Page 2 of Love, Hate, Love

Did I, though? Was I really so sure about that? Could it be worse than this? Thanhim?

“You know they have those white-collar prisons. I’ve heard they let you play shuffleboard, take cooking classes. I’m way behind on my reading list. I think I could make it work.”

My brother gave me a push on the back, like a broken toy he was trying to get moving.

My legs might’ve been frozen, but my elbows were working just fine.

“Ow,” he grunted, moving his arm to shield his ribs from another blow. “You don’t have to hit me.”

“Then stop shoving me.” We’d only been kicking, hitting, and shoving each other for the twenty-eight years I’d been alive. He knew the rules by now.

He reached out as if he were going to try to shove me forward again but stopped short. I might be barely over five foot, but I gave as good as I got.

“Leah, no part of me likes this. Just go in and get it over with.”

He was right. I wasn’t ready to go to prison, no matter how nice it seemed in comparison tohim, the man who owned this ranch.

I might’ve made a groan similar to Big Foot dying as I nodded.

My brother picked up my suitcase and walked toward the house.

He stopped after a few feet, looking back at me. He tilted his head toward the front porch, his eyebrows raised.

I would’ve followed if I could’ve gotten my lungs to fill with air and the crushing sense of panic to ease up. This man who had once been my childhood confidant was now going to relish being front and center, watching my fall from grace. And wow was I doing it in the most stellar way imaginable. I’d tried to work hard my entire life to become someone, and this was definitely not the someone I imagined I’d become.

“I’mcoming.” I forced my legs forward, the gravel walk eating up my stiletto heels like it was trying to suck me under. Or save me? Just because I was walking across a gravel drive that had seen torrential rain within the last twenty-four hours didn’t mean it was science or gravity at work. One might imagine it was Mother Earth, trying to warn me off and leave this hellish man’s ranch.

Monroe had almost made it to the porch. I, on the other hand, had only made it another few feet, continuing to fight Mother Earth for my shoes.

I was actively trying to keep my heels on, walking like a drunk duck, when Kade stepped out onto the porch, the wind howling right at that moment as if even nature would do what he commanded. He’d surely known we were out here for a while. But yeah, that was Kade Hawk. Never one to rush himself on behalf of anyone else. Nope, he’d leave us lingering in his drive for an hour if that fit his schedule. He’d show up when he was good and ready, and the world could like it or shove it. For some reason, that behavior seemed to have worked out for him, considering the upgrades to this place.

I’d hoped he’d gotten paunchy. The only place his clothing was snug was where it stretched to accommodate his biceps. He was wearing jeans that were broken in at all the right places, roughed-up boots, and a t-shirt that hugged his body like it couldn’t get enough of him, just like all the girls had. I guess when you were born with a jaw that chiseled and hair so dark and thick that even the Kardashians were envious, you didn’t have to spend too much time on the frills.

I used to think he was an angel sent from heaven to protect me. Now I thought his looks were to cloak his black soul from the naïve prey he stalked. That was how it went with the evil ones. There were perks to selling your soul to the devil. Although I might’ve been underestimating him. For all I knew, he might’ve been the one collecting the contracts.

Those whiskey-colored eyes turned on me and my breath caught. It was the first time we’d laid eyes on each other in years, and in spite of the fact my opinion of him had nosedived worse than a fighter plane in WWII trying to bomb the Germans, my body hadn’t gotten the memo that we hated him. My stomach clenched and my heart stopped beating when our eyes locked.

He turned his attention to my brother, as if my presence was insignificant, but the vein bulging in his neck told a different story. I still got under his skin, as much as he did mine.

My steps slowed as they were gripping hands in greeting.

I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the low timbre of Kade’s voice carried, sending a hum through me that settled all the way in my gut and warmed me up better than half a bottle of whiskey on this chilly autumn night. I could attest to this, since I’d drunk close to that last night and all I’d gotten for it was a wicked headache today and a touch more nausea than I’d probably have had anyway.

I forced myself a few steps closer. Kade wasn’t looking at me, but he was clocking my every move. Last thing I’d do was give him the satisfaction of appearing afraid. But I liked it here, safe in the shadows, where I could let my eyes adjust to the sight of him before every reaction would show on my face. When we were kids, everyone had known I had a crush on him from the way I looked at him. I couldn’t risk any remnant of that popping back up. Even if I didn’t like him anymore, I wasn’t sure how my body might react. This situation was degrading enough without his thinking I carried a torch for him, or worse, a bonfire, as they used to tease. I had to blank out my face, the way he’d always been able to.

I took a few more steps.

“Thanks for doing this,” Monroe said. He sounded so grateful that listening to him was like chugging a gallon of honey.

Luckily Kade was there to cut the sweetness with his vinegar. If there was one person who wasn’t all apple pie and whipped cream, it was this man. He might’ve had a soft spot for me once upon a time, but he’d ripped that part out and run it through a meat grinder. Or maybe that had been the fantasy of a googly-eyed teen?

“Don’t worry about it,” Kade said. “I owed you one.”

It was way more gracious than I’d expected—and a tad unbelievable, since I’d never heard of this debt to my brother. Kade cut his gaze to me, looking at me like a rodent he wanted to run off his land.

Yeah, what agreat guy. Top of the line. Justsuper.

My brother laughed awkwardly, as if Kade’s look was some sort of joke. He didn’t know Kade the way I did. That man didn’t have a funny bone.

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