He was going to get away with it all—again. Say that Matt and Danny hired the killer for the insurance money. Say that Matt broke in and attacked Kyle, and that Noah killed Matt in self-defense.

Fuck that. Not today.

Matt channeled every football move he’d ever seen his brother perform and barreled at Noah, ducking under the gun and flinging his arms around Noah’s waist as they both flew onto the floor. Matt scrambled on top of him and began punching, pummeling his face, as Noah clawed at him, blood everywhere. When Noah stopped moving, Matt staggered to his feet.

Noah said something unintelligible through the snot and blood.

Matt reached above to the bookshelf, removing a marble bookend. He thought of Charlotte on the bank of that creek. Still alive, fighting for her life like Danny was right now. He thought of his father and mother and little brother and sister. And he raised the heavy bookend over his head.

“Matt, no!” a voice yelled from behind him.

He turned and saw Agent Keller, a group of local officers behind her, one of them with his gun drawn.

“You don’t want to do this, Matthew.”

“He took everything,” Matt sobbed.

“We know, Matt. We have the proof,” Keller said. “But don’t let him take you, too.”

Matt looked down at Noah Brawn, who was shielding his face with a hand.

Matt raised the marble bookend as high as he could and with every ounce of strength he had left, he hurled it toward the floor.

Excerpt from

A Violent Nature

Season 1/Season Finale

EXT. STONE CREEK - DAY

A beautiful day. The sun shining. The sound of water flowing down the creek.

C.U. on bank where Charlotte’s body was found.

EVAN PINE (V.O)

People think I’m obsessed, that I’m crazy. That I’m selfish and a fool. But what would you do if your son was convicted for a crime he didn’t commit? If he was locked up for the rest of his life and you knew in your bones he was innocent? If your family was broken?

You have two choices when you’re confronted with your every last fear:

Give up or fight like hell.

And I’m going to fight until my last breath for Danny, for Liv, for Matt, for Maggie, for Tommy—for Charlotte—to uncover the truth.

FADE TO BLACK

EPILOGUE

MATT PINE

AFTER

“This your brother, Affleck?”

“That’s what I said, Reggie. Now, don’t look at the camera. Just play the game like always.” Matt aimed the Blackmagic camera at the two men playing chess in Washington Square Park, the sun lowering in the sky. Danny had arrived early, before Matt finished the shoot for his short film, and Reggie seemed fascinated with him.

“You was the one who was inside?” Reggie said.

“I am,” Danny said. “Fishkill.”