The Twin Contract (The Contract Series Book 1)

by Ceeree Fields

  Brigston knew Ray better than Jackson ever would, considering they served together in the army. When they had taken leave together, Brigston met and fell in love with Shirley, a girl from Ray's neighborhood in Chicago, and married her the second he was discharged.

  "You would."

  "How is Shirley?"

  "Good. Her sister and niece came down from Charleston to stay the week, and they decided I would be happier at work."

  Jackson laughed. "In other words, you were driving Shirley bananas, and she needed a break."

  A smile crawled across Brigston's face. "Pretty much. Since it got me out of watching some cooking show, I was all for it."

  "They took over the big screen, didn't they?"

  "Yes." Brigston threw his hands in the air. "See, just like your dad. He said the same damn thing."

  Appreciation filled Jackson. He was lucky this man had been willing to hire him after the debacle in Chicago. The guilt of getting his partner killed had eaten away at Jackson, making him question every operation he went out on.

  It had become so bad no one wanted to ride with him as he second-guessed everything. But the worst of it, the one thing no one but Ray had ever sussed out, was Jackson couldn't even draw his weapon without having a flashback of the shootout that cost Chase his life.

  It was why Ray had suggested a change of scenery for Jackson. Here he only had a few memories of Chase, whereas, in Chicago, every inch of the city reminded him of his dead partner.

  "Jackson, you with me?" Brigston's frown let Jackson know the man was worried about him.

  "Yeah, sorry. Lost in thought."

  "The Spencers?"

  It was as good an excuse as any, and he didn't want Brigston to begin pushing for him to talk to the shrink again. "Yes."

  He tried not to wince at the half-truth. Based on Brigston's narrowed gaze, Jackson wasn't hiding much from him.

  Needing a distraction before his father's friend dug deeper, he tossed the evidence bags and the file on the desk. "I don't know what to do with this." He held his breath, hoping Brigston's curiosity would get the better of him.

  "What is it?" Brigston lifted the bags with Briony's name scrawled across it before looking at the others, which held items for Brianna.

  Jackson released a quiet sigh. "It's DNA from Brianna and Briony. Which we can't use because everyone knows identical twins have identical DNA … " he trailed off at the sheriff's superior smile. "What? Unless basic biology has changed—"

  "It has, my boy. I've got a friend who was involved in a study back in 2008. It wasn't exactly brought up for law enforcement, though, as they were looking at twins with illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and so on. It was fascinating reading though."

  Jackson hummed in interest. "It still won't help because that test has to be expensive."

  The sheriff waved his concern away. "I talked with Evelynn Spencer this morning, and she's going to pay for it, if it's at all possible. I'll have to make some calls."

  Jackson rubbed the back of his neck as a sharp pain spiked in the base of his skull. "Why would she do that when we all know that it's Briony in the morgue?"

  "Because she talked with Bianca's doctors and they think the more evidence Evelynn has proving who is in that morgue, the more Bianca will believe."

  "Uh-huh, and has anyone told Brianna? Seems like she won't want that gravy train to end." The memory of her fingering the line at her neck made him flinch. Was he being too hard on the woman?

  "Oh, she wants it to end." The sheriff leaned forward with his forearms on the desk. "What did you think of our Brianna?"

  What could he say? He hated she was lying, and even though he was wildly attracted to her. There was no way on God's green earth; he would chance with a liar. "I don't like the feeling that she's conning her family."

  "I figured as much, but the lying isn't her fault … " The normally confident man's words trailed off as if he was unsure where to begin.

  A minefield of secrets and lies surrounded the Spencer family.

  Brigston raked his forefinger and middle finger through his mustache. Definitely nerves. Jackson could read him as well as he could read Jackson. "It's not a con, son."

  God, he's gullible. He bit back the response. The sheriff did not see the situation clearly if he couldn't tell what was a con and what wasn't. Not that Jackson blamed Brigston, but Jackson spoke from experience. He had no problem calling the farce Brianna was pulling what it was, and it was a con.

  Hell, he wanted to believe everything that passed over Brianna's kissable pink lips. She looked like an innocent angel which warned Jackson she was hiding something. No one was that innocent. Even now, he struggled to remember that she was just as much a liar and manipulator as his parents had been.

  "It is a con. Bianca, the mother, swore Brianna was the one lying in our morgue, and Briony was the one standing next to her. Alive." He flicked a finger between them. "But you and I know that's a lie—"

  "Enough!" Brigston's shout cut Jackson off mid-rant. Then he said in a quieter tone, "Enough. You weren't here when all this shook loose, and I'm not at liberty to tell you everything on account most of it is under doctor's orders. But Brianna was roped into pretending to be Briony. I don't know all the details," Brigston held up a hand as Jackson opened his mouth to protest. "It's all aboveboard and legal. Evelynn would not have had it otherwise. So, Brianna's stuck in some convoluted contract. I don't know how to end it, and Brianna won't talk about it to anyone. But she will never state her name in front of her parents. Ever. She will only answer to Briony in those situations."

  "Why didn't you warn me about this going in? Maybe put it in the file." Jackson's stomach churned at how he'd treated the woman. Maybe she was innocent. He raked a hand through his hair. At least he could give her the benefit of the doubt. It had nothing to do with the chemistry that sparked between them or how often she had been on his mind since he had left that house.

  "Most everyone knows. I forgot you weren't here the summer after it all went down, but even Ray knows." Brigston smoothed a hand over his face. "He's the one who pointed out that you hadn't come down that summer because you, Tristan, and Rafe were on a cross-country trip to celebrate your first completed year at your university."

  Jackson remembered the trip, but he didn't remember his adopted dad mentioning anything unusual about that summer when Ray returned from Brigston and Shirley's place. "Tell me what you can."

  If he had misjudged Brianna, then he owed her an apology. Heat moved through him as he pictured kissing her and making up. Like that would ever happen.

  "The last time anyone saw Briony was ten years ago, around Halloween." Brigston rubbed at the bald spot on top of his head. "They waited a few weeks because it wasn't unheard of for the girl to run off. It was pretty much standard, especially after they punished her. But this time she never came back. It broke something in Bianca. Bianca started calling Brianna 'Briony' until Evelynn told Reginald that Bianca needed to be placed in a home to have a psychological evaluation." Brigston's haunted gaze met Jackson's. "But Reginald dragged his feet, and Bianca ended up almost killing Brianna because she refused to answer to Briony. All hell broke loose when Brianna confronted the woman."

  "She told me about that." Jackson shuddered again at the thought of anything happening to Brianna. He had the urge to hunt Brianna down and make sure she was in one piece, even though he just saw her days earlier.

  "Can't say I'm shocked she told you that piece, it was the talk of the town for the longest since not only was I called out but the paramedics too. It was a mess. I didn't think she was going to make it. But our Brianna is a fighter and sweet as the day is long. Not like her twin or her parents." Brigston harrumphed. "Anyway, I don't know what happened between the psych-ward Bianca was in and Brianna's release from the hospital, but she immediately moved out of her parents' house. Ended up moving into the Donaldson's old farmstead and from then on anytime she was in her parents' presence, she responded as B
riony."

  But at what cost to her? Bianca seemed to hate Brianna. Why would Brianna put herself in that position? Why would she sign a contract that would force her to stay in it?

  "Not to change the subject, but yesterday was the day Chase died. How're you holding up?"

  Jackson winced. He should have remembered how sharp this man was. He could effectively dodge Rafe by just not answering his cell but damned if he could duck his boss. Or just blow him off. Giving in to the inevitable check-in, Jackson scratched the back of his neck. "The nightmares have tapered off since coming here. Especially since I don't have to meet with informants, and I've never had to draw my gun. It helps. I can remember the good times. You know, when I brought Chase down here to fish and camp with you and Ray."

  The face of his dead partner pushed to the forefront. Another person he had gotten killed.

  "That wasn't your fault, son. The informant turned on you and led you into a trap—"

  "But Chase said he was acting squirrelly."

  "And was he?"

  Looking back, Jackson could see where Chase was coming from, but their CI, or confidential informant, was always squirrelly if he scored any kind of drugs. "I don't know. I know he scored a few days before, so I was worried about him being fit to go, but not about the information. His information was always solid. I never had any reason to doubt that." They'd used the guy for years, and the man never led them wrong.

  Until he had.

  "It was also Chase's fault because he refused to wear a vest."

  "Only if it was a non-violent meeting, and this one was," Jackson staunchly defended his partner.

  "There's no such thing in police work."

  "There is."

  "Really? Did you go in without a vest?" Sheriff Brigston's white eyebrow arched. "No, you're wearing one even now."

  Jackson shifted uncomfortably. "Only because Ray drilled that into my head. If I'm on duty, I wear a damn vest even in the office. With all the crazies, Ray expects people to do a drive-by on the police one day and wants me to be as protected as I can be."

  "It's a holdover from the war, son. And I, for one, appreciate the hell out of him for doing it. Shirley would have been devastated if something had happened to you too." A blush stained his cheeks as the usually taciturn man showed a bit of emotion. "She was fond of Chase, but you are like a son we share with Ray. The second he adopted you, we got you for a kid too."

  It was true as Ray and Brigston had been in the same military unit. Watching each other's backs over there and then going into law enforcement together when they'd returned both settling in Chicago.

  Brigston had only returned to Alabama when his father died, and he had needed to be there for his mother. Jackson had just entered high school, and Ray had taken his policeman's pension, unable to trust another person to have his back.

  It had been the same between Jackson and Chase. The difference being that they had met at the Academy but had clicked.

  "I miss him." Jackson shrugged; he didn't know what else to say.

  First, his parents hadn't given a shit about his feelings; they only cared about what they could gain from him. Then came quiet Ray, the action speaks louder than words kind of guy.

  Chase, on the other hand, talked about everything. The guy wouldn't shut up even with his mouth full. Julie had often joked that he even chattered like a chipmunk in his sleep.

  "We all do."

  When the silence stretched between them again, Jackson sighed. "I seem to have sucky luck. Either getting my friends killed or getting those they love killed."

  Brigston's gaze sharpened. "Bullshit. Rafe's father died by his own hand—"

  "Because my parents targeted Rafe's family. If I hadn't begged for him to spend the weekend with us, they never would have met—"

  "Bullshit."

  Jackson snarled. "Quit saying that. It's true."

  "No." He slammed a hand on his desk as Jackson opened his mouth. "No. You never saw it, and Ray refused to point it out. But you thought you and your parents were 'off' during the school year, right?"

  Jackson nodded, unsure where this conversation was leading.

  "Then tell me this: why did your parents always enroll you in the most expensive private school?

  "Because they wanted me to have the best education in order to fit in more when we pulled our cons."

  Brigston was already shaking his head. "No, they were sizing up the rich folks and planning what cons to run. They only had to wait for the school year to end."

  Jackson slumped in the chair at this revelation. It made an odd sort of sense. Why didn't I put that together?

  "Ray and I know for a fact they pulled several cons on some of your old classmates. We found detailed files on their encrypted computer."

  "I-I didn't know."

  "We know, son, and we weren't planning on telling you. If either of us had known you blamed yourself for Rafe's dad's death, we would have said something ages ago." Brigston leaned forward, his brown eyes boring into Jackson. "I think with all your parents put you through, you are in a unique position to understand what Brianna is going through. You could help her come out somewhat whole on the other side."

  Jackson didn't know if she wanted to come out of the other side as Brianna. Would she want to step out of the limelight Briony commanded? And how would her family feel? Would they support her as Brianna? Or would she lose not only their acceptance and pseudo-love she received as Briony but also their wealth and backing?

  He didn't know a single person except himself, who would walk away from all that without a backward glance.

  "Speaking of family. Ray called yesterday to check up on Shirley."

  Since Jackson was on desk duty today, he settled in to visit Brigston for a bit. He hated paperwork as much as the other deputies. They would all rather be in the field, helping keep their county safe. However, it wasn't possible since at least one of them needed to be in the office. So, they rotated the job.

  "What'd he have to say for himself?" Jackson held up a finger. "Let me get my coffee."

  Brigston smiled and tipped his chin. "Leave the door open in case Mildred or Samuel needs us."

  Jackson tossed a thumbs-up as he left the office and hurried to grab his coffee from his desk. He hadn't realized it was Samuel's turn in the booking area, he made a mental note to check-in with their newest deputy to see if he was doing okay back there.

  Sitting back down in the office, he took a sip of the caffeinated drink and made a face. "We really need to get some new coffee."

  Brigston chuckled, lifting his own mug to his lips.

  "How's Dad doing?"

  Brigston sighed. "I think that pub of his is getting to be too much."

  Jackson had thought the same thing, but Ray wasn't ready to hear it yet. Maybe he'd be more apt to listen to Brigston.

  "He's about ready to sell it."

  "Wait. What?"

  "Well, you don't want it—"

  "I never said that. The pub has been in his family since his great-grandfather opened it."

  Brigston nodded. "I know, son. But you're not moving back to Chicago as far as we can tell, and your dad can't keep up with that place anymore even with Trish acting as assistant manager. She graduates next year and wants to open a restaurant, not a pub."

  "I didn't know that." Jackson set his mug on the sheriff's desk. An idea he had been toying with came to the forefront of his mind. "Do you think Dad would be willing to sell to me, Rafe, and Tristan?"

  "What do you mean?" Brigston frowned but leaned forward, interest sparking in his eyes.

  "Rafe manages businesses all over the country, and several of them are in Chicago. Most he sells back to the owners since he's their startup investor, but the pub we could keep." The more Jackson laid it out, the more he liked the idea. "They're really like my brothers. I told Ray if he could adopt me, I could adopt them."

  Brigston smiled broadly. "I think your dad might go for that. Then he could move down her
e and fish some of these dang tournaments with me. My fishing buddy—you remember Wesley, right? Well, he moved on out to Arizona to be closer to his grandkids."

  "I think Dad would love that. Maybe it'd be easier coming from you than me," Jackson said.

  "Boy, you don't ask for much, do you?" An overdramatic sigh parted his lips. "I guess I could bite the bullet that has Ray's stubbornness written on it, but that means in the next election you gotta put your name in for Sheriff. I'm ready to retire, and you're the only one I trust to pass the reins to."

  Jackson's mouth dropped open in shock as he ran through the deputies. It dawned on him that all of them grew up in this county, and all except Meyers was younger than Jackson.

  "Shut your mouth, son, 'afore you catch flies. You know, as well as I do, none of the new ones know how to handle the bad shit like you do, and we need that just in case. Meyers has already put in for a transfer. His daughter's got her nursing degree and is settling in down in Mobile. He wants to go down there to be with her, and I'm okay with that."

  "I just…" The faith Brigston had in him humbled Jackson. "Thank you. I'll do my best to win."

  "See that you do. Maybe learn to keep your mouth shut when you get a surprise." He teased, chuckling as his landline buzzed.

  "Sir, I have Mr. Parker on line two for you," Mildred's crisp tone cut Brigston off mid-laugh, and he hit the button on his phone.

  "What's he want now?"

  "Says there's a group of boys aggravating the geese in the park, and we need to come arrest them."

  Jackson covered his snorted chuckle with a cough.

  Mr. Parker was all of eighty, so anyone younger was considered a boy in his book, and the group "aggravating" those geese were actually rounding them up to move them to the lake, fifteen minutes away.

  Standing, Jackson tossed Brigston another thumbs-up, grabbed his mug, and hurried from the office before the sheriff assigned him to go calm Mr. Parker down. The future was looking brighter. Especially if he could move his dad down here. This place felt a lot more like home than Chicago ever had.

  Chapter Four