Page 41 of Speak No Claim

She jerked back by the drastic change in my voice, simply stating, “You did.”

My eyebrows pinched together, hearing her admit that to me.

“Your fingertips are all over those tattoos. It’s not just art reflecting back at me.” She paused for a second, rasping, “All the bright, dazzling colors, all the history, it speaks to me. Actually, it’s not speaking. It’s screaming. It’s your soul, Onyx Devereaux. It’s shouting for me.”

Something inside me broke in two. She had no idea who she was fucking with, not one clue of what she spoke about, and I was going to make sure she understood that.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

She stood tall. “Hennessy Belladonna, and since you think I’m a witch, I’m assuming you’ve heard about my father’s lineage, but you don’t see me losing my shit over it. I wasn’t trying to⁠—”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what you were trying to do.”

She winced, muttering, “Onyx⁠—”

“You don’t get to say my name as if you know me.”

“I never said I did. I was just saying⁠—”

“I know exactly what you were saying.” I glared at her. “Out here in the fucking woods in shorts your ass is barely covering and a top that’s doing one hell of a job at pretending to cover your tits.”

She recoiled as if I’d slapped her. “Eres un pendejo.” She called me an asshole.

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “Finally, you’re seeing me for who I really am.”

Hennessy

His words hit harder than they should’ve, especially when he walked away from me. His stride held nothing but determination as he grabbed my hoodie off the grass and tossed it toward me.

It landed at my feet, and I stared at it like it was a bomb about to explode.

“Put it on.” Before I could argue, he snidely bit out like the copperhead snake I just encountered, “Your nipples are in my goddamn face.”

I sucked in a breath, instantly looking down. He was right. Despite it being cold outside, heat still stirred down my spine.

Meeting his eyes again, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Problem solved.”

His stare darkened. “Not even close.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“If that were true, then you’d know when to shut your mouth,” I spoke with conviction. “I don’t answer to you.”

“Huh,” I mocked. “Just your daddy then, or is it the Brotherhood who owns your balls?”

If he was surprised that I knew about this so-called Brotherhood, he didn’t show it.

In two long strides, he was in my face. “Go home.”

I didn’t cower. “No.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

“You invaded my territory,” I called out. “You go home.”

“I am home. You’re on my property.”

I peered past him, toward my uncle’s estate. “I’m still on my tío’s⁠—”