jackson had a good chunk set aside in savings, but he had no clue how much a farm would cost.
Derrick swiped his mouth with a napkin after swallowing a few chips. "I'm handling it. We've got most of it knocked out, so I'm paying the remainder off, and the farm will reimburse me. We're calling it a personal business loan."
Jackson wasn't sure how he felt about Derrick coming to Brianna's rescue, but Jackson trusted Derrick to not hurt Brianna. His gaze swung back to Evelynn in curiosity. "Why didn't you pay it off?"
"I can't. Reginald was tricky in the wording. None of Brianna's relatives can help her pay it off. She has to be independent."
The Twin Contract (The Contract Series Book 1) Page 21
