Page 10 of The Other Side

The other man–the source of the voice she’d once known well–couldn’t possibly be Brett Patton. Not the man she’d run away from. Not the man who’d broken her heart and stolen everything from her.

But itwashim, and Thea’s heart beat wilder by the second as she tried to process the scene. She let out a low grunt as she tried to lift her head again. Big mistake.

The voices stopped, and Brett and Gage turned toward her. They stumbled over each other in their attempt to get to her bedside.

Thea jerked as she scrambled to move back. The pain in her side and chest was sharp enough to narrow her vision.No. No. No.The room came into focus, and the tubes taped to her tugged as she lifted her arms to cover her face.

She was in a hospital room, but nothing made sense—Brett, Gage, the pain, the beeping.

Gage was standing over her, his formerly youthful face hardened and almost covered in a dark beard. He’d been handsome when they were in high school. All the girls had followed Gage Howard around. Now, all traces of his boyish innocence was gone, replaced by a stone-cold warning.

“Nurse!” Brett shouted from somewhere else in the room.

“Thea, are you okay?” Gage asked. The kindness in his question didn’t match the stern expression he wore.

She could barely pull a breath past her lips. Had he done this to her? Or was he still the brother she remembered who had a heart?

He was the one who encouraged her to leave–to save herself. If she could trust anyone, it had to be him. But so much had changed since then. Allegiances were everything to their family. Did a higher-ranking Howard have his loyalty now?

Gage’s shoulder jerked back, and Brett came into view.

Which was worse? Gage or Brett?

“Thea.”

That one word shattered what was left of her heart. There’d been a time when she’d foolishly trusted him more than her own flesh and blood. There’d been a time when he’d kissed her sweetly and told her he’d move mountains to be with her, do whatever it took to keep them together.

All he’d done was rip them apart. The cruel irony slashed through all of those good memories.

Her throat burned as she tried to speak. The words came out shaky and raw. “Get away from me.” She wasn’t sure if she was talking to Gage or Brett. Mostly both.

Brett was on her other side now, closing in on her and leaving her cornered. He wore a nice white button-up shirt, but the front was stained with dark-red blotches. “You’re safe. I promise.” He shot Gage a warning look that had her shoulders curling in.

“You’re not safe either,” she whispered toward Brett before looking back to Gage. “None of us are.”

Brett scoffed. “If your brother feels froggy, he can jump whenever he’s ready.”

Gage stared at Brett. “My fist would love to meet your face again.”

“How’s the jaw these days? Last time I saw it, you were talking out of the right side of your face.”

The tension in the room pressed down on her as the men leaned over the bed toward each other. Brett and Gage had been at odds for as long as Thea could remember, but their rivalry had seemed tame back then.

Back before Brett had been a part of her dad’s death. Back before the feud between their families turned deadly.

Brett’s appearance had changed too. The white shirt stretched tight over his shoulders and arms, and the sleeves were rolled tightly to just below his elbows, showcasing strong forearms. His hair was a shade darker, his chest was broader, and the softness in his features was nowhere to be found. It seemed the last five years hadn’t been easy on any of them.

Hate could do that to people–strip the goodness from them, inside and out.

Gage bowed up, and every muscle in his upper body tensed. It was like watching a Jack-in-the-box wind up before exploding out in a rush.

“Stop!” She tried to raise her voice, but the word came out hoarse.

Both of the men looked at her.

“Get out.”

Brett’s shoulders slumped. “Please, don’t make me leave you. You had a partially collapsed lung, and it scared the life out of me.”

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