Page 104 of The Other Side

Bruce’s finger swung to Brett.

Oh, no. No, no, no.

Brett pressed back against Thea, trying his best to hide her from Bruce, but she wasn’t the only one in danger. Emerson had switched sides, and she had a new, shiny target on her back.

“That’s not true!” Emerson shouted.

“She couldn’t stay away from Oscar! You were a Patton from the start.”

Brett fumbled through his memories, trying to disprove the claim, but it wouldn’t have been a surprise if his dad had run around on his mom. The guy didn’t have two morals to rub together. There had also been rumors of cheating spouses, but he hadn’t considered his dad.

But Brett needed more than a few seconds to reconcile a secret sister, especially when it was Emerson Howard.

Thea’s grip on Brett’s shoulder tightened. “Linc–”

It was a small cry for help. Not for herself, but for Emerson.

Linc had already moved in front of Emerson, protecting her from Bruce’s wrath.

And Bruce was getting ready to strike. His shoulders were tense, and his whole face was blood-red.

Emerson pushed around Linc, who stuck out his arm, trying to keep her behind him. “What are you talking about? I’m your daughter. I’m a Howard.”

Bruce laughed. “Not enough of one.”

“Let Thea and Emerson go,” Brett said. “They didn’t do any of this.”

Instead of responding to Brett, Bruce let out a high-pitched whistle before turning to Gage with a grin.

“I have backup, and you’re out of time.”

Gage kept his gun pointed at Bruce, but his face paled.

A man Brett didn’t recognize appeared in the doorway wielding a shotgun.

A shotgun? Really? This guy could take out any one of them with one pinch of his finger.

Then the man smiled, and the piece clicked into place. Brett hadn’t laid eyes on Max Howard since he was a kid, but he’d remember that evil look anywhere.

How had Thea and Max come from the same blood?

Apparently, the same way Brett and Emerson had.

Another sister. Jess was going to flip when she found out.

Thea gripped his shoulder harder, clearly not happy to see Max any more than the rest of them.

Max swung the shotgun like it was a toy, aiming at Gage. “Hey, bro.”

Gage stood impossibly still as he held his younger brother’s stare. “What are you doing here?”

“Good behavior,” Max said, showing all of his drug-eaten teeth.

Brett took a steady step back, pushing Thea away from her unhinged brother’s weapon.

It didn’t matter much because Max had his sights set on Gage, who held his pistol steady–aimed at Max.

“You’d kill your own brother?” Max asked with a pout. His tone dripped with fake sadness.

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