Love & Hate (Book One: Hate)
Read Love & Hate (Book One: Hate) Online
Authors: JJ Dorn
Kindle Edition
Published by J.J. Dorn
Copyright 2014 J.J. Dorn
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Author does not own any rights to music mentioned in this book.
Cover Design by
Mayhem Cover Creations
Formatting by
Mayhem Cover Creations
DEDICATION
To my Grandma Moo who always told me love and hate are two horns on the same bull.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Excerpt from Love & Hate Book #2 - Love
PROLOGUE
“
Hurry up Paige. We are going to miss Luke Bryan! I can’t miss meeting my future husband!”
One of my best friends Lacey is attempting to prod me along through the horse barns at the county fair. Lacey is stunning. She is your classic pretty country girl, skinny, blonde, blue eyes and energy for days. She is boy crazy and sometimes just plain crazy, but I love her. I however, am more reserved and very content just looking at the horses.
Lacey is at least twenty feet in front of me and is trying to maneuver through the ever growing crowd. I start to walk more quickly but am still focused on the horses. I should have been watching where I was going because I run smack into something hard. I look up to see what I hit and I come face to face with ice blue eyes and the wickedest grin I have ever seen. They belong to none other than Cutter Daniels, local bad boy extraordinaire. He is gorgeous to say the least. He’s a local farm kid. He has the most delicious natural dark tan from being in the sun all day. It complements his sun bleached hair that is spiked perfectly into a faux hawk. He is wearing jeans hung low on his hips with a plain navy t-shirt that accents his skin and eyes perfectly.
“
I’m so sorry I wasn’t watching where I was going. I was distracted.” I attempt to retreat quickly but a large hand grabs my wrist. The moment he touches me I feel a jolt like I have grabbed a hot wire fence.
Whoa, what the heck is that about?
“
You’re Paige, right?” He looks at me quizzically.
Like he didn’t already know who I am! Of course he knows who I am. I am infamous in this stupid small town.
I was just about to croak out a yes and hope to hell he releases me when I hear from down the barn aisle my worst fear come to life. “Cutter, what the hell man! Why are you talking to the Piggy Princess?”
That of course is Cutter’s older brother, Cooper Daniels. He is the devil incarnate. He has the most obnoxious red hair and thick freckles. He looks exactly like the mean boy from
A Christmas Story
, minus the raccoon skin hat.
As soon as I hear my lovely nickname I stiffen and begin to walk away swiftly without looking back. Cooper loves to make me cry and I am not going through that today. I refuse to ruin a perfectly good Luke Bryan experience due to that angry red head.
I finally catch up with Lacey and she is talking to some local boys. I know the guys go to the same school as her. Lacey attends public school and has lots of friends. I go to private school in the city and have a private tutor to accompany me at the horse shows. I am reluctant to approach them because I recognize the guys as friends of the Daniels brothers and any friend of theirs is for sure not a friend of mine. As I approach them I can hear Lacey saying “I’m only coming if Paige comes.”
Oh great, what is Lacey getting us into now.
Lacey and I have been friends for years. Her Dad works at our farm training horses. Lacey and her family live in a house on our sprawling compound so I see her every day. We ride horses together when we get home from school and we attend competitions together. Lacey is a really talented rider, I think she is more talented than her Dad, Titus Cunningham. I tell her this all the time but she doesn’t seem to believe me. Lacey is fearless. She will just jump on a wild young horse and go for it, no hesitation. She is always telling me to stop hesitating that it’s going to kill me one day. She’s probably right. I’m just more cautious than her. She is wild and I am well, just plain boring.
“
Great you’re here, finally!” I know she is upset I took so long looking at the horses, but I don’t really care.
“
We are going to the river party tonight. Drake and Tripp just invited us.” She knows I am going to say no but I refuse to have this conversation in front of the guys so I just smile and nod okay.
Drake and Tripp are good friends with Cutter. This alone makes me want to run in the other direction. I know they are only allowing me to come along because they want Lacey to be at their party. I know that should sting but years of their distain has frankly just made me numb.
“
Great. We will see you tonight.” Drake says before the guys wonder off to find their seats.
Lacey turns to me with a look of seriousness. “Before you say no, I will remind you that it’s my Birthday and you agreed to do whatever I want. And I want to go to the party so we are going.”
Great, she has me by the lady balls on this one.
“
Okay we will go, but the first sign of drama and I am out.” I state sternly.
“
I will be right behind you Chica. This is going to be great! What are we going to wear?”
Yeah, I was totally screwed. Thank God for some Luke Bryan therapy before I dive head first into what I know is sure to be an epic fail.
After taking two hours to primp and get dress, we were finally in my black Range Rover headed to the river. I have chosen to go more conservative than Lacey. I am wearing my skinny jeans, my favorite Sperry Topsiders and lace top. I did my signature long blonde hair in loose waves. I was glad I had just had a spray tan done, as my Mother always says “if you can’t tone it, tan it.” Well yeah, let’s just say my spray tan lady is on speed dial. Not that I think I’m fat, I don’t. I guess I just consider myself to have some extra curves, kind of like Miranda Lambert before the recent slim down. I wish I was tiny like Lacey but I’m not, I’m just average.
Lacey has chosen to wear a sundress with a giant cutout in the back and cowboy boots. Oh and lets not mention it is like two sizes too small for her, it is practically painted on but she still looks amazing. Something tells me I will be returning to the farm by myself regardless of Lacey’s earlier vow. She is looking to party and I am just looking to hopefully go unnoticed.
“
Relax. It’s going to be fine. No one is going to say anything to you. I promise.” Lacey gives me an encouraging smile as we drive down the gravel road to the river bar.
It is packed. Trucks litter the rocky shore and a giant bon fire is in the center of all the vehicles. I can see a group of girls dancing in the bed of a lifted truck next to the bon fire. Country music blares from its speakers. I am glad it is dark and packed with people. Hopefully I will just blend right in. Lacey and I head toward the party. I need to just to relax and breathe but my brain is on high alert.
We have been at the party a couple of hours and no one has seemed to notice me. In fact, I was actually enjoying myself. I stuck close to Lacey and have been chatting with some of her friends from school. I was just starting to get comfortable when it happens. I hear the hyena type laughing first and then I see him, Cooper Freaking Daniels. He is making his way through the crowd heading straight for Lacey and me. As the crowd parts to let him through I can tell he is drunk and his little brother, Cutter is right behind him.
I’m so screwed.
“
Is that Piggy Princess? What are you doing here Piglet? Who invited you?” I start walking backward as quickly as I can. Like retreating from a rattlesnake, I know better than to turn my back on Cooper. If I do he will strike and who knows if I will survive it. I look for Lacey as I retreat but can’t find her anywhere. It doesn’t matter, I just need to get to my car and quickly. “Where are you going Miss Piggy? I want to talk to you. Wait up.”
Screw this, it is time to run.
So I do. I run through row after row of trucks until I spot my Range Rover. Thank God! I know Cooper is still pursuing me I can hear him making his way toward me. I click the remote start and click the unlock button.
Shit.
There is someone leaning against my door. He has a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth. He is dressed in dark jeans and black hoodie. His dark baseball hat is sitting low on his head so I can’t see his eyes.
Crap, crap, crap. What am I going to do now! It’s probably one of Cooper and Cutter’s friends making sure I can’t escape. I may have to jump in the passenger side and crawl over to the driver’s seat to avoid him.
“
Where are you running off to?” The dark stranger asks me.
“
Umm… I’m leaving, like now. If you’ll excuse me I need to get in my car.”
Get out of my way asshole I will push you if I have to! This is a code red situation!
