Finally, Jackson was there. His strong arms and warmth encased her. "Shh, baby. This wasn't your fault."
Brianna released a hiccuping sob and collapsed against his chest. Pain shredded her heart. To be given a chance to form a tentative bond with her mother only to have it snatched away.
"She's not dead, Bri," Jackson whispered into the shell of her ear. "Your mother isn't dead."
It took him saying it several times before Brianna jerked away from him to see the paramedics loading her in the back. "I want to ride with her."
"Okay," he said and led her to the back of the square vehicle.
She didn't know what Jackson said, but they allowed her to sit at her mother's feet while a paramedic took the bench next to her so he could continue to work on Bianca in transit.
Brianna grabbed the seat as the emergency siren sounded, and they bumped down the driveway at a rapid pace. When they swung onto the smoother paved road, Brianna reached a tentative hand out and touched the top of her mother's foot. She would rather hold her mother's hand, but the man next to her mother was shouting stats as he poked IV needles into Bianca. No way would Brianna distract him.
The ride felt as if Brianna blinked, and they were at the hospital. She knew she was losing time but didn't know how to stop it. The back door popped open, and she was forced to scramble down while they hurriedly grabbed her mother from the back.
Then Callie was there, and she guided Brianna inside. When they ended up in the bathroom instead of the floor, the information person had given them, Brianna was confused. But became more so when Callie slipped the jacket Brianna was clutching off her shoulders.
"Callie?"
"Bri, hon, you're only wearing a bra under here." Callie shook out a t-shirt from her massive purse. "Let's get this on, and we'll head up to the waiting room."
She talked to Brianna as if she were a child. But when Brianna looked down and saw she was dressed only in a bra, heat flooded her face as she tried to cross her arms.
"Stop that. Put this on," Callie ordered, shoving the t-shirt at her again.
Brianna took it and tried to slide it on, but none of her limbs seemed to be working right.
"Shit," Callie muttered, snatching the t-shirt and yanking it over Brianna's head. Then she tugged each arm through. With a final pull, the shirt was on, and Callie laid the jacket across Brianna's shoulders again. "Okay, hon, let's go wait for your mom to get out of surgery."
The waiting room was empty. Brianna swept it twice and then a third time unwilling to believe Jackson had left her. "Where's Jackson?" She turned to Callie. "Is he parking the car?"
"No, hon, he had to go to the sheriff's office and fill out some paperwork." Callie gently pulled her to a couch on the far wall.
It was overly soft, and Brianna wished it would swallow her whole as she sank into the worn cushions. "Why did he have to go to the sheriff's office? Christopher's the one who shot Mother."
Callie settled next to her and wrapped an arm around Brianna. It wasn't the same as if Jackson had been there, but the hug was better than being alone.
"Jackson is the one who shot Christopher. Unfortunately, it was after Christopher shot your mom, but I'm glad it was before he had time to hurt you."
Guilt poured into Brianna, sending more ice water flooding her veins. "Christopher wasn't aiming for Mother…" Brianna shivered. "He was aiming for me."
Callie's fingers dug into Brianna's bicep as she held her closer. "Then his aim was off because he hit—"
"Mom jerked me back and stepped in front of me—"
Callie jolted under Brianna.
"You're telling me your mother took—"
"A bullet for me." Brianna pushed out of Callie's hold and faced her friend. "But it was my fault—"
"No, it was Christopher's—"
"The gun? Yes. But I'm the one who pissed him off. He just wouldn't shut up." Brianna tugged at her hair as she remembered the asshole droning on and on about how unfair Evelynn was acting. "He said Grandmother should not have any say on how Father spends his money. But she did because Father almost bankrupted everyone."
"What's that got—"
Brianna cut Callie off. "And Christopher and Father needed the money for a business they wanted to build. But Grandmother would not sign off on it."
"So, he came to you the second your grandmother was out of the picture?" Callie snarled. "What a sleaze."
"No," Brianna whispered as she clutched Callie's arms. "Quit interrupting me. I'm trying to tell you, Christopher's the one who cut Grandmother's brake lines."
Callie's jaw dropped open, and her eyes widened. "Holy shit. They thought Reginald would be the proxy."
Brianna nodded.
"That's what pissed you off, isn't it?"
She kept nodding as her teeth started chattering.
"Jesus," Callie whispered as heavy footsteps hurried into the room.
"Brianna."
Hearing Jackson's voice, Brianna swung to the doorway. "Jackson!"
She jumped from the couch and raced into him, slamming into his chest as he swept his hands over her before cupping her cheeks and leaning her head back to claim her lips. She opened for him as her blood heated, the passion melting the ice in her veins.
He pulled back but didn't release her. "Are you okay?"
"I am now." She shook his hands loose and buried her head against his chest again.
They awkwardly walked back to the couch as she refused to let him go, and he didn't make her.
"What took you so long?" she asked.
"My car is still in long term parking at the airport, and we didn't know where the keys were for Dad's car, so after giving our statements to Brigston we had to wait for Derrick to pick us up."
Brianna lifted her gaze and saw Ray and Derrick take the pleather chairs across from her with Callie plopping down next to Derrick.
Jackson held her close. All of them waiting for someone to bring word about her mother. She heard Callie filling them in on Christopher. Jackson ordered her to stop since he and Ray still needed to sign their statements, and Brianna had to give hers.
Just as silence descended, they all turned to the door when the sound of footsteps drew near. Brianna stood and inched closer to the door expecting a nurse or doctor.
Instead, Reginald swept into the room immaculate in his light gray suit with a mint green tie. His brown hair styled in an expensive cut that seemed to be standard in his social circle. But it was the icy rage that pierced Brianna to her core and made her curl her shoulders in to become a smaller target.
"You. You did this, you selfish bitch." He jabbed a slender finger that had never seen a day of work at her.
Anger bubbled over, and she straightened. "Me? Selfish? Hello, pot, meet kettle." She gestured to him. "It was you who did this."
He crossed his arms and sneered. "Really? How do you figure that?"
Brianna took a step toward him but was stopped when Callie grabbed her arm. As if she would hit her father, she would never get physical with the asshole. She saw Derrick and Ray both had a hold on Jackson. At least he wouldn't get in more trouble because of her. She swung back to face Reginald, her gaze narrowed on the spineless man in front of her. "If you had gotten Mother the help she needed, we wouldn't be here now. Because I would never have pretended to be Briony otherwise. Therefore Mother wouldn't have been on my porch apologizing for the entire fiasco—"
"Apologize? Bianca isn't the one who should apologize." His tone became colder. "You should have been the one to apologize for ending the contract. But you've never been sorry a day in your life."
Brianna snorted, but it came across more watery than sarcastic. "Oh, I've been sorry. Sorry I ever got a father like you."
"Well, that will be easily remedied. And don't think I didn't notice there was no surprise in your lover's eyes when the contract and your role as Briony was mentioned." He leaned forward as if imparting a great secret. "Don't think you won't pay for dragging our name thr
ough the mud by flapping your lips where they ought to have been sealed."
Before Brianna could tear into Reginald about Christopher, the doctor appeared. "Spencer family."
Brianna hesitated a second at the blood on the doctor's scrubs. That hesitation gave Reginald the time he needed to grab the doctor's elbow. "I'm Bianca Spencer's husband."
"Oh," the doctor looked at his tablet. "And your daughter?"
"Our daughter is dead. There is only me."
Brianna gasped. Her hand covered her mouth to stifle the sob even as Jackson's arms engulfed her as if he could protect her from that pain.
"I'm sorry for your loss," the doctor said.
Brianna tried to speak, but the knot in her throat was too big at how easily her father dismissed her.
"It happened a long time ago. Shall we?" Reginald strode into the hall, leaving Brianna to figure out how to pick up the pieces alone.
She turned into Jackson's arms and realized she wasn't alone this time. Any more than she had been all those years ago. Her family might not share blood, but they loved her.
Callie barreled into her from the side as Derrick took the other side. Brianna was surrounded by a wall of love, which was more than she had ever had while growing up in that sterile house.
Chapter Eighteen
After giving her statement, Brianna was ordered by Sheriff Brigston to stay away from her father. The man was now under investigation. Christopher was trying to pin it all on Reginald, of course.
They were a week into the investigation and had found only one link, the tentative business deal between the two. However, the man Christopher paid to cut the brake lines was arrested two days ago and sang to the rafters for a deal. Only Christopher was mentioned so far.
Brianna twisted the steering wheel between her hands, making the leather creak. She wanted her life back.
Ray's hand landed on her shoulder, and she shrugged it off, annoyed that someone had to be with her at all times thanks to her father and Christopher. Blowing a chunk of hair out of her eyes, she huffed. "Sorry, I'm just ready to have a bit of alone time."
"At least no one's following you into the bathroom, yet." Ray teased.
Brianna growled. "Like hell. Your son was in there with me this morning."
Ray threw his head back and roared with laughter. "I sure didn't hear you complaining. If anything, I heard 'Oh, God, Jackson—"
"Oh, Jesus," Brianna whimpered her face flamed in embarrassment. "You heard that? Aren't old people supposed to be hard of hearing?"
"First, I'm not old." He frowned at her but it fell into a smile as he continued to tease her. "And I heard a hell of a lot. Didn't hear the Jesus part though." He guffawed.
Brianna wanted to disappear. She wanted to go home now more than ever. Sharing a bathroom with Ray was already uncomfortable but now that she knew he could hear them even with the shower on she wished a hole would open up and swallow her.
"No need to be ashamed. You love each other. If my Edna was still alive, I'm sure I'd still be chasing her—"
"Oh, God, can we please change the subject?" Brianna cringed at the image. "Never mind, we're at Callie's now."
Before she could flee the SUV, Ray put a hand on her arm. "Who's that in the drive?"
Living in the country for years, Brianna had never been suspicious of strangers. Until now. "I don't know."
A tall, lanky man stepped from the nondescript dark green vehicle, jogged over to Brianna's window, and tapped. He wore a suit that didn't have any bulges she could see. So no gun. Punching the button to lower the window, the man passed a clipboard through the opening.
"What's this?" she asked, grabbing it before it fell onto the floorboard.
"A delivery for Brianna Spencer." He pointed to the bottom. "I need you to sign that you received it."
The innocuous white envelope was printed with her name. Taking the pen from the top, she scrawled her name across the bottom, stating she had received the envelope. The man took the clipboard back and passed her the middle piece as well as the envelope.
"Have a nice day," he said before jogging back to his car.
Curious, Brianna ripped open the envelope and saw the letter was written on a law firm's letterhead. Odd.
Then she read it and reread it. Crumpling the paper into a ball, she hurled it at the far side of the car. She threw her head back and release a blood-curdling scream of rage.
Ray startled next to her, but she couldn't stop punching the steering wheel and cursing at the top of her lungs. Brianna couldn't calm down enough to explain what was going on even when he stepped from the SUV and walked toward the house. Not that Brianna blamed him; if she could, she would leave her in the car too. But since she was the her, she was stuck.
Her door was yanked open, and Jackson grabbed her in his arms. His soothing tone helped her find her center. When she slumped in his arms, he lowered them both to the ground. "I see you found out about the arbitration your father's implemented for the NDA."
"That son of a bitch," Brianna whispered.
"Nah, your grandmother is a nice lady. Reginald is an asshole."
"Sorry, I lost it." She nuzzled his neck.
"I'd be surprised if you didn't. I mean seriously, you've been hit with one thing after the other. Since I've known you: You've had a contract that enslaved you end; you've been stalked by Christopher; you found out your sister was murdered; your grandmother was almost killed; you were almost kidnapped several times, and to top it off your mom took a bullet for you." He rubbed her back. "And most of that happened within the last two weeks, so if this latest crap didn't send you over the edge, I'd be shocked."
"He's trying to take my farm. My home. All because you know about the contract."
"I know. I have a letter too."
She pulled back. "You too?"
"Yes."
"I won't have you pulled into this mess, Jackson."
"I'm already in this fight. If it involves you, then I'm slapping on wading shoes and going in with you."
She stood and dusted the dirt from her rear, then she held a hand out and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go call Willoughby. He'll pull our asses out of this fire."
Jackson took her hand and jumped to his feet, keeping hold of her hand. "Sounds like a plan. I wonder if we should invite him out and maybe get some takeout."
"Barbecue?" Brianna's stomach growled, and Jackson's followed.
He chuckled. "My stomach agrees. I'll get everyone's order, and Derrick and I can pick it up while you call Willoughby."
Her father had chosen the wrong way to come at her. Instead of trying to bury the hatchet, he attacked her through her home. Screw that. She didn't need him. Hadn't needed him in decades.
He hadn't even called to tell her that Mother had survived the bullet wound and was out of the ICU.
Luckily, Grandmother still had access to Bianca's medical information, so they received updates at least until Reginald discovered the loophole and closed it.
Determined, she strode into the house and picked up Callie's landline.
* * * *
The arbitration took three weeks to set up. The time sped by for Brianna as she did her best not to worry. But how could she not? Everything was riding on the three arbitrators believing that Grandmother and Callie were the ones who filled Jackson in.
Back then? Brianna hated that Jackson was told about the contract by someone else. Resented that they did it instead of her. Now? She was glad they had protected her. They had answered all the questions Jackson had with Brianna feeling like a third wheel. And as Jackson had a copy of the contract, he hadn't needed Brianna to say a word about the minute details.
But would the steps they took be enough to save the ranch?
Brianna twisted her fingers together as they approached the local hotel. The only place they could find with enough space to hold the arbitration. Though Mr. Guthrie, Reginald's attorney, had tried to have it moved to Birmingham so they could use his offices. Will
oughby had been adamant about keeping it local. Grandmother could not travel further than thirty minutes.
Grandmother was the lynchpin in their entire defense since she knew not only Brianna's side but Reginald's and Bianca's too.
Her gaze bounced around the small parking lot, and panic beat into her. She clutched Jackson's blazer as he came to rest next to her. "Grandmother isn't here."
Brianna scanned the lot again, but none of Grandmother's cars magically appeared with her new driver.
Jake nudged her shoulder. "Your grandmother will be here, and Wyatt is just a proficient driver as I was only better since he was in Special Ops. So he's got the whole bodyguard vibe going too."
Brianna's shoulders eased down from around her ears. "I just worry."
"Well, Christopher's been denied bail since he was so adept at hiding for so long the judge felt he would be a flight risk with his resources. And no one else is after her. She's just running a little late."
Brianna nodded, but the nerves twisting in her gut didn't settle. She knew Christopher was out of the picture, but it didn't make her grandmother's absence any easier to bear.
Jackson laced their fingers together as they strode into the hotel and headed for the reception desk, who pointed toward a set of double doors. In the hall was a line with the entertainment lawyers, Mrs. Williams, and several other staff members from Grandmother's house and her parents' house.
Vince, Erica, and Callen were clumped together. None were inside the conference room. Curious, she arched a brow.
"They want to question us one at a time before we're allowed in there," Vince said.
"That makes sense, I guess," Brianna moved to get in line, but a man dressed in a crisp suit stopped her.
"You're Brianna Spencer?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"You can go in with your attorney."
She moved with Jackson to the door.
"Not him, just you."
Jake hobbled up on his crutches. Brianna could tell he was in pain by his drawn expression. "Umm, sir?"
She caught the man's attention. "Can he come in with me?" She pointed to Jake. "He's only been up on the crutches for a week, and we didn't bring a wheelchair because we thought we could go right in."
The Twin Contract (The Contract Series Book 1) Page 31