Book excerpt: During their idyllic childhood there was no hint of the chaos and violence they would face as adults. Dex was the best athlete in school; Marie was the neighborhood tomboy. They were best friends and next door neighbors until her family moved away when they were teenagers. Seven years would pass before they saw each other again. Now he was preparing to sign a multi-million dollar NFL contract, and she was a successful entrepreneur. Their unexpected reunion prompted an instant romantic attraction, but they could have never guessed that the transformation from friends to lovers would be the catalyst for a series of violent, tragic events that would soon dominate their peaceful Appalachian town. Hatred lurks volatile and undetected beneath the majestic mountains until these two old friends unintentionally ignite a reign of terror. The mayhem begins with a kidnapping and murder, but the horror is far from over. No one will be safe until the perpetrator is found. The cops believe a single individual is responsible for all the depraved attacks, but the evidence isn't leading anywhere and the investigation has reached a stalemate. Dex is shaken to the core, but he vows to personally find the killer.