© 2026 Speak No Claim by M. Robinson

All rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locations are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity and are used fictitiously. All characters are a figment of the author’s imagination, and all incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s mind's eye and are not to be interpreted as real. Though several people, places, and events portrayed in this book are correct, the story is fiction that the author has made up for entertainment purposes only.

DEDICATION:

To every reader of immigrant parents and every first-generation American. This is for those of us who grew up between cultures, searching for where we belonged, only to discover we were carrying home within us all along.

This is for our parents, our ancestors, and the sacrifices that made our journey and stories possible.

And for every reader who has ever longed to see themselves reflected on the page…

I wrote this one for you.

Que viva Perú, carajo.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Epilogue

Also by M. Robinson

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Prologue

2 Years Prior

Onyx: The Ritual

STAGE ONE: THE REBIRTH

The Brotherhood called it a rebirth.

I called it being buried alive.

At that moment, I expected my fear to feel louder than it was, though all I felt was the silence all around me. Maybe it was the weight of the dirt packed over my body from head to toe that left me no room to panic without suffocating to death. Or perhaps it was just the way my breaths felt like they were my last, making it difficult to swallow, piling more soil down my throat.

Or maybe, just maybe…

I finally found some peace for the first time in my life.

I always preferred darkness. A dark life. It was what I thrived in, nurturing the worst parts of me. Darkness had always felt like home to me, especially the thoughts that should’ve scared me. The ones I buried so deep inside they sometimes whispered back.

And sometimes I listened.

Maybe it was the reason being buried alive felt more comforting than terrifying, and I took refuge in that. I should’ve started clawing my way out of that grave, but there I was, contemplating my own demise. This wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Although maybe, I just wanted to piss off my father, fully aware he was somewhere nearby. I could feel him, anxiously waiting for me to make my presence known to his beloved Brotherhood. It was all that ever mattered to him.

Or maybe the reality of it was, I just wanted him to think I was dying or, better yet, I had died…

The humiliation he’d endure was almost enough for me to stay right where I was, welcoming death with open arms. At least then, I wouldn’t be just another pawn in an endless game of who knew best. I was never one to be told what to do, yet there I was, willingly following his orders on the road to hell. I couldn’t leave my sister Deja, there wouldn’t be anyone to protect her.

Little by little, the air in my lungs thinned, and I found myself wondering how many men before me died this way.

How many of them chose death rather than handing over their lives?

Survival wasn’t enough for these men. The Brotherhood didn’t just want your loyalty. They demanded your soul. Once they owned that, there was nothing left of you to reclaim.

You were there’s now.

The end.

At first, I thought I was hallucinating, and this wasn’t actually happening on my eighteenth birthday. There were always rumors of what the initiation would be. Nobody warned you. Not your father. Not your mother. Not your grandparents.

No one.

It was every man for themselves, which was the sole purpose of this ritual. They required sacrifice, and tonight, they’d see exactly how much of yourself you’d be ready to bury to belong to a world where rules wouldn’t apply to you, only your oath…

Everything the Brotherhood stood for came at a cost, and they made sure you paid in full. By the end of the ritual, the only thing that mattered was the Blood Oath Brotherhood.

Everything else was meant to die there. The boys they buried never crawled out of this grave. We weren’t even men. We were just another demon, wearing his skin.

STAGE TWO: THE BURIAL

As soon as the chanting started above me, something inside me knew what I had to do next. After all, this was my legacy. It was in my blood, whether I wanted it there or not. It was who I was born to be, and there was no denying it. No fighting it either.

I surrendered to it, or I died beneath this dirt. There was no between.

I vaguely overheard what they were chanting in Latin until I fulfilled my end of the bargain, beginning to dig my way out of that grave which was made for only me. Inch by inch, I fought my way out. Feeling the dirt pack beneath my nails until they split open and bled. Every breath tasted like soil and decay while my lungs burned as the earth collapsed against my chest.

Panic never took over. I didn’t know what that said about me, but I was kind of enjoying this. The thrill of playing with death was a friend I fucked with often.

Or maybe, I was just built for this type of shit.

My fingers were the first thing that broke through the dirt while the chanting above me grew louder and louder.

“Loquere Nullam Fidem,” they recited in perfect dialect and unison. “Audi Nullas Promissiones” followed, their voices deepening and growing more powerful. Next, they chanted, “Vide Nullam Temptationem,” before they started over in what I assumed to be their sacred oath.

Over and over again, they repeated, “Speak No Claim, Hear No Promises, See No Temptation.”

Now I understood why Latin was forced into me before I could even understand a word of it. Those words were everywhere. I’d seen them scattered through our estates. They were carved into heirlooms passed down through generations. Engraved into watches worth more than most homes. Stitched into clothing designed exclusively for my bloodline. They were even painted across the walls of our estates, older than most countries.

This wasn’t a tradition. It was an inheritance. Where the only invitation the Brotherhood accepted was your DNA. This wasn’t a choice. It was a birthright. A destiny that couldn’t be ignored. There was no running from it, there was no hiding from it either.

Not when it was the only path you were ever meant to follow.

STAGE THREE: THE ASCENT

By the time the cold Connecticut air hit my face, my chest was caving in on me. I dragged myself out of that grave, finally accepting my fate and why this was considered a rebirth.

Once I was lying flat on my back, staring up at the full moon, gasping for my next frigid breath, I felt them surrounding me long before I actually saw any of them.

As their chanting grew closer, so did my realization of what they’d accomplished. They wanted you physically filthy and psychologically broken. It was how they rebuilt you again.

Their entire purpose was to mold you into whatever the Brotherhood needed. I may have lain there for hours, or it could’ve been seconds. Time just seemed to stand still.

When all of a sudden, it wasn’t just voices I heard. It was applauding. Then, in the blink of an eye, black masks were staring into my soul, hovering above me. I tried swallowing the huge lump in my throat.

This was the moment it was all over me. I had no choice. I plead my alliance to the devil, praying like Hell Satan would welcome me.

The Blood Oath Brotherhood was now my home.

Chapter

One

Hennessy: Welcome to the United States

Present

From the second I stepped foot off the plane, the frustration building inside me erupted. This was the last place I wanted to be, and it didn’t matter to anyone but me. Despite it being my life, I had no say in it or in the future that awaited me.

Mamá and her older, estranged brother, Tío Luis, whom I barely knew, chose for me.

“Es para mejorar tu vida.”

“To better my life,” she berated into my head since I was a baby.

It was Mamá’s mantra ever since I could remember. The life she provided for me was never good enough. She always wanted me to have more. More money, more success, more opportunities she never had, more, more, more…

Trying to keep up with what my family expected of me was exhausting. It was a lot of pressure, and they laid it on thick. It wasn’t malicious, though. It was simply from carrying the weight of our family legacy, and it was all they ever knew.

In my eyes, I had the best childhood a kid could ask for. I grew up in Iquitos, the Peruvian Amazon. My days consisted of helping my family run our Amazon Rainforest Lodge and Tour Company, which had been in our name for generations. I also had family scattered throughout Peru, from Lima to Cajamarca to Chincha, and I was always traveling to visit them.

I wasn’t close to my father’s side of the family. I never met any of them, I was a kid when he passed away and my parents never married. I didn’t remember much about him, I was only six when he died and we didn’t discuss him often. In fact, anytime his name was mentioned, I could see the pain in my mom’s eyes, making me avoid it at all costs. Sometimes my grandmother would talk to me about him, but those times grew fewer and farther between as I got older.

My name, Hennessy, wasn’t your typical Peruvian name, but she was honoring my half-Italian father’s request. Along with me carrying his family name, Belladonna, derived from the deadly nightshade plant. Rumor had it my ancestors were witches, but society feared what they didn’t understand. They were healers, using natural remedies the earth provided to help people who had nowhere else to turn.

I never imagined I’d be forced to leave it all behind. I’d just turned twenty, and I was supposed to start my sophomore year at my public university, but overnight, my world was turned upside down. Out of nowhere, my tío emailed the family, disclosing a scholarship I could use for his prestigious university, The Graves Academy, located in Litchfield, Connecticut, in the United States.

Even the name of the university sounded like a warning to me, but I was the only one who seemed to hear it. If my family had any reservations about me moving to the United States for the next three years, they didn’t show it in the least. I was the only one fighting against them, and in the end, I didn’t win that battle.

Instead, I was walking through an airport in a state I’d never been in, where I didn’t know anyone, including my mother’s brother. He was as much of a stranger to me as I was to him.

My tío traded our family business for lecture halls. He was the director of international programs, and with his help, he could get me enrolled on a free ride. He said my grades spoke for themselves, though it wouldn’t hurt to have him in my corner anyway. He argued this wasn’t a handout, and he was right. It wasn’t.

It was just his way of getting back into our family’s good graces. He was using me, and I wasn’t naive enough to think otherwise. Once the acceptance committee and the dean reassured my family that I’d be there on my own merit, it ended whatever debate I'd been holding on to.

Now there I was, walking toward the terminal to pick up my luggage in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. After almost twenty hours of travel, I was beyond exhausted. I was still wearing my black sweats, with my long, wavy, dark hair pulled up in a messy bun. Topping off my very unstylish outfit was an old pair of sneakers that had seen better days, which only made them more comfortable.

My face was bare. I did manage to wash it and brush my teeth in the airport bathroom once we landed. All in all, I still looked tired and felt defeated. I hadn’t slept in the last few weeks and, more so, in the last couple of days leading up to this.

I grabbed my phone, my earbuds blasting “La Anaconda,” a Peruvian song from Grupo Pacha. Anxiously, I tried to cling to any sense of normalcy and comfort of one of my favorite tunes as I traveled halfway across the world to a state I didn’t want to live in.

Thankfully, I’d visited the States before. I had family in Florida, and I also spoke English. The city of Iquitos was quite modernized even though the rainforest surrounded us.

There was Wi-Fi, shopping centers, and schools that taught English, making me bilingual. I spent my life talking to tourists who would stay at the lodge, and although I wasn’t proficient in French, Italian, or Portuguese, I could still understand and speak for myself if needed. Over the years, I even learned some Latin from all the historical occult literature I read.

I had traveled all over Peru and South America, including a few European countries. My family wanted me to be cultured, and I appreciated that. My degree was in Business Administration and Tourism Management, but my true passion lay elsewhere.

Maybe it was my last name. Belladonna. Poisonous, mysterious, and wrapped in centuries of folklore, but every trip became an excuse to hunt down ancient libraries, museums, and forgotten historical sites that I could find. Growing up in a rainforest, I fell in love with everything it had to offer. From the plants to the towering trees to the wildlife and the rituals passed down through generations. All the dances that carried their own traditions, and don’t get me started on the food.

In my free time, I studied ethnobotany, folklore, and mythology. I was fascinated with rituals, symbols, and sacred societies from cultures across the world, especially their history.

It was my dream to become a researcher, but I guess that was why it was called a dream.

In reality, it’d never happen. My life was already decided for me before I was even born, and I had no choice but to go along with it. I didn’t want to disappoint my family. It was what was expected of me. If I didn’t inherit the business, it’d be sold off to someone else, and I couldn’t allow that to happen.

It meant everything to us.

“Miss Belladonna,” a man dressed in a suit greeted me as I walked up to the terminal. He was holding a sign with my name on it.

I smiled. “You can call me Hennessy.”

He pointed at my bag. “Is this all your luggage?”

“Ummm…” I glanced down at my one suitcase. “How did you know what my luggage looked like?”

“I’m paid to know.”

I couldn’t tell if he was joking.

He followed it up with, “Traveling light, huh?”

I shrugged, glancing at my bag again. “The Graves Academy already provides uniforms. I don’t need much stuff.”

He cocked his head to the side, eyeing me for a second before questioning, “Nothing for when you get homesick then?”

The sadness in my tone was evident when I replied, “Everything that matters to me is staying behind. Besides, home isn’t really something you can pack in a suitcase.”

“You’d be surprised what you can fit in a bag.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“More like wisdom.” He reached for my luggage, and I tried to intervene.

“I can do that.”

“No need,” he insisted. “It’s why I’m here.”

After he grabbed my suitcase, he started walking, and I followed beside him. He seemed honest, and I was a good judge of character and of my environment. My intuition had yet to let me down in all aspects of life. One of the biggest advantages of being raised among wildlife and constantly meeting new people was that it made me hyperaware of my surroundings and of the people in them.

Playfully, I sassed, “Does that make you my new keeper?”

“I’ll be at your service whenever you need me, Miss Belladonna.”

I shook my head, smiling at him. “This isn’t going to work if you keep calling me that, Alfred.”

He arched an eyebrow, confused for a second.

“Never seen Batman?”

He grinned that time. “You’re a smart-ass like your uncle.”

“Yeah, I guess it comes with being Peruvian. If we’re not busting your balls”—I squeezed his shoulder—“then we don’t really like you.”

He chuckled. “So I’ve been told.”

It was nice to know my tío hadn’t lost his roots, and that his personality might have been similar to my family’s despite being completely out of his element in this prestigious world I was about to encounter. What little I did know of him was that he was the black sheep of the family. He had thirty years on me, and by the time I’d heard of his ultimate betrayal, he’d been long gone.

He lived close enough to the university that I could walk to campus every day, and I didn’t have to live in the dorms. I also didn’t have to ask for a car or anything beyond a roof over my head. I could fend for myself, knowing how to cook, clean, and do laundry, which meant I could contribute around the house rather than feel like a freeloader.

Besides, I was a damn good cook. We ate mostly Peruvian cuisine along with the typical food from Iquitos, which was always made with fresh ingredients from the rivers and rainforest. My ceviche was the talk of the Amazon. My grandmother taught me all her recipes, and there wasn’t much I couldn’t figure out on my own when it came to cooking. It wasn’t like I had actual recipe cards or measuring utensils. Everything came from memory, instinct, and taste. Exactly the way she passed it down to me.

I swear it was our way of preserving our family’s recipes. The only way to learn them was by being taught, building lasting memories to cherish along the years.

The drive to Litchfield, where my uncle lived, was an hour from the airport, and I spent most of the ride staring out the window, getting acquainted with my new environment and taking it all in. The city disappeared quickly, replaced by winding roads and rolling hills that stretched for miles.

The farther we drove, the older the scenery became. I couldn’t help but feel all the history pouring out of the seams of every corner and weathered building we drove by. It was what captivated me the most. All the untold stories and legends beneath the trees, just waiting for me to uncover.

At least I knew I could keep myself busy. The views alone were beautifully haunting, holding secrets that had been wrapped in silence for centuries silence, it felt sacred in the air. The deeper we drove into Litchfield County, the older my surroundings grew.

Particularly the colonial-style homes that stood proudly behind the battered stone walls, sharing their own stories to anyone who’d listen. It was the ancient and mysterious energy that crept deep into my bones that made me smile wide for the first time since I arrived.

I hadn’t considered the history of this place until now. I was too wrapped up with having to be there in the first place.

“See something you like?” Alfred asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Maybe.” I grinned.

However, that feeling was cut short. As soon as we pulled into the wrought-iron gates of what I assumed was my tío’s estate, a strong shift in the air caused my stomach to immediately lock up. There was this strange heaviness settling over me that had nothing to do with the shadows lurking behind all the landscaping around the property.

The silence wrapped around me like a coffin, except it quickly started whispering to me…

“Run.”

These grounds had a pulse, breathing life into the space around me, making the hair on my arms stand straight at attention. I couldn’t shake the invasive feeling of suddenly being watched, and it wasn’t from the endless cameras surrounding the property, aimed right at us.

My brows pinched together as I wrestled with the irrational thought. It didn’t make sense, yet I couldn’t ignore the certainty settling deep in my bones of how familiar this place felt to me. I’d always been an intuitive person.

My mother constantly reminded me that there were places in the world that carried memories, that the earth remembered everyone who had ever walked upon it. It was part of the circle of life and where we’re meant to be.

“El alma llama.”

“The soul beckons,” she’d say.

I wasn’t sure if that translated correctly into English. Sometimes phrases and words lose their depth when translated from one language to another. I’d been dealing with that my entire life, trying to find meaning in different languages.

Sitting there, I couldn’t shake the feeling that these grounds remembered me. As if they’d recognized me the moment I crossed onto the property, as I’d unknowingly followed an invisible thread, leading me to a place that had been waiting for me long before I ever knew it existed.

What the hell?

Alfred signaled toward the large doors of what appeared to be a 16th-century Gothic-style manor. The high pointed peaks formed a steepled roof, ascending toward the evening sky. Windows upon windows took over the front exterior, reaching three or four stories high.

You couldn’t see where the estate started or ended, and the old-century architecture didn’t help calm my nerves, since it was designed to give off an eerie vibe. The whole point of this place was to scare you off or, at the very least, intimidate you enough to want to leave and never return.

I swallowed hard, my heart speeding up.

I normally wouldn’t walk into a situation or house that every bone in my body warned me against. My family had taught me to respect the evil eye and the energy people and places carried.

Some homes welcomed you with open arms.

This one shoved you right out the door before you could even step inside.

Some would say I was being superstitious. I called it listening to my intuition.

“Are you alright?” Alfred interrupted my thoughts.

Our eyes connected through the rearview mirror.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he remarked.

I ignored his observation, blurting, “This isn’t Tío’s house, is it?”

His eyes glazed over for a moment before he announced, “No, miss, he lives next door.”

“Hmm,” I hummed, trying to reel in my emotions. “So he lives next door to darkness itself? The Graves Academy must pay exceptionally well, huh?”

If my response fazed him, he didn’t show it. “Your uncle is a very important member of society in Connecticut, Miss Belladonna. He plays a prominent role at the Academy as well. Your family would be very proud.”

“Director of international studies?” I baited, smiling. “It doesn’t exactly sound like the kind of position that buys you a mansion next door to one of the most prestigious private universities in the country.”

He didn’t hesitate to continue his spiel. “The Graves Academy was established in 1662, miss. It’s more than just a private university. It’s a legacy. One that reaches far beyond the campus gates, especially for those who are fortunate enough to be a part of it. For nearly four centuries, presidents, judges, billionaires, scholars, and influential families have all passed through those gates. People don’t come to Graves hoping for success. They come here because success is expected of them.”

I scoffed. “You rehearse, Alfred? You sound like a brochure. Are they paying you to say all that? Does that mean your mansion is right next door too?”

He bit back a grin. “We’ll see if you still feel that way by the end of the semester.”

“Is that a threat or a warning?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Some people would argue there isn’t much of a difference, miss.”

I countered, “Are you some people, Alfred?”

He knowingly smiled. “No, I’m just your driver.”

I shook my head. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

He chuckled. “Well then, how about a friend?”

I shook my head again. “That’s not much of a promotion from driver.”

He mockingly goaded. “Give me a week.”

I teased, “You think you’ll earn it by then?”

“No.” His smile faded.

“I think you’ll need it by then.”

Chapter

Two

Hennessy: When someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Unable to resist, I asked, “Whose estate is this?”

He eyed me cautiously for a second. “It belongs to your uncle’s best friend.”

I thought about it for a second. “Your answers only raise more questions, Alfred. So I’m guessing he’s a king, or is he a god? Because from the feel of it, he’s the Grim Reaper.”

I wasn’t joking, and he didn’t deny it.

Leaning into my theory, he cautioned, “You’ll learn soon enough, miss.”

I inhaled a deep, reassuring breath until I called him out. “You have a habit of saying a lot without actually saying anything. Everything you say sounds like a warning.”

“I’m just preparing you, miss.”

“For what, exactly? My tío or the Graves?”

“All of the above and to add, everything in-between.”

I slowly nodded, catching on. “It’s the in-between that I don’t like, so how about you tell me what I’m about to walk into?”

The corner of his lip curved. “Where would the fun be in that?”

“Ah, I see… you’re just a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

He grabbed the labels of his jacket, proudly confirming, “I’m wearing a suit.” Opening his door next, he let me out before he added, “Good luck, Miss Belladonna. You’re going to need it.”

“Wait!” I snapped once I was standing outside. “You’re leaving me here by myself?”

“Miss, I don’t belong here.”

My gaze went wide. “And I do?”

He shrugged, making his way to his car door, yelling over his shoulder, “One way or another, you’re about to find out.”

After I warily watched him leave, my eyes drifted upward to an iron crest mounted on the highest peak of the mansion. It was a sea serpent. Its body was coiled around an old crest bearing the name “Devereaux.”

This wasn’t just an ornament or a design feature. It was a symbol of power that was established before you even crossed the threshold. Houses like these usually held ghosts and trauma, which I was more than familiar with.

My fingers instinctively glided over the smooth red-and-black seeds my grandmother had strung together into a bracelet before I left, saying it’d protect me from el mal de ojo, the evil eye. I believed in its power, and that belief was what gave it strength. In the same way the sea serpent crest was meant to.

I already knew so much about this property, and I had yet to walk into it. Although it wasn’t the estate that worried me, it was the people who lived in it that had me hesitating.

Squaring my shoulders, I climbed the uneven stone steps, each one echoing beneath my feet, mimicking the beat of my heart. The massive iron doors loomed over me, framed by battered columns covered in ivy that had withstood centuries. Before I could second-guess myself, I reached for the cold brass handle, but it opened for me.

I didn’t make sense of the massive foyer as voices exploded from somewhere beyond the grand staircase.

They yelled, “SURPRISE!”

And damn was I…

I flinched, and my hand flew to my chest as a chorus of cheers boomed through the walls toward me. Strangers spilled into the foyer from every direction, smiling, laughing, and raising their glasses like they’d known me forever.

My pulse hammered against my ribs, and I quickly realized this party was for none other than me. Everyone was dressed to the nines, wearing gowns and tuxedos with expensive jewelry that cost more than anything I’d ever seen. It seemed as if the entire Academy was in attendance, including its students, families, and faculty.

It was the group of girls gathered around the bar who caught my attention first. There were five of them, beautiful in the kind of way that was effortless. They stood in a circle as if they owned the room without ever asking for permission.

Yet despite the gossip spilling between them, none of them looked relaxed. Every pair of eyes was on me. One of the girls, a stunning redhead with green eyes, was absentmindedly tracing the rim of her champagne flute as she studied me with quiet curiosity.

Another one, the blond-haired girl with blue eyes, had her arms crossed over her chest with an unreadable expression beneath a perfected smile.

The redhead tilted her head ever so slightly, reminding me of how you’d look if you were trying to solve a puzzle, one you’d been waiting years to finish.

Does she know me?

The other two girls looked amused, like they’d been placing bets on how long I’d survive there.

The redhead never smiled at all. She simply held my gaze, unwavering, making my pulse flutter a little faster with her intense composure.

They weren’t exactly hostile, but they weren’t welcoming either. It felt less like a greeting and more like an initiation.

To what exactly?

They knew something I didn’t. And somehow, I had an unsettling feeling they weren’t the only ones.

“Hennessy,” Tío Luis exclaimed, snapping my attention to him. He appeared from within the crowd, pulling me into a tight hug, firm against his chest as he kissed my cheek. “Mi niña,” he whispered, “my girl,” in my ear. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment. I’m so happy you’re finally here.” He hugged me as if I belonged there with him, embracing me as though he meant it.

It immediately reminded me of my family, making me miss them more than I already was, especially at that moment. If I were home right now, I’d be out with my friends and not in this disaster of what-ifs. I felt like a fish out of water. This wasn’t my scene. I had nothing in common with these people. That much was obvious to me. Not because there was wealth beyond comprehension, but because they all seemed to speak an unspoken language I hadn’t learned yet.

“Look at you,” Tío declared, holding me at arm’s length with a smile that softened the sharp lines of his face.

His stare explored mine, visibly trying to find the pieces of my mother hidden somewhere inside me.

Understanding my reaction, he admitted, “You look so much like your mom did when she was your age.”

I didn’t hold back. “You stuck around that long?”

The tension was abrupt, and his eyebrows pinched together. I wasn’t going to make this easy on him. I didn’t appreciate being used for his redemption. By the looks of it, he was doing more than fine for himself, only confusing me further on his true intentions.

I didn’t want to be there, and it was completely his fault that I was.

Warm laughter rippled through the room as guests watched our reunion that I had no idea wouldn’t be private. The last thing I wanted was to walk into a stranger’s house to celebrate my arrival at a party I didn’t want to attend to begin with.

This couldn’t have been his idea. He had to be smarter than this. This reeked of desperation. A pathetic performance of whatever illusion they were trying to portray. I wasn’t raised to be ungrateful, but this party had nothing to do with me and everything to do with appearances.

The second I heard a screeching voice shout, “There she is!” I found the culprit.

“Ah!” she beamed, throwing her arms around my neck. “You’re more beautiful than your pictures!”

I stood there, frozen.

“Travel must have exhausted you.” She backed away, gesturing to my uncle. “Luis, let her go get dressed.” She grabbed my hand. “I picked out the perfect gown for you. It’s in one of the guest rooms.”

Nodding to me, Tío introduced her. “Hennessy, this is my fiancée, Elizabeth.”

Fiancée? We didn’t know he was engaged.

“Enough with the small talk. It can wait,” she beamed. “My brother was gracious enough to offer his home for your welcome party. Now let’s not have your guests wait to meet you.”

Her brother? Is he engaged to his best friend's sister?

“Hennessy needs to get dressed, honey.” Nodding to an older woman standing close to her wearing a uniform, she ordered, “The housekeeper will escort you.”

I didn’t have a chance to object. Every conversation seemed to fade as heads turned toward one of the many hallways in this palace. Interest heaved through the crowd, snatching notice with it. My gaze swept over unfamiliar faces until it caught one I hadn’t expected to come across.

The grand foyer held its breath, locking eyes with the guy dressed in a black hoodie. The hoodie almost covered his entire face while his hands were in the pockets of the heavy cotton material. He was dressed in worn jeans and scuffed boots, looking completely out of place.

Exactly like me.

We were the only two people in the room who weren’t dressed to impress. It wasn’t his outfit that caught my attention the most. It was the observant expression on his face that had me wondering if I wore the same on mine.

Two things were immediately clear to me: one, he didn’t give a shit about who he was impressing, and two, he didn’t want to be there, and we shared that immediate connection.

Like a knife carving into my skin, the sting of his stare did exactly that. My heart seized inside my chest, tightening as if he’d reached between my ribs and wrapped his hand around it.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t move.

I was frozen in place.

Powerless.

Restrained.

Exposed.

Not in fear. Fear would’ve been an emotion I could understand, something I could relate to. Something I could hold on to.

No, this was something far more unsettling. It felt like I was standing underneath a microscope where every scar I’d spent years hiding suddenly lay bare beneath his gaze.

Every insecurity. Every secret. Every flaw.

He stared at me as if he could peel away my flesh and bones until nothing was left but the truth I’d spent my entire life trying to outrun. My skin prickled beneath the weight of his attention, and the room around us faded until all that was left were those impossible honey-colored eyes fixated on mine.

I couldn’t tell if he hated me or pitied me, but hatred would’ve been easier to survive. There was no curiosity in his expression like the others. There was only recognition and this resentment I felt instantly. It was this unmistakable look of someone who wished I never existed.

Like my arrival had disrupted something set in motion long before I was born. Like I’d walked into a story that had already been written and I wasn’t supposed to be in it. He looked at me like I’d stolen something that belonged to him, standing in a house I had no business being in. Crossing this threshold, I was never supposed to find or be a part of.

I couldn’t see his whole face, just enough of his eyes and expression to make me well aware I wasn’t wanted here.

Once again, every instinct I possessed screamed the same warning.

“Run…”

From this room.

From these grounds.

From all these people, especially…

From him.

If he could’ve erased my existence with a single look, I had no doubt he would’ve done it without hesitation.

Yet…

He couldn’t look away, and neither could I.

The silence stretched between us, taut enough to snap. It felt alive, charged with something I couldn’t name but instinctively welcomed for some unknown reason. Whatever passed between us in those few endless seconds wasn’t a coincidence. It was a collision of mass destruction.

Before either of us had spoken a single word, I already knew one thing with terrifying certainty.

Meeting him…

Was only going to ruin me.

Chapter

Three

Hennessey: If these walls could talk…

My stomach knotted, churning with each second that passed between us. He narrowed his intense honey-colored eyes at me, and then, out of nowhere, he grinned, sensing all my conflicting emotions playing like a broken record in my head.

Still, I couldn’t see enough of his face, but it didn’t stop me from knowing he was handsome. He was tall with broad shoulders, carrying himself with such effortless authority that made the room bow at his feet.

Who is he?

My chest tightened, caught off guard by the silent understanding between us. Just as quickly as it occurred, the crowd parted, and he was gone. At first, I thought maybe I imagined him as I followed the housekeeper through the halls.

A huge Gothic-style chandelier with red-burning candles hung above my head, illuminating the ominous allure of the walls, casting shadow upon shadow as we walked. Merely fueling my overly rampant thoughts of what secrets these rooms held on to for centuries and what could’ve transpired behind these closed doors.

The scent of expensive cigars, sophisticated cologne, and designer perfume lingered through the air, assaulting all my senses. The whole decor and allure of this place was haunting. To the point you could feel the souls clawing at your feet.

I had two choices. I could get ready for an event where I played my part of a doting niece, or I could escape with my sanity intact and leave as fast as I could. I decided on the one that made the most sense to me.

I got dressed, and a makeup artist and hairstylist were waiting to do their best on me. I wasn’t much for either. I preferred climbing trees and talking to the wildlife while dancing under the full moon with my ancestors.

This just wasn’t my vibe.

I hated pretentious bullshit. I guess you could say I had a fierce resting bitch face and was proud of it. At least you know what you were getting with me. I didn’t sugarcoat my emotions. I wore them proudly, a badge of honor for what I said: I meant it, my word was bond, and I took that seriously.

How the hell I was supposed to fake this was beyond me. I didn’t know how to pretend in this situation.

The women were both giggling, talking about nonsense I barely paid attention to.

“There,” the makeup artist exclaimed. “He’s going to love this.”

I shuddered. “Who?”

The room went silent.

The hairstylist forced a smile, stating, “Your uncle, of course.”

I don’t believe her.

Their hesitation made my skin crawl. By the time they were done, I felt more like a porcelain doll you’d put on a shelf than a woman.

“You look perfect,” they complimented over and over. “You’re going to fit right in.”

Their words hit harder than they should have, but I couldn’t help it. The little voice in the back of my mind wasn’t just screaming. It was drowning out everything else around me.

“Just remember,” the makeup artist said out of nowhere. “Don’t speak unless spoken to.”

“Amber, enough,” the stylist ordered.

Unable to avoid it, I blurted, “And what happens if I do?”

They exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing through them. One lowered her gaze to the floor, and the other gripped her makeup brush so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Amber’s lips parted like she wanted to tell me something.

She didn’t.

Instead, she whispered, “Just… don’t.”

“Why?”

Her throat bobbed. “Because…” She looked toward the door again before forcing a smile that never reached her eyes. “It’s just better if you don’t.”

“Better for who?”

“For…” She stopped herself.

I insisted. “Better for who, Amber?”

She shrugged. “For everyone.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Well,” the stylist interjected. “It’s the only one you’re going to get. She’s already said too much.” She snatched her wrist. “Let’s go.”

I watched them leave, but at the last second, Amber turned her head ever so slightly, mouthing, “Better for you.”

I sucked in a ragged breath. I couldn’t stay, not for another moment. Without looking at their creation in the mirror, fully aware I wouldn’t recognize the woman staring back at me, I fled. I ran so fast in heels that shot fire through the soles of my feet until I was finally outside, bursting through the tree line into the woods.

I couldn’t tell you what my dress looked like. I couldn’t even tell you what color it was. It didn’t matter to me. It wasn’t me, and I’d be damned if I was going to act like it was.

Once I reached taller grass, I hiked up my gown, threw off my heels, and hauled ass until my feet were on fire for a whole other reason. Sharp rocks sliced into my skin as twigs snapped beneath my feet. Branches clawed at my arms as if they were trying to pull me back in. I ran until I couldn’t feel the house breathing down my neck, the demons desperately yanking me back into their sanctuary.

“Don’t speak unless spoken to…”

It repeated in my head while I ran with the certainty of trying to get as far as I could from that party. Just as I was about to run farther into the darkness, I found a tree that called to me and climbed it. My dress snagged on every branch, lace tearing at the seams. The higher I climbed, the more the estate disappeared beneath me.

Minutes, hours, days could’ve flown by at the speed I was scaling those branches. I wouldn’t stop until I was sure no one could find me. Branches whipped against my face every time the wind shifted, and the higher I climbed, the thinner they became, but I didn’t stop until the trunk was barely wide enough to wrap my arms around it.

Finally, I thought I was alone.

My dress hung in shredded ribbons from every splinter I dragged it across while blood slid down my legs. Below me, the forest stretched into an endless sea of black, swallowing every path that might lead back to that cursed estate.

Back to them.

I rested my forehead against the rough bark, whispering to the tree, “Don’t let them find me.”

The leaves answered with a soft rustle, reassuring me with a yes I chose to believe. For a while, time no longer existed as I witnessed the moon climbing over the horizon. The insects and birds grew louder, claiming their territory.

I apologized to them. “I’m so sorry for invading. It was either them or me.”

I heard a crow accept my apology, making me relax. My breathing slowed enough that I could hear my own heartbeat instead of the night that awaited me. Closing my eyes, I felt the comfort and peace of the forest regulating my nervous system.

Then… voices.

So. Many. Voices.

“She couldn’t have gotten far!”

“Check the creek!”

“Spread out!”

“We need to find her! Now!”

Branches cracked around me, leaves crunching everywhere their feet stepped. It was their bright lantern lights, flickering through the trees like wandering ghosts, that made me lock up. Every single one of my muscles tensed. I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe.

I didn’t exist.

“If she made it this far, she’s exhausted! We’ll find her!”

“She won’t survive the night if we don’t find her!”

“Don’t worry! We’ll bring her back before sunrise!”

Bring me back?

I didn’t recognize any of the voices. My uncle wasn’t part of the search party and a sadness I wasn’t expecting settled through me. If my uncle ordered people to find me, it meant I wasn’t just running from one man. It was the entire Academy. Maybe even the whole damn town.

My pulse violently hammered against my ribs. I was certain they could all hear it. Every beat felt like it was betraying me as it echoed through the woods. I thought about the power my uncle held. If he had men willing to search for me, that just meant he had men willing to die for him.

Loyal men. The kind that didn’t ask questions and simply followed orders. That was the scariest thought among all the ones I was drowning in.

What did my family get me into?

My stomach lurched, and I bit my hand so hard I tasted blood just to keep from making a sound. The search party drifted farther away, their voices growing quieter until all I heard were echoes through the wind that were swallowed up through the trees.

Except it didn’t give me relief. One set of footsteps remained. They were slow and unrushed, each step more precise than the last. Every crunch under his boots sounded deliberate.

He wasn’t searching. He was following.

As soon as the footsteps stopped, silence settled again. This time, it wasn’t from the peacefulness of the woods. It was from the hunt. I was being hunted, and that realization alone was enough to cause my lungs to burn. I needed to breathe more than I was, but I wouldn’t let them find me.

I can’t.

This was a game I wasn’t willing to lose.

If I didn’t move, maybe he’d think I was just another branch in the tree or just another secret the forest decided to keep. Minutes passed, then another and another…

He never called my name, never took one step, he already knew exactly where I was. In the blink of an eye, with an eerie tone, he declared, “I know you’re up there!”

My heart stopped. For some reason, I knew exactly whose voice that belonged to.

I closed my eyes. Of course it would be him. He could probably smell my blood and was getting off on it.

“Your dress might as well be an invitation! It stands out against the woods!” he called out.

I didn’t answer, opening my eyes instead. My gaze drifted down to the ivory gown clinging to my body. It was only then I realized what they created.

I was the sacrificial lamb for the party.

He waited just long enough for the realization to take over before speaking, almost like he watched it unfold inside my mind.

“You didn’t earn the hunt,” he said quietly with a short pause. The silence stretched between us, and after a beat, he seemed to reluctantly admit…

“But they dressed you like prey regardless.”

Chapter

Four

Hennessy: He found me long before he ever looked up.

My fingers dug deeper into the bark, holding on tighter. His words made me feel more vulnerable, as if they had the power to plummet me to my death.

He inhaled slowly. I could hear his breathing like I heard my own.

“This ends one of two ways,” he indicated, breaking through the silence. “Neither of which is in favor of you.”

I listened carefully, trying not to let it get the best of me.

“Besides,” he added. “I don’t like hunting things that don’t know the rules. The outcome is always the same.” His tone remained maddeningly even, causing me to suck in another breath.

The quiet night made it easy for his voice to reach me even though I was high up in the sky.

“You climbed a tree,” he stated the obvious. “Most people run until they collapse.”

Most people? How often do they search for strangers in the woods?

“But you chose to become still.”

I continued to listen intently to everything he was saying, mostly curious about where he was going with this.

“Do you know what happens when prey stops moving?”

I did. I hunted food often. I didn’t tell him that, trying to feel him out. I narrowed my gaze, wanting to get a better look at him.

“Predators stop chasing.” He glanced up at the branches, feeling my eyes on him. “They wait.”

We had that immediate connection, the same one from the foyer.

“And right now,” he forewarned. “You’re confusing my patience with mercy, Hennessy.”

Hearing him say my name did something to the core, something I’d never felt before, at least not like this. I couldn’t describe it. I could barely understand it.

“You can choose when this ends,” he coaxed instantly.

More silence from me.

“Stay up there if it brings you comfort, but that doesn’t change the outcome for you. Your actions have consequences at the Graves, you need to know that now. All you’re doing is delaying the inevitable and further pissing me off, both of which won’t end well for you.” He stared upward, and I tried to hide my body from him. “Consider this my first warning to you. If tonight is any indication on how you’ll behave, it’ll be one of many.” He paused for another moment before asking, “What was your plan here? To become part of the forest?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, waiting for I don’t know what.

“Trees don’t keep secrets forever. Eventually, someone always brings an axe.”

I didn’t move.

“Now come down and I’ll be easy on you,” he demanded all in one breath.

Nine words that held a lot of meaning. It was an order, not a request. Still, nothing from me. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“I’d rather this be your decision,” he insisted. “I’d enjoy the alternative far more than you would.”

He paused like he was waiting for me to come to my senses.

When I didn’t move, his voice softened in a way that felt more dangerous. “Now be a good girl, and I’ll reward you. Unless, of course, you want me to come get you. Seeing as it’s only a matter of time before you’re screaming my name anyway.”

I didn’t hesitate. “Ni cagando!” which translated to, “No fucking way.”

I heard him chuckle. “Good. I would’ve been disappointed had you chosen the other way.”

When his footsteps suddenly retreated, I listened until I couldn’t hear him anymore. He definitely wouldn’t have left that easily. He was up to something, probably following through on his threat. He was about to learn I wasn’t scared of him. I wasn’t scared of anyone.

The silence didn’t last nearly long enough. Wood scraped against stone, and metal clanged somewhere in the distance among the forest. He was loud now. The sounds that followed were heavy, dragging through the underbrush.

I frowned despite myself. Minutes later, he reappeared with a bright lantern, guiding him through the trees. He dragged an old metal ladder that looked like it weighed two hundred pounds, hauling it effortlessly as though he’d been trained to.

I bit, “What are you doing?”

Without an ounce of remorse or shame, he spewed, “Collecting you.”

“The hell you are!” I held back a curse. “You need to go!”

He laid the ladder against the tree. “I gave you a choice.” The ladder juddered beneath the weight of his body.

My eyes widened when I realized he was following through, coming to snatch me out of this tree.

“So now we do this my way.”

Carajo… I thought. Shit.

Never taking his eyes off where he placed his hands, he climbed until the ladder couldn’t take him farther, stopping several feet below my branch. Pulling himself onto one of the branches, he flowed with natural precision, like he’d been climbing trees long before he feared falling, just like me. He only stopped once he was a branch below mine.

His hoodie was pulled over his head, and I couldn’t see much of his face. The same way I hadn’t when we were in the foyer earlier.

His breathing may have been ragged. I hoped his lungs burned, but he looked calm and composed, freaking me the hell out. He climbed this tree far too easily. He was experienced.

Why?

Spiteful, I snapped, “I would’ve chosen the bear.”

A ghost of a smile threatened the corner of his mouth, though it disappeared before it ever truly formed. He didn’t bother hiding the flicker of amusement that spread across his face as he taunted, “Who says you didn’t?”

My heart stuttered, searching his shadowed expression for any trace that he was joking. I didn’t find one.

“You’re insane,” I simply stated.

“Sanity is overrated.”

“You think you’re a bear?” I challenged, not backing down.

He tilted his head. “No.”

I pressed, “Then what are you?”

He didn’t answer, watching me instead.

I hated how long it took before he finally argued, “Wrong question. Now ask me the right one.”

My jaw tightened. “Which is?”

He held my gaze. “The one you’re afraid to ask.”

My patience broke like a thread. “Do any of you answer the questions you’re asked?”

He leaned back against the tree, getting far too comfortable. “Only when it’s earned.”

“Yeah,” I mocked. “Well, I don’t owe you anything.”

“No.” He cocked his head further, studying me as if he already knew the answer. “But you do owe yourself honesty.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re wondering why you’re still up here with me.”

“If I had another choice⁠—”

“You do.” His words cut through mine. “Just jump.”

Two words that hung heavy between us like a bomb. My grip tightened around the bark. He was fully aware I wouldn’t do it.

With that, a smile actually crossed his face, calling me out, “Exactly.”

My stomach twisted into knots as his stare dropped to my hands. “You’re holding on too tightly. Your fingers are going to go numb.”

Subconsciously, I glanced down at how far I’d fall.

“You don’t trust me,” he said out of nowhere.

“No shit.”

“Good,” he mused. “Trust only gets you killed. It’s instinct that keeps you alive.”

I flinched. “My instinct is why I’m here.”

“This is where you thought no one would find you?”

“I’m not hiding.”

“No?”

“I just wanted to be alone.”

“There’s a difference?”

“Yes.”

His stare lingered on me for a moment. “Convince me why.”

I repeated, “I just wanted to be alone.”

“No, you wanted to disappear. That’s the difference.”

I ignored his observation and made my own. The forest seemed to breathe around him. It knew him. It was how he could climb this tree in the first place.

Reading my mind yet again, he suggested, “You should’ve picked another tree.”

“You were watching me,” I accused. “That’s how you found me?”

He was quiet long enough for the wind to answer for him, but then he shared, “I knew where you’d go.”

“How?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he nodded to the branch to the left of me, flashing his light on it. There, half worn down, was what looked like a date.

10-31-12

The numbers were carved deep enough that the tree had grown around them.

“What’s that?” My gaze drifted from the date back to him. His expression hadn’t changed. He was still staring at the numbers.

If this date meant something to him, he didn’t show it in the least.

Unable to resist, I asked, “Did you carve that?”

Again, silence.

“Do you ever answer a question?”

“Only the important ones.”

“Fine.” I asked, “Then why are you here?”

His stare connected with mine again. “Because you are.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one that matters.” He held my gaze without blinking. “You wanted them to forget you… They didn’t. If anything, you only provoked them.”

“You think you have me all figured out, don’t you?”

“I’m just waiting for you to prove me wrong.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. And who are they?” I finally questioned. “As far as I know, I’m here because of my uncle.”

He glanced toward the darkness below. The wind cut through the branches, and for the first time that night, I couldn’t tell if I was shivering from the cold or from someone seeing straight through me.

He didn’t answer me, not that I expected him to. I didn’t know what his purpose was in this. All I knew was that whatever game he was playing, I was already part of it.

Whether I wanted to be or not.

The silence settled between us. It felt heavy, more uncomfortable this time. Too much yet not enough had been shared between us.

“If you wait me out,” I warned, “you’ll only fall asleep eventually.”

“So will you.”

“Yeah, but I won’t fall out of this tree.”

His eyes closed for only a second before he acknowledged, “You’re right, you won’t.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but then he rasped, “The search is over.”

“What are you doing?” I instantly panicked.

“Fixing your mistake.”

“What—”

“You still think I’m here to save you.” His expression hardened. “I gave you a choice, but you stayed, so now you live with the consequences.”

“And what’s that?”

“Me.”

I recoiled.

“Over here!” he shouted into the night, his deep voice echoing through the trees so clearly.

Somewhere in the distance, voices rumbled.

“Hijo de puta,” I hissed. “You son of a bitch.”

“No.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “I’m actually your new neighbor.”

Catching me off guard, he delivered his final blow, speaking with conviction…

“I’m Devereaux’s son, Onyx.”

Chapter

Five

Hennessy: One choice can change everything.

The branch that had supported my weight for who knows how long disappeared behind a curtain of leaves as I carefully lowered myself down the tree. It was always easier going up than down. I knew my rainforest like the back of my hand, but this one was different. These woods weren’t mine, and every branch felt more challenging than the last, waiting for me to make a mistake and slip and fall.

The oak creaked beneath us. It was old enough to remember the centuries it lived. Its bark was rough on the palms of my hands. Sap clung to my fingertips, sticky against all the cuts I’d earned while climbing up into its arms.

Up there, hidden from the world, there were no expectations from me, no whispers, no Graves Academy.

Just me.

The farther I made it down, the louder the whispers became again. They were unforgiving, making me feel the instant sting of what awaited me once I stepped foot back on solid ground. The wind stirred through the branches above and all around me, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine needles that I found comfort in.

Somewhere in the distance, an owl called into the night, but its cry was swallowed by the men stomping toward our direction. They were pissed, and I wondered if my uncle was among them this time.

The ground still looked impossibly far from my feet, and I was blown away by how far I’d made it up there to begin with. Onyx went first, one deliberate step at a time. He made it look so easy, only fueling my anger at the bullshit situation I found myself in.

Not once did he look toward the forest or even down, for that matter. His broad shoulders and bulky frame nearly blocked my way down, firing the flames of my rage.

“You know,” I sassed with nothing but annoyance in my tone. “A gentleman would have offered for me to go down first.”

“A gentleman.” A quiet scoff escaped his lips before he countered, “Manners won’t catch you if you fall, Hennessy.”

My core seized from hearing him say my name again.

“Then you’d run,” he added. “And trust me.” He peered up, meeting my eyes for the first time since we started down. “My prey never gets away.”

I rolled my eyes. “Bold assumption.”

He warned, “You’ll see.”

“Eres un cojudo,” I retorted, “You’re an idiot.”

He berated, “Who's lacking manners now?”

“Ah!” I ignored his remark. “You speak Spanish too?”

He ordered in a voice I didn’t appreciate, “Hennessy, eyes on me. Before you fall.”

I hated the fact that my eyes obeyed.

“Stop watching the ground,” he asserted. “It’s not going anywhere. You keep looking at where you’ll fall instead of where you’re going.”

I stated the obvious, “I climbed up here by myself.”

“Yeah, well, most people don’t fall climbing up.”

“Huh, you chase people up trees often?”

He smiled, his teeth bright against the moonlight. “Only when they run from me.”

My pulse quickened. He continued to watch me: my every movement, every shift of my weight, every inch of my body. I felt like I was going to fall for a whole other reason with his sole attention on me.

“That branch won’t hold you,” he insisted.

I sighed through my nose. “I know.”

“Then show me you do.” His words were clipped and controlled, like he was forcing each one through gritted teeth.

Once I stepped onto the ladder, he stopped moving, causing me to glance over my shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“I want you in front of me.”

Heat traveled down my neck. “No.”

In one sharp tone, he snapped, “Now!”

His demand struck every nerve in my body, as if he were ordering a dog that was expected to obey. I whipped around, fully intending to tell him exactly where he could shove his orders, except at the last second, my foot landed at the very edge of the rung and twisted.

I caught myself, but it didn’t matter. The old metal ladder gave way from the impact of my turn, lurching it sideways. It was only then I understood why he wanted me in front of him.

A scream lodged somewhere behind my ribs as gravity took over, propelling me backward. I never hit empty air. His arm hooked around my waist so fast I didn’t even see it coming.

I just felt it.

I just felt him.

With such force, he wrenched me against his hard, solid chest. The front of my body collided with his, the impact alone driving every ounce of my breath from my lungs like I’d fallen to my death.

The ladder exploded into noise as he fought to keep us upright, using our combined weight to keep it from tipping over. The rails rattled violently beneath us as his boots hammered against the sides, battling for position while his free hand shot upward, catching the rail before it could gather more speed.

His body folded around mine, completely shielding me, taking every slam of the metal on him instead of me. His body stayed wrapped around mine while his chest rose sharply beneath my cheek until finally, he exhaled, long and slow, allowing himself to breathe.

The rattle started to subside, but his arm was still locked around my waist. Not loosely or even accidentally, it was tightly secure. I wasn’t going anywhere unless he wanted me to. Neither of us said a word. I was the only one breathing heavily, almost like I’d run a mile.

My anxious gaze shifted upward, locking eyes with him. We’d connected stares before, but this one was much different because I could see his whole face. For the first time since he found me, the carefully controlled expression he’d worn all night was gone.

His jaw was clenched so hard, and his pupils were blown out. All I could see was black now, replacing the honey color. His hair had fallen across his forehead, a few strands catching in the damp night air.

He was close enough that I could see the hard lines of his face, the sharp cut of his defined jawline with dark stubble shadowing his chin and upper lip. A faint scar disappeared beneath the edge of his beard, but it only made him appear that much more intimidating.

There wasn’t a trace of softness anywhere in him. Every one of his features had been carved with precision. I hated to admit this, but Onyx Devereaux was devastatingly handsome in a rough, rugged, raw way.

My captivated stare lingered longer than it should have, long enough to notice the effect he was suddenly having on me. His arm remained firmly around my waist while his body curved protectively around mine as though he hadn’t yet convinced himself that the danger had fully passed.

The silence between us stretched. For one impossible moment, I wondered if he felt it too. His eyes searched mine, yet they were unreadable as ever.

Then, without warning, his grip loosened as he broke the spell. “This doesn’t change what’s coming. If anything, it’ll only make you run faster from me.” And just like that, he demanded, “Next time, listen.”

Before I could say a word, my uncle shouted, “Hennessy!” His voice echoed, tearing through the woods.

In seconds, the forest erupted with flashlights cutting through the darkness from every direction, bouncing wildly between the trees as boots stomped around us.

Unsure of who I was informing, I whispered, “They’re here.”

Onyx didn’t look. Instead, he started moving, and I didn’t have to be told twice to stay in front of him that time. I climbed down exactly the way he originally wanted, with him behind me, still feeling the warmth of him every time I reached the next rung.

His tone hardened. “Eyes on the ladder.”

Of course, I looked down anyway.

My uncle burst through the trees first, his flashlight sweeping frantically across the night until he stopped right under the ladder beneath us. As soon as we reached the grass, my uncle grabbed my arm, yanking me away from Onyx, barely giving me time to react.

Tío’s palms cupped my face. They were freezing against my skin. Almost instantly, he began to look me over from head to toe.

“I thought…” He swallowed hard. “I thought…” He couldn’t finish his sentence.

Instead, his arms wrapped around me so tightly my ribs protested. For a second, I let him. Allowing myself to disappear into his embrace I’d needed right then. His heartbeat thundered against my cheek. It was fast and wild, utterly terrified of what I did. I hated that I worried him, though it didn’t stop the instinct that my purpose there was much more important than I thought.

It was only then I realized how truly afraid he’d been. When he pulled away, his hands stayed on my shoulders and relief vanished from his face. His expression swiftly shifted into one I was more familiar with: anger.

“What were you thinking?” he bit.

There it was. The question I knew was coming. I looked past him, not recognizing any of the men surrounding us. Onyx was behind me. I could no longer see him, but I still felt him, standing there, observing.

All eyes were on me.

“I asked you a question, Hennessy…”

“I heard you,” I muttered.

“Then answer me.”

I nodded, shrugging. “I just wanted to be alone.”

“You don’t disappear into these woods after dark, do you understand me?”

“I wasn’t disappearing.”

He let go of me. “You climbed a hundred feet up a tree, young lady!”

“So.” I shrugged again. “You ordered your men to find me and look, here I am.”

His jaw clenched. “Hennessy…”

“Why do you have men following your orders anyway?”

“The Academy is family, and that’s what we do for each other.”

“Family?” I mocked. “That’s rich coming from you.”

“Ay dios mío,” he murmured, “Oh my God,” shaking his head. “You’re as stubborn as your mother.”

“No.” I stepped back. “I’m not doing this here, not in front of your audience. I’m done being put on display like I’m some sort of doll for your precious Graves Academy.”

My statement echoed across the clearing, and his face paled.

“I’m twenty years old,” I exclaimed. “I’m not a child.”

His expression faltered.

“If I need to be alone, then that’s what I’m going to do, and you and your family can’t stop me.” I whipped around, staring straight at Onyx. “Especially your lapdog.”

Slowly, Onyx crossed his arms over his chest with an amused expression. It made him look bigger, more defined. One thing was for sure: he was enjoying this.

“Lapdog?” Onyx chuckled, tipping his chin to my tío. “Why don’t you ask your uncle who he answers to?”

Who does he answer to? You?

I didn’t ask my thought out loud. Instead, I spun back to Tío, questioning, “¿En que te has metido?” I investigated, “What are you involved in?”

“Niña,” Tío proclaimed in a stern voice, “Little girl… not only have you ruined your surprise party my fiancé has spent months putting together for you to feel welcome, but you’ve also—” he gestured to me “—made a mess of yourself.” Abruptly, he hollered, “Jones!”

I jerked back when Alfred lurked out of the shadows.

“Take her home,” Tío ordered in one breath.

Alfred nodded, only eyeing me. If he had any feelings toward what was happening, he didn’t show it. It was almost like he was used to all this.

I brushed the dirt off my hands, smoothing out the wrinkles of what was left of my gown.

Sarcastically, I forced a smile before dramatically spewing, “Shows over.” I just wanted to get my point across. No one moved as I exited, executing, “You’re welcome for being tonight’s entertainment.”

I backed away, looking my uncle up and down. His expression lingered, fists clenched. I didn’t let it bother me. He needed to know that I wasn’t falling for these charades.

I walked away that night with my dignity, but I wasn’t entirely sure my soul was still intact.

Which was exactly what they craved.

Chapter

Six

Onyx: I did my best, and the devil did the rest.

The scarier the man, the fewer words they used, and I learned that at a very young age.

“Close the door,” my father ordered, walking into his office.

I did, then leaned against it with my arms crossed over my chest. There was only silence as my dad poured himself a drink. He didn’t offer me one, meaning he wasn’t pleased. The silence was supposed to be a form of punishment, but to me, it was so fucking satisfying.

“Explain,” he demanded, sitting in his leather chair in front of his huge, rectangular mahogany table.

He was sitting at the head, dressed in his three-piece tux, trying to intimidate me. It was his go-to move, except I wasn’t a kid anymore, and he never acknowledged it. I was easier to control this way, or so he thought.

Except this was where I usually decided how badly to provoke him. I needed some form of entertainment to deal with all the bullshit I dealt with on the daily.

Our conflicts were never really about me, not unless I wanted them to be. Most of the time, our battles were for shit that happened decades before either of us were even alive. It was the consequences of being born into a legacy family.

He tipped his head to the other side of the table.

“I prefer to stand.”

“So did your grandfather.” He regarded me for a moment before taking a slow sip of his drink. The amber liquid reflected off the fireplace.

I’d spent my entire life under that stare. Every conversation with my father turned into an examination. It was just how he was made.

“I wasn’t aware this was story time,” I stated.

“It isn’t.”

My father’s stare shifted toward the fireplace, his reflection flickering against the wall. When I was a kid, I used to envision puppets dancing across the white paint. Sometimes I’d still see the strings attached to my old man.

His words were quiet now. “They buried him standing.”

I resisted the urge to tell him I didn’t give a fuck, instead, I mocked, “Should I be taking notes?”

“No.” His gaze shifted back to me before he questioned, “Did anything happen that wasn’t supposed to?” He took another slow sip from his drink, setting it down on the table. It loudly clinked against the wood.

I followed the sound. “You tell me.”

“I already know what happened.” His voice never rose. “I want to know what you think happened?”

“I found her, didn’t I?”

The room suddenly felt smaller.

“I know.”

“Then why am I here?”

He reached for the decanter and refilled his drink. Everything he did had a purpose. “Again, I ask, did something happen that wasn’t supposed to?”

I shook my head.

“No?”

“No,” I sternly repeated.

“You answered too quickly.”

“I answered.”

“You reacted.”

“Some people would say they’re the same thing.”

“Since when are you some people?”

Losing my patience, I asked, “Is there a point to this conversation?”

“Why, son?” He leaned back into his chair. “You have somewhere more important to be?” He gestured to me. “Considering you show up to a party in our home dressed like you don’t live here.”

“You should be grateful I’m here at all.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You wear that hoodie because you think it separates you from this family.”

“No.” I paused for effect. “I wear it because it’s comfortable.”

“One day you’ll realize everything I’ve done is for you.”

“And one day you’ll realize all the guilt you keep aiming at me is just a gun you’ll never fire.”

He growled, standing abruptly. “You’re becoming insufferable.”

“I learned from the best.”

He considered me a moment. “Don’t confuse provoking me with winning, Onyx. You’ve done it your entire life.”

“Yet you’re still surprised.”

Inhaling sharply, he straightened the lapels of his jacket.

“Are we done here?”

“No.”

I reached for the doorknob anyway.

“I didn’t dismiss you.”

I laughed. “I’m done asking.”

Three strides was all it took for him to close the distance between us. He stopped close enough that I could smell the whiskey on his breath. Once upon a time, I would’ve taken a step back.

I didn’t.

I held my head higher.

His eyes searched mine, waiting and measuring what he was up against. Looking for any sort of hesitation from me like I had when I was a kid.

Finally, getting close to my face, he bit, “You’ve forgotten your place.”

I didn’t falter in reminding him, “My place is taking yours.”

He gripped the front of my hoodie, dragging me up to his face. “Don’t you ever think you’re replacing me, Onyx. I’m your fucking father, and until I die, you stand behind me. Do you understand me?”

“Don’t tempt me,” I clenched out.

“You’re defiant like your mother.”

I grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“She fucking spoiled you. I warned her that⁠—”

“You don’t get to rewrite history, old man. Now”—I scoffed—“I suggest you let go unless you want me to remind you I’m not a kid anymore.”

He cautiously did as he was told, and I smiled.

“At least you learn fast.”

“Don’t lapse restraint for weakness, Onyx.”

“No.” I opened the door. “I mistake it for intelligence.” With that, I left him there.

There wasn’t a chance in hell I was walking into the ballroom where the party was still being held, so I took the back stairs to my bedroom. I didn’t stay there often. I had my own floor suite back at the Academy. All the Blood Oath Brothers did. It came with the title. I’d be staying there more now regardless.

I shoved open my bedroom door. The extravagant suite hadn’t changed. It never did. I threw off the hoodie, annoyed that his hands were on me. Frustration quickly followed along with anger. I tossed the rest of my clothes and jumped in the shower to wash off the grime.

I cranked the water as hot as it would go. Steam swallowed the glass within seconds. I scrubbed my body raw, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. It didn’t wash away the night. Her face found me nonetheless.

“What the fuck…” I swore under my breath.

The heat pounded against my shoulders, drowning out everything except for the thoughts in my head.

It wasn’t her.

I hated loose ends, and now she’d become one.

Leaning my forehead against the tile, I contemplated what I couldn’t let go. They say your body gets used to whatever it’s given. It’s our natural state of survival. It was adaptation in its truest form.

I was lucky if I slept two to three hours a night, never fully reaching the deep sleep phase. The faintest sounds woke me up, always feeling like I had to look over my shoulder, unable to trust anyone.

Including my own father.

“Devereaux,” Caspian interrupted, shouting into my bathroom suite.

“Fuck off,” I greeted, not bothering to get out.

Caspian Hawthorne was another founding family of the Graves Academy like mine. He was also one of the brothers I was closest to. We grew up together. We’d been thrown into the same life since we were old enough to walk, raised under the same rules, the same expectations, the same blood oath.

Our mothers were best friends and people assumed that made us closer. Maybe it did. That didn’t mean I trusted him. Trust wasn’t something I was ever capable of giving anyone, not after the way I’d been raised.

However, if one person had earned the closest thing to it, it was Caspian. We’d been through a lot together, including our initiation.

“Nice,” he hissed. “Aren’t you just a delightful bag of shit this evening?” He chuckled, sitting on the edge of the sink.

I heard his drink clank. He must have been at the party.

“The girl?” he asked, with no hesitation.

“You mean the pain in my fucking ass.”

He laughed again, singing out, “You’re playing with fire, you know she’s off limits.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t? Hmm… she’s sleeping right next door at her uncle’s house. She’s your new neighbor. I bet you could see her bedroom if you stand out on your balcony.”

“What’s your point?”

“I thought I was making it,” he sniped. “What the fuck? Maybe I should draw you a picture instead.”

“Get the fuck out,” I gritted, not wanting to hear the nonsense he was brewing.

“What are you going to do about the council?” he questioned, ignoring my demand. “You know they’re not happy. They want the girl. You know that as much as I do.”

“Why don’t you let me worry about that?”

“What about the rainforest princess?”

“What about her?” I turned off the shower, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around my waist. “She’s not anyone’s concern, but mine.” Opening the curtain next, I stared at him. “Are we clear? No one is to lay a fucking finger on her without me approving it first.”

“Oh…” He cocked his head to the side. “That means she’s up for grabs?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Do you?”

“Caspian.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. Annoyed was an understatement. “I’m done with this conversation.”

“I think you need to look up the definition. You haven’t answered any of my questions. You’re just barking orders like I have to listen to you, as any of us do, and you know that’s not how the game is played.”

“Then I’m changing the rules.”

“Hmm…” He placed his finger on his lips. “Who would that be for?”

“Careful, Caspian,” I warned, hanging on by a thread.

He raised his arms in the air. “Wrong target, Devereaux.”

He backed away, and as soon as he left, I grabbed my cell phone out of my jeans, hitting send as I walked out onto my balcony.

“Yes, Sir,” Jones picked up after one ring.

“We good?”

“Everything’s taken care of. The girl—” I hung up, cutting him off.

Right when I did, Caspian’s prediction came to fruition.

There in front of my eyes was Hennessey. Her bedroom suite really was near mine at my father’s estate, and I instantly wondered if they did that on purpose, knowing in the back of my mind they did.

All the curtains in her room were open, making it practically a fishbowl with how much I could see in. She stood in front of the floor-length mirror, staring at herself, studying the damage the night had done.

She was still wearing the dress, and it was the first time I realized how badly she’d ripped it up. Most of her body was exposed, her tan skin illuminated by the soft light spilling from the chandelier above her head. Her fingers hovered over the tear running from her hip to thigh. She was assessing it the same way I would a wound.

When she lifted her long, dark, wavy hair over her shoulder and reached for the zipper behind her dress, it didn’t move. She tried again but still nothing.

My pulse didn’t change. Neither did my expression as she reached up and drew the curtains shut as if she’d only noticed they were open. Her room disappeared, and I was left standing there.

She had no idea what awaited her. She didn’t belong in my world, and I was going to make sure she learned that the hard way. Tomorrow was a new day. This week we started classes, and this was only the beginning…

Of me destroying her.

Chapter

Seven

Hennessey: Welcome to the Graves Academy.

The days slipped by, and none of them brought me any peace. I hadn’t slept. I was going into the future completely blind, and that should’ve been the emotion keeping me awake, but it wasn’t. I hated that somehow, in less than a few days, Onyx Devereaux managed to occupy space in my mind that he didn’t deserve.

Rolling onto my back on my bed, I stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling above me. The heavy wooden beams had darkened with age, while the pale morning light spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the property.

Nothing about this room felt like mine. Not all the expensive furniture, not all the antique books lining the shelves. Not the over-the-top decor or the gaudy bedspread I was lying on.

Nothing.

Especially not the silence.

I was used to a home with a revolving door when it came to family and friends, and a sense of community, and this was far from that. At least it was to me. I hadn’t seen my uncle since the night of the party. The only people I came in contact with were his staff. He had servant upon servant in a home with only two people.

I didn’t see his fiancée either, which made me think she might not live here. I stayed in my room for the most part. I had yet to wander the estate, unsure of what I’d find.

I missed my plants the most. Our home was covered in them. I spent years collecting all kinds. My favorite was anything that trailed. All the greenery brought so much life into a room, and I loved the fact that if you took care of them correctly, they’d live forever.

The energy alone was good for your immune system, not to mention all the spiritual protection they offered by warding off any negativity.

Maybe I can find a plant shop?

I wasn’t going to find a rainforest in my backyard to exchange with. If I snipped a plant clipping, I left an offering in its place as an even trade with Mother Nature.

I had quite a bit of money saved from working since I could basically walk. My family always paid me. They were adamant about it. Even when I tried to refuse. I wasn’t much of a spender, buying things that I needed more than anything. My Apple laptop, an iPad, my cell phone, things like that were what I spent my savings on.

What little I did see, there was nothing alive in my uncle’s house. It was cold, with no touch of a woman. The chef’s food was pretty bland, with little flavor. There were also no snacks. The chef asked me to make a list of the food and drinks I enjoyed so they could buy them for me, but I didn’t want them to waste money.

I decided I’d buy my own groceries. I just had to find the nearest store to purchase them. In the meantime, I ate what the chef cooked. Tío did own quite an obscene amount of alcohol, bottles that looked like they’d been around for centuries.

I still wanted to explore the town, but considering I probably made a fool of myself to most of the people who lived there the other night, I couldn’t find the desire to venture out.

Back home, the Amazon breathed with life. Birds argued with the sunrise while insects sang until dawn. Even the river had its own beat, reminding you life never truly stopped. Here, it felt as though his estate was holding its breath. Just waiting for I don’t know what.

My gaze drifted to the ripped-up dress folded across the velvet chair in the corner of the room. Mud stained the hem, but I reached for it anyway, my fingertips brushing over the torn fabric. It was a reminder that the night had been real and that every person at the party had looked at me like I was something they couldn’t quite place.

An outsider, or maybe I was just an inconvenience. A source of entertainment that they could play with. I wasn’t sure which one was worse. I pushed away the thought, crossing toward the window and onto the balcony. The view truly did steal the air from my lungs.

Morning fog rolled across perfectly trimmed gardens, swallowing marble statues one moment before revealing them the next. It was probably why I couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere behind the mist, I was being watched.

I forced myself away from the balcony. There was no point delaying the inevitable. Folded neatly at the foot of the bed sat the uniform I’d been given yesterday. Pressed perfectly, it looked untouched by human hands.

For a moment, I only stared at it. The black-and-white pleated skirt, the crisp white, collared button-down shirt, a black vest with a matching black blazer, tailored precisely as if they’d already known my measurements.

My gaze settled on the embroidered crest stitched over the left breast pocket, directly above the heart. Even their emblem looked as if it were daring you to survive. I slipped on the skirt first, smoothing the heavy fabric over my hips before fastening the waistband. It fit as though it’d been made for only me.

It was somehow more unsettling than if it hadn’t fit at all. The blouse followed, rough against my skin, and then I put on the vest, which cinched my waist tighter than I thought it would. By the time I shrugged into the blazer, I barely recognized the girl staring back from the floor-length mirror.

She looked like she belonged here.

It was the biggest lie of them all.

The expensive fabric couldn’t erase who I was, and it only made the whispers in my ear much louder, they repeated over and over again to run. I reached up, touching the crest against my fingers. These uniforms weren’t meant to express yourself for who you were. They were a reminder of who you were expected to be.

Everything that made me still existed, and I needed to remember that more than ever before. This Academy wouldn’t strip my identity, no matter how hard it tried.

Today wasn’t just my first day of classes at a new university. No, it was far from that. It was the first day I’d willingly step into the lion’s den instead of running from it.

Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the vanity in my en suite bathroom to do something with my wavy hair. I thought about putting it up, but at the last second decided to just leave it down. Outside, the Connecticut air carried autumn, and the crisp breeze gave my hair more volume.

I reached for the small makeup bag I brought with me and applied some mascara and a little eyeliner to accentuate my dark brown eyes. I ended it off with blush and a nude lip stain. After I was done, I caught myself in the mirror one last time before I grabbed a pair of black knee-highs from my dresser and then my black boots.

Picking up my backpack on the way out of my bedroom, I paused at the door, trying to settle the anxiousness of what was to come. My boots clicked against the marble floors, echoing through the hallway. Once I was in the kitchen, I grabbed a muffin on my way out the garage door, running into Alfred.

“Your chariot awaits,” he greeted, gesturing to his SUV.

“I’m good.” I stepped past him. “I can walk.”

“Miss—”

I turned, still backing away. “I said I could walk.”

He eyed me for a second. “Are you upset about the other night?”

“What do you think?”

“Miss Belladonna⁠—”

“I told you not to call me that.”

He didn’t falter in replying, “I’m ordered to.”

My eyebrows pinched together. “Is that all you do? Follow orders?”

“If I want to keep my job.”

I shrugged. “At what expense?”

“I think you have it all confused.”

“Considering no one will tell me what all is, you bet your ass I do.”

“Miss, you’re attending the best private university money can buy and that’s all that matters.”

“I guess there’s one thing about you, huh? You never go off script.”

With that, I spun and left.

The conversation with him sat heavier on my shoulders than my backpack did. I tightened my grip around the leather strap, stepping beneath the wrought-iron gates of my uncle’s estate.

I couldn’t help but look over at the Devereaux’s property. It was screaming at me. I swear if you said it fast enough, you could hear the devil’s property.

I instantly wondered if I’d run into the beloved son at school and if we’d have the same classes or be around the same people or if we’d see each other at all. The thoughts tormented me the entire walk to the Graves Academy. It was about a mile down the road, only taking me twenty minutes to walk there.

Despite there being some houses around the university, I was the only one walking. Extravagant cars drove by me while I strolled down the sidewalk. Once I crossed the campus gates, I noticed the voices stayed low, almost reverent, disappearing beneath the toll of distant church bells.

Leather loafers clicked against centuries-old cobblestone paths. There was so much ivy climbing the buildings that looked more like castles than classrooms, swallowing all the weathered stone with its thick emerald vines. It was the Gothic arches stretched toward the sky, still painted with the last warmth of August, that held my attention the longest. The stained glass windows caught the morning sun, scattering these jewel-toned lights across the courtyard.

The architecture of the buildings was something else, taking my breath away with its historical exquisiteness. They were cryptic. However, it didn’t detract from its beauty. It simply added to it.

Students drifted across the grounds dressed in identical uniforms to mine, the guys wearing slacks instead. They managed to fit each person flawlessly, tailored rather than issued. Expensive watches peeked from beneath the crisp cuffs of their button-downs. Their designer shoes cost more than someone’s quarterly paycheck.

Money didn’t whisper here. It introduced itself before anyone had to open their mouths. I caught more than one stare in my direction. Some people were subtle, while others didn’t care, being unapologetically curious.

Everyone knows.

Whether they’d heard about Friday night or simply recognized a new face, I couldn’t tell. Either way, I wasn’t invisible in the way I’d hoped. Reaching into the pocket of my blazer, I unfolded the campus map I’d been given with my admissions packet.

Labeled in tiny lettering were Administration Hall, the East Wing, the West Wing, and so on. Most of the names were creepy, like Chapel Hall, Mausoleum Manner, the Catacombs, and the Vault. There were also buildings named after what I assumed were families, including the Devereaux building.

I frowned, gazing up. Every building looked the same.

A blond guy walked past me. “Excuse me?”

Nothing. Not even a glance.

Maybe he didn’t hear me?

A girl with a stack of books crossed the path.

“Sorry… could you tell me where Administration is?”

She looked directly at me, then kept walking. I watched her disappear into the crowd.

What the hell?

Another student, the same question, the same response. A knot twisted in my stomach.

Has news spread this quickly?

I opened my backpack, pulling out a few books to see if my admissions packet had a number I could call or something to help me find my way around.

When a loud giggle captured my attention, suddenly, a gorgeous blonde walked toward me.

“You’re asking the wrong people.” Her arms folded over her blazer, amusement skimming across her warm honey-colored eyes.

She couldn’t have been much younger than me.

Maybe nineteen?

It was then that I remembered her. Her blond hair spilled down her back, and unlike everyone else, she’d rolled the sleeves of her uniform to her elbows like rules were merely suggestions to her.

She was one of the girls I’d first seen at the party by the bar.

Once she was standing in front of me, she openly shared, “They’re not ignoring you because they don’t know where the Administration building is.” She smirked. “They’re ignoring you because they’re pretending you don’t exist.”

“Oh.” I blinked. “That’s comforting.”

She actually laughed. It wasn’t polite or forced. It was natural. Instantly, I liked her. I appreciated her honesty. She was the first person who’d actually told me something straight without turning it into a game.

When out of nowhere, she proudly stated, “You’re the girl who embarrassed the Devereauxs at their party the other night. A defeat that’s never been done by the way.”

I licked my lips, my mouth dry. “All I did was climb a tree.”

“No…” she coaxed. “You declared war.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think I understand.”

“What’s not to understand?”

I accentuated the word, “Everything.”

“Let me make it a little clearer for you then.” Extending her hand to me, she greeted, “I’m Deja.”

I shook it. “Hennessy.”

“I know.” She smiled. “Hennessy Belladonna, right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

We stood in silence for a second. She was investigating me with her eyes, and I allowed her to, hoping she’d actually answer some more of my questions. She seemed defiant in the same way I was. We shared that immediate connection.

There was also something really familiar about her, like we’d known each other from another life. My soul recognized hers.

For one quick moment, the rest of Graves Academy disappeared, along with everyone in it. All the noise, the students, the questions no one answered, none of it existed. There was only this strange feeling of certainty that we were supposed to meet. This encounter wasn’t by accident. It wasn’t a coincidence.

It was fate.

It wasn’t until she broke whatever spell had settled between us that she unexpectedly declared…

“I’m Deja Devereaux.”

Chapter

Eight

Hennessy: The rules no one was taught.

Her name settled between us, and she didn’t stop smiling.

“You’ve met my brother.”

My breath caught. “Not exactly.”

My gaze searched hers again. The resemblance between them wasn’t obvious until now. It was their eyes. They shared the same honey color.

“So,” I rasped, “Onyx is your brother?”

She snorted. “Unfortunately. Although he did used to tell me they found me in a trash can.”

“Oh…”

“That’s okay.” She shrugged. “I’ve spent years telling him we adopted him from the zoo. It’s why he acts like a feral animal all the time.”

“Right…”

She caught the skepticism in my tone, chuckling, “What?”

“I guess you just don’t seem anything like him.”

“I know.” She sighed, setting her hand on her chest. “It’s my family’s biggest disappointment.”

I couldn’t tell if she was joking.

“You’ve been walking around looking like you’re headed straight into your own demise.”

“Really?” I countered, taking her in. “I thought I was doing a better job at hiding it.”

“You can’t hide anything from a Devereaux. It’s how we’re made. It truly is a curse.” She stepped beside me, grabbing the crook of my arm to start walking, linking hers into mine.

My backpack was still slightly open, and now I was walking with some books in my grasp.

Wanting to see how much information I could get out of Deja, I led with, “Onyx is your older brother?”

Without hesitation, she spoke, “Our mother wanted identical twins. She got Irish ones instead. We’re in the same grade, though. Onyx likes to say it’s because she wanted him to protect me, but the truth is, it’s just because he’s dumb as fuck and I’m smarter than him.”

I choked back a laugh.

“You know.” She eyed me. “You’re not what I expected.”

I glanced over at her. “You had expectations? You mean you knew about me before I arrived?”

“Of course,” she simply stated.

“Why?”

“Everyone knows about everyone at the Graves Academy. It’s a small town.”

“It doesn’t explain why you’d know anything about me before I even got here.”

“It does.” She peered straight ahead. “You see, there are two kinds of students who transfer into Graves. Those who are children of someone important or…” Her eyes met mine. “Someone who just became important.”

“And which am I?”

She smirked. “I think you know the answer to that.”

Unwavering, I responded, “I’m not important.”

“No…” She paused. “But you have become interesting.”

“I don’t think that’s any better.”

“It isn’t.”

She said it so matter-of-factly, I couldn’t stifle my laugh. “You really don’t sugarcoat anything, do you?”

“It’s a waste of time.”

We stepped into the building.

“Besides, if people are talking about you, they’re looking at you.”

“And?”

“And when people are looking at you, they stop paying attention to anyone else.”

“That sounds really strategic.”

“It is.”

“So…” I paused again. “What did you hear about me?”

She pretended to think. “You grew up in Peru.”

I nodded.

“You’re stubborn.”

“I’d say determined.” I shook my head. “But whatever. What else?”

“Oh! That your uncle brought you here because he thinks you’ll restore the Belladonna name at the academy.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, pulling out of her grasp. “My father attended this university?”

Deja stopped beside me with a confused expression on her face. “You didn’t know that?”

“No.”

She studied me for a long moment. “You really didn’t know that?”

I shook my head.

In one breath, she exclaimed, “Fuck.” Her eyes darted down the hallway. “I thought…”

“What?”

“Forget I said anything.”

“Deja—”

“No.” She pointed toward a group of girls sitting on the edge of a stone fountain a few feet away from us. “They’ve been waiting all morning to meet you.”

The same four heads turned in perfect synchronization toward me. They were the girls who were by the bar with Deja at the party.

The redhead immediately stood as I tried to gather the surprising news.

How much more does Deja know that I don’t? Does my family? If they know, why didn’t they tell me?

The redhead immediately stood, calling out, “So this is her.”

The other girls smiled.

“The legend herself.” She extended her hand. “I’m Luna.”

I shook it. “Legend?”

“You embarrassed half the Legacy Council the other night.” Luna smiled, big and wide. “My father was furious.” She beamed at me. “I’ve never loved a stranger more.”

I blurted, “Your father?” Thinking she was another Devereaux.

A bit of relief washed over me when she replied, “The dean.”

“Oh…”

Luna looped her arm through mine like Deja just had. “We’ve been waiting all our lives for somebody to knock them off their pedestal.”

One of the other girls leaned closer. “It was the most entertainment we’ve seen in weeks.”

For the first time since arriving in Connecticut, I laughed. It escaped before I could stop it while the knot in my stomach loosened.

Deja nudged me with her shoulder. “Now, rule number one is⁠—”

That got my attention. “There are rules?” I interrupted, remembering the encounter with the makeup artist and hair stylist.

“Don’t speak unless spoken to…”

“More like survival tips.” Luna pointed toward a massive stone building crowned by gargoyles. “Don’t go past that building.”

“Why?”

“No one knows. The Brotherhood uses it.” Luna continued, “Now rule number two. Don’t ask questions about the chapel.”

“Why?”

Silence.

Every girl exchanged a look.

“And rule number three,” Luna went on, shifting her stare to me. “If you ever see the Brotherhood…” She lowered her voice. “Move.”

I had no idea what she was referring to. “The Brotherhood? Who is that?”

Before anyone answered, the hallway ahead changed. Students stopped talking, and those standing in the center naturally drifted to the sides.

Then the doors opened, and more people stepped aside.

“What’s happening?” I whispered to myself.

Again, no one answered. It was when I saw them. A group of guys emerged from the far end of the corridor, walking with the kind of confidence money couldn’t buy. It was all about power, and each one defined a different type of inheritance.

Their black blazers were nowhere to be found. Their ties were loosened. Some weren’t even wearing one. It was the opposite of what I’d already seen the other students wearing, as if the rules didn’t apply to them. They had no books and no backpacks, as education bent around them.

They spread a little. It was then I noticed the guy right in the middle.

Onyx Devereaux.

He was the only one who wasn’t wearing a uniform. Instead, he was dressed in a dark gray hoodie, jeans, and boots. Similar to what he was wearing the other night. The hoodie sat firmly on his head. I could barely see his face. Something told me this was his signature attire, hiding himself from the world and maybe his own family.

His intense stare remained fixated ahead. He didn’t acknowledge any of the students moving aside for them. Not one. He didn’t need to. The way the students treated them didn’t seem respectful. It felt more like obedience.

Every instinct inside me screamed at the top of its lungs to step out of the way like everyone else had.

I didn’t.

Not even when Luna grabbed my arm, trying to take me with them. Instead, I stood perfectly still until the distance between us started to diminish.

Twenty feet.

Ten.

Five.

My eyes lifted, locking onto Onyx’s.

They were cold, detached, and unreadable despite the honey color blazing down at me. For a second, I thought he might stop.

He didn’t.

His shoulder clipped mine with deliberate precision. Not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to get his point across. Since I wasn’t expecting it, my books exploded across the polished marble floors, papers scattering everywhere.

The hallway froze. Silence swallowed the whole corridor. I glanced down at my notebook, lying open several feet away, before peering back at Onyx. He never looked over his shoulder. He never slowed down either. He didn’t acknowledge what he’d done as if I were nothing but a peasant walking among them.

One of the guys beside him did glance back at me, though, displaying the faintest smirk across his face before disappearing around the corner. Only after they were gone did the hallway breathe again. Students resumed walking like nothing had ever happened to begin with.

“Asshole,” Deja muttered, already kneeling beside me.

The others followed, gathering papers before they could drift away.

“Ignore him,” Deja suggested. “He’s testing you. He just wants to see if you’ll break.”

I bent to pick up the last notebook myself. My fingers brushed the worn leather cover. Slowly, I stood, looking toward the hallway where Onyx had vanished.

I cocked my head to the side. “He’s going to have to do better than that.”

Deja stared at me for a moment, then giggled. “Oh…” She shook her head.

“I think you’re going to fit right in.”

Chapter

Nine

Hennessy: People are more what they hide than what they show.

The rest of the day flew by in a blur of what felt like everyone talking behind my back with stolen glances hitting me in all directions. It was actually pretty impressive how easily they were able to make me feel as if all eyes were following me through the halls, like they were ghosts that were merely haunting me.

Onyx’s shoulder check had lasted all of two seconds, but the humiliation lingered for hours on end. I kept reminding myself that I didn’t care, that he couldn’t get to me and I had bigger fish to fry. I thought a lot about the fact that once upon a time, my father was a student at this university.

I resisted the urge to call my mom and ask her a million questions, though I couldn’t bring myself to do it, not wanting to bring up bad memories for her. Something bad had happened. I felt it in the pit of my stomach. If she hadn’t said a word to me, knowing I’d find out the truth one way or another, she wouldn’t have allowed me to attend this Academy.

Right? Why would she want me to find out this way and not from her?

I had a hard inkling she didn’t know about anything either, which only left my uncle with the truth.

Does Tío want me to know? Is he expecting this? Is this why he hasn’t been home? To avoid me?

The unanswered questions badgered my head with no end in sight, and it didn’t help that I’d quickly become the talk of the town. The moment Onyx clipped my shoulder, the entire hallway stopped breathing. Not from him knocking into me, but from him choosing me.

It was like this initiation to who the hell knows what.

If I was making any sense, I wasn’t sure, but the realization somehow took its toll on me regardless.

I adjusted the strap of my backpack higher on my shoulder as I followed the stream of students toward my afternoon literature class. The halls of the Graves Academy were ridiculously gorgeous, even with the gargoyles, skulls, and snakes decor splattered on every corner.

There was definitely a darker theme set behind these concrete walls. I’d never seen a university quite like this before. It was captivating, to say the least. The researcher in me was itching to find out as much as I could about these buildings.

No way was I going to listen to a bunch of rules that had nothing to do with me. Especially since no one had a legitimate reason I had to. I was never one to be told what to do, but this was on another level. There was no explanation, just orders, and I didn’t appreciate that.

As far as the rest of the students, they had no problem playing their parts. All day I witnessed how much this specific group of guys got away with absolutely everything. It truly was mind-blowing to see how everyone yielded to their beck and call without a word being said. Not one had to be exchanged.

The teachers and staff were on the same boat. No one reprimanded them for walking in late to class or for disrupting the lecture with nonsense they thought was entertaining. In the lecture halls, they even had rows reserved for them. No one dared sit in them. Not one soul.

They were already reserved.

They cut in line and took over any table, even when people were sitting at it. They’d just get up and move without being told to. Not one excuse me or an apology, nothing. Doors were also held for them, with coffee and food already waiting on their desks.

They didn’t demand respect. They simply expected it. I even watched a professor completely stop his lecture because one of them had to answer a phone call outside.

One thing was for certain: the Graves Academy didn’t belong to its students. It only belonged to them.

Curiosity always got the best of me, so I watched one of the guys named Caspian. He was in my finance class. He was maybe a couple of feet beside me, and my eyes drifted to the crest stitched over his heart.

At first, it looked like the one on mine. It wasn’t. His was replaced with one bearing the initials B.O.B.

The crest was a black shield that framed an elaborate gold thread against his blazer jacket. At its center, a human skull beneath the initials, with a dagger piercing it vertically. There were three serpents around the shield, their bodies forming a protective shield for the emblem. Below the crest was the school's name, but in the corners were other initials.

On the left, it read SNC; on the right, HNP; and, right under the end of the dagger blade, the letters SNT were displayed. On the sides of the crest were the words "Est. 1662" etched.

I subconsciously jerked back, surprised by what I’d seen.

“Find what you’re looking for,” Caspian instantly called me out without taking his eyes off the professor.

My stomach dropped.

For only me to hear, he softly sang, “Curiosity gets people killed around here.”

I sucked in a loud breath.

“Miss Belladonna,” the teacher announced, embarrassing me. “Care to share with the class?”

Heat rushed to my face.

Before I could stammer an apology, Caspian spoke, “I was talking to her.”

The professor’s expression faltered for a second. “My apologies, Mr. Hawthorne.”

After he returned to his lecture, Caspian finally locked stares with me.

Damn… he’s good-looking. Really, really good-looking.

Up close, his defined features were almost too perfect with all the sharp angles of his face. The symmetry was insane, only making him appear more devious and off-putting.

He grinned, leaning forward to my face. Once he was inches away, he whispered in my ear, “Keep digging, rainforest princess.” He got closer, close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck. “As you know, every trail leaves a footprint, and around here, hunters are always watching, just looking for their next prey. Especially when their last name is…” he sang again, “Belladonna.”

I abruptly stood, bringing more attention to myself as I exited the class. I could feel him smiling behind me, loving the fact he got a rise out of me. I hated that everyone was holding secrets to a past I had no idea existed.

Ancient portraits stalked my every step as I walked out of the auditorium into the hallways. Their painted faces seemed to follow me, and I instantly wondered if the Devereauxs and Hawthornes were among them…

Are there more Belladonnas? Do I have ancestry here? What is going on?

Most universities tried to look prestigious. Graves didn’t have to try. It just was. Every hallway whispered sacred history. Every brick seemed to carry lifelong secrets. Every building told a different horror story.

The list of how much I wasn’t aware of and how much trauma was stored was infinite. I felt it all around me. There was no denying it, clawing at my feet. The room buzzed with conversation as I made my way through it. It didn’t stop. More whispers replaced laughter while eyes darted toward me before snapping away.

Every time I glanced out the windows, I could see the building Luna told me not to walk past. Not to enter.

Why?

By the time I walked off campus, I was mentally exhausted. On my way out, I saw Alfred sitting in his SUV waiting for me.

Or was he watching me?

I couldn’t tell the difference.

Once again, I didn’t accept his ride, but that didn’t stop him from trailing me. The quiet walk home was lonely in a way.

Did I make new friends today, or are they pawns of a much bigger game of cat and mouse?

I hated that it felt like I couldn’t trust anyone, particularly my uncle, when he was supposed to be the one I did.

I unlocked the front door. Silence greeted me.

“Tío Luis?” I hollered to no avail.

I dropped my backpack beside the staircase with a heavy thud. The sound echoed through the house, only making it feel that much emptier and more alone.

Somehow, every muscle in my body still locked up. My heart lurched in my throat as the front door opened. Immediately, I thought it was my uncle, and now I had to confront him.

The truth was, I was suddenly terrified to know the truth. If no one had told me up until this point, it was for one reason, and that was the hardest pill to swallow. They were hiding something bad. That much I did understand.

Was my father part of this brotherhood thing? Was my uncle?

“Tío Luis⁠—”

“No.” Elizabeth Devereaux walked in, revealing herself. “It’s just me.”

Tío’s fiancée appeared perfect as ever. She wore cream slacks and a silk blouse. Her high heels were impossibly tall, adding at least six or seven inches to her height. It was the diamond stud earrings that shined against the sun with her hair twisted in a sophisticated bun that held my attention.

She did look like a Devereaux now that I got a good look at her. She had the same honey-colored eyes. It must be a family trait. I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t pretty.

She paused when she saw me. “I wasn’t expecting you so early.”

“I live here.”

A tiny flicker of something crossed her face, but she blinked it away.

In seconds, I remembered what Deja informed me, “You can’t hide anything from a Devereaux. It’s how we’re made. It truly is a curse.”

She was their aunt, triggering my walls to instantly build higher than they already were.

“I heard about your first day,” she said, not giving me a second to process the knowing expression on her face.

Of course she did.

She folded her arms over her chest. “I also heard you made quite the impression.”

I blurted, wanting to get a reaction out of her…

“And I heard I embarrassed your family.”

Chapter

Ten

Hennessy: Don’t listen to what people say, watch what they do.

Her jaw clenched.

Needing her to know the truth, I confessed, “I wasn’t trying to embarrass anyone. Especially a bunch of strangers at a party.”

She tilted her head, countering, “Just yourself then?”

“I just wanted to be alone.”

Her perfectly sculpted eyebrow lifted. “And how’s that working out for you, Hennessy? Are you enjoying all your alone time?”

“So this is my punishment? Neither of you being here?”

“Your uncle is a very busy man.”

“I didn’t see him on campus. Shouldn’t the director of international studies be at work on the first day of school?”

She clipped, “You must have just missed him.”

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

“And what has your wild imagination conjured up now? Is there another tree you need to go climb?”

“Huh, so gloves are off now, or were they never really put on?”

“Hennessy.” She smiled, displaying her impeccable white teeth. “You’re my fiancés niece… let’s not burn more bridges, shall we?” She stepped toward me. “I’m the woman of this house and don’t you forget that, young lady. You’ve already embarrassed us enough, don’t you think?”

“Are you expecting an apology for something I didn’t mean to do?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t like being lied to. I’m not your uncle, little girl, and I expect respect. Especially in my own home.”

“I thought respect is something that you earn?”

“Not here.”

“I—”

“The party was for you,” she pointed out. “I spent the past year planning that for you, and instead of being grateful, you were nothing more than a spoiled brat.”

“Year?” That was the only thing I caught. “I got accepted a month ago.”

She ignored my statement. “We were just trying to welcome you to the Graves Academy, and you shit all over it,” she slightly shouted.

“That party had nothing to do with me and everything to do with appearances. I barely know my uncle. Why would you think I’d want to be welcomed with a room full of strangers?”

“How about being grateful for every string your uncle had to pull for you to even be here?”

“Here I’ve been told repeatedly that my grades spoke for themselves.”

“That’s not how this world works, little girl. You’re old enough to understand that appearances are everything. No?”

“Not in my world.”

“Well,” she snidely snipped, “you’re in our world now, and you’ll abide by the rules.”

“Jesus,” I breathed out. “From the moment I landed, everyone keeps reminding me of these rules. Except they’re the rules, not our rules. Both carry a very different distinction, don’t you think?”

She nodded. “I expected you to know your place.”

“And what place would that be?”

“The one your uncle is trying desperately for you to fit into, and now you’re just proving him wrong.”

“Who sets these rules and why can’t anyone tell me why I have to follow them?”

“There are rules in every world, Hennessy. You’re old enough to know that too.”

“Yeah, standard ones. These are something completely different, and you know it.” She didn’t answer me, so I didn’t hold back. “He’s trying to restore the Belladonna name, right?”

She scoffed, not the least surprised. “That didn’t take long. Let me guess, Deja? My niece doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut. She never does.”

I mirrored her stance, crossing my arms over my chest too. “I would’ve preferred honesty.”

She stepped closer to me. The click of her heels echoed throughout the entire foyer. “You’ve been here a week, Hennessy, and you’ve successfully managed to insert yourself into matters that don’t concern you.”

“It seems to me like I’ve stepped into a trap.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” she bit.

“Oh, okay…” I held up a finger. “Your nephew tries to humiliate me today in front of half the school.” I held up a second finger. “My uncle lies to me.” I held up a third. “And every person I meet tells me there are rules I’m expected to follow, yet no one tells me why.” I smiled without a trace of humor. “And that’s just today. But I’m the problem?”

She looked at me the same way someone studies a crack in an expensive piece of glass.

Her patience snapped like a thread, and she spewed, “That attitude is exactly what destroyed your mother.”

Her words knocked the air from my lungs. “My mother? You know my mother?”

She regretted them immediately, cautiously replying, “Unfortunately.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You’re not meant to.”

“What does that mean? Why does everyone speak in code around here?”

“Hennessy…” She hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts, and I noticed.

“I highly suggest you forget what I just said.”

I frowned. “That’s like asking me to stop breathing.”

“Careful,” she warned. “That too can be arranged.”

What the hell?

She got right in my face. “You listen to me because I won’t repeat myself.”

Something in her voice rooted me to the ground I stood on.

“Stop following that curiosity of yours just because someone tells you no. Do you understand me?”

“That’s an impossible request.”

“Do not mistake our woods for your rainforest, little girl. They’re not just trees. They’re witnesses.”

“To what exactly?”

Her tone dropped a little, and she backed away from me. “If you insist on wandering into places you don’t belong in”—her gaze drifted toward the direction of the Devereaux estate—“then be entirely prepared to find what you’re looking for.” She eyed me up and down with a look of disdain and disappointment. “Before it finds you first.”

Not surrendering, I argued, “Is that a threat?”

“No, my darling girl.” She simply spoke with conviction, “It’s a promise.” She spun and left.

I stayed there for a few seconds, inhaling a deep breath. My stare also wandered to the Devereaux estate.

Did she mean those woods or my uncle’s?

I walked into my bedroom, throwing my backpack next to the ripped dress that hadn’t moved from the chair I left it in. I told the housekeeper I didn’t need them to clean my space and that I could handle it myself. I appreciated that they actually listened to me. They seemed to be the only ones who were.

I jumped in the shower, trying to wash away the unpleasant day, aware it was only the beginning of something I wasn’t prepared for. I was always a firm believer that water had the power to change your timeline. Standing beneath the steam felt calming.

The shower was big enough to fit an army, with jets splattering in all directions. The rainforest showerhead was my favorite part. I stood there, trying to pretend it was a waterfall cascading down on me. Once the fantasy wore off, I dried off with a towel, then changed into a pair of white cotton shorts and a white tank top.

This was what I normally wore at home. It was probably a little too revealing, but I was alone, and I knew I’d be for at least the rest of the night. Since it was getting a bit chilly, I grabbed an oversized hoodie next, feeling at home in my comfort clothes.

Twisting my long wavy hair into a messy bun, I slid a pencil through it to hold it up before sliding my phone into my hoodie pocket. Not bothering with any shoes or socks, I made my way back downstairs.

There was no second-guessing myself. I did what I wanted to do since the moment I stepped through the front door… I walked into the backyard. Nature had always been my happy place, and I refused to follow orders on something I felt so dear to my heart.

The stone steps led to an enormous pool and patio. It was picturesque with the sun setting perfectly over the horizon. The travertine stretched for what looked like acres, wrapping around an infinity pool that could have belonged to a luxury resort rather than someone’s home.

Water spilled over the edge, disappearing into an untouched forest. My gaze wandered farther down the cobblestone path where perfectly manicured gardens burst with roses, lavender, and other flowers extending for miles upon miles.

Marble and stone statues stood like silent warriors among the sculpted edges. Their faces were still prominently showing, despite all the rain and snow they endured through the years. I didn’t recognize any of their faces. None of them looked familiar to me. They were strangers as much as everyone else had been.

Everything I saw was immaculate, pristine to the point of being obnoxious. Almost like someone had torn open a magazine and designed this estate from that alone. It didn’t feel lived in, though. Nothing was out of place, not even a towel or a cushion or a pillow. It was preservation more than a home, a museum of sorts.

Unlike his estate, the woods weren’t polished. They were wild, calling out to me. The scent of pine drifted through the yard. Birds chirped somewhere high in the trees while the breeze carried the earthy smell of moss and damp leaves.

For the first time all day…

I could breathe.

While I was growing up, whenever life became too loud, nature always reminded me the world was bigger than whatever was hurting me.

I stepped off the stone patio and into the grass. The cool blades tickled my feet. Without thinking, I just kept walking past the garden and the old fountain, toward the tree line. The woods welcomed me like an old friend.

I found an outhouse that stored anything you’d need for the outdoors. I grabbed a flashlight, a few logs, and some matches, deciding it’d be a nice night to start a fire under the stars and moon.

It was one of my favorite things to do: be one with the earth. I didn’t notice how far I’d gone, stopping when it felt right to. After I built a small fire, I turned on my playlist and listened to “Le Dije a Papa” by Eva Ayllón. A traditional Afro-Peruvian song titled “I Told Dad.”

It seemed fitting for what I was going through. It was a daughter singing to her father, searching for pieces of herself through the music.

I knew how to dance to all sorts of music, but this one was my top choice. Something about the beat made me feel like my ancestors were calling. Dancing wasn’t just a hobby for me. It was woven into my upbringing.

Music was a huge part of my culture, and I performed for people from all over the world. I was one of the dancers at our resort, and I loved every second of it. Out of all the tasks I helped with, this one was by far my favorite. My body was made to move. It was who I was. It was how I was born. It spoke to me in so many different ways, saving my sanity more times than I could count.

When words failed me, my body never did.

Chapter

Eleven

Hennessy: Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right.

The first beat of Eva’s voice flowed through the trees, and I slid off my hoodie, instinct swiftly taking over me. My knees softened, lowering my center of gravity as my hips found the exact rhythm of the cajón, an instrument. My bare feet skimmed the earth, gliding me through the grass and dirt.

My shoulders rolled with the procession, while my rib cage followed the movement naturally. The music wasn’t something I ever counted. It was just something that lived inside me. It was all feeling, all heart and soul.

I turned beneath the moonlight, and everything else disappeared.

The fire crackled with the music, its amber light chasing the shadows over my skin as I surrendered to the rhythm and the night.

My hips drew slow circles before snapping sharply to the beat of every instrument, playing loudly in the air. My weight shifted effortlessly from one foot to the other. Every step melted together in a slow, sensual way.

I dipped low, my fingertips grazing the tops of the wild grass before I rose again with my arms over my head. My back arched with the music as though the melody itself had wrapped around my spine and pulled me upright again.

As I flipped my head back and forth, my hair slipped free. The flame of the fire immediately made it wild and curly. I smiled, finally feeling alive. Laughing into the night sky, I loved the feel of my body being one with the earth.

Every sway, every turn, every drop, my hips stripped away another emotion that involved the Graves Academy. It was buried beneath the rules. Out there, there was nothing but Mother Nature and me, and that made me feel right at home.

There were no expectations.

No university.

No rules.

No brotherhood.

With the fire to my back, the earth beneath my feet reminded me of who I was. I closed my eyes, letting the rhythm carry me faster with the cool night air kissing my heated skin.

Until the forest stopped breathing, and then my smile quickly faded. Growing up in the Peruvian Amazon, I learned this before I even learned how to walk or talk. It was instilled in us.

The sounds of the jungle were never to be feared. It was only when they disappeared, replaced by an unnatural silence, that you knew it was a warning. My body stilled on instinct. Every one of my muscles tightened, every sense I had sharpened to the point of pain.

Something changed. I just didn’t know what yet.

I remained perfectly still, not moving an inch. The music switched to another Afro-Peruvian melody, bleeding through my phone speaker. This one only held sounds, not words. The cajón grew louder, filling the silence the woods had abruptly abandoned. That was when I saw it. It moved with an eerie grace.

There in front of my eyes was a copperhead snake.

It rested under the moonlight, its copper bands blending almost perfectly into the grass. Completely still like me. My lips parted as I slowly shifted my weight, careful not to crowd it. It was maybe two, three feet away from me.

It was watching, listening, waiting…

Exactly like me.

Neither of us moved. My breathing slowed until it matched my heartbeat. We studied each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. Its head lifted, and my pulse steadied, expecting what came next.

It struck toward me, and I instantly stepped back, far enough for its fangs to hit air instead of my flesh. Then it recoiled, settling back into its protective stance.

Before I could consider what I had to do, I heard a familiar voice order in a slow, stern, steady tone from behind me…

“Move.”

Onyx

The smoke caught my attention from my bedroom window before the fire did. Thin layers curled around our tree line against the evening sky. It was impossible to miss. Someone had built a fire, and I didn’t have to wonder who the hell that was.

I grabbed my crossbow without thinking. I was the captain of our university team. I had perfected its use by the time I was eight. It was in my bloodline. Around here, walking into the woods unarmed was unheard of. It was a death wish, especially at night.

On my way out of the garage, I grabbed the keys to the golf cart, not bothering with walking. It was safer this way.

The path grew darker the farther I drove in, the golf cart bouncing over the ground, until, out of nowhere, I heard music. I killed the engine, not wanting to be heard. Grabbing the crossbow and flashlight, I made my way toward it.

I knew the woods better than I’d known most people. The beats led me the rest of the way. Branches brushed my shoulders as I silently made my way through the trees, not wanting to make a sound and startle whatever she was doing.

I saw the fire first, then I saw her. She was barefoot, dressed in clingy white clothes. Her shorts barely covered her ass cheeks, riding up higher with every sway of her round hips. Her top had also risen, showing off all of her stomach and the bottom of her tits.

She had no idea she looked like that, which made her extremely dangerous to a man like me.

Her long, curly hair was framing her face wildly. I’d been in ballroom galas, debutantes, charity performances, and strip clubs, but I’d never seen anyone dance like that.

Dance like her.

I’d never even heard this song. I stood there, hiding behind the trees, watching her with curiosity as she whipped her body around in perfect symmetry. It was such a sensual dance that I couldn’t look away from her, not even for a second.

She was no longer in my Connecticut woods, but more like she brought her Amazon with her. I should’ve walked away. Instead, I watched her for longer than I should have, utterly captivated by the woman who was sinfully dancing only for me. I was never meant to see her, yet you couldn’t pull me away from her.

For as long as the dance lasted, I allowed myself to get lost in her, forgetting why I’d come out there to begin with. I didn’t check the clearing like I normally would out here in the darkness. That was my first mistake.

The second was letting myself get consumed by her, when all she was doing was dancing. That mistake nearly got her killed. The silence hit me first. It wasn’t loud; it never was. Not unless it was coming out of my own mind like a fucking lunatic.

Once the silence hit me. there were no birds, no insects, no noise other than quiet stillness… I fucking knew. My gaze swept the clearing the way it should have the moment she came into sight.

Fuck…

The copperhead rested perfectly among the grass, near the bushes. It was when she finally noticed what was a few feet in front of her. In seconds, it struck her, and I didn’t hesitate.

I lifted my crossbow, and my voice cut through the clearing, ordering her to move.

She tensed, but didn’t move an inch. “Don’t,” she replied.

“Hennessy…” I coaxed, trying to control my temper. “Move, or it’s going to try to bite you again.”

My crossbow stayed trained on my target.

“That’s only if you give it a reason to.” She didn’t look at me. “It’s just a copperhead.” Her tone was calm. “So stop pointing that crossbow at him.”

Him? Is she out of her fucking mind?

“Just?” I stressed.

In a casual tone, she remarked, “I’m used to dealing with anacondas.”

Every instinct inside me screamed to pull the trigger anyway. She took one careful step toward the snake, and I tightened my grip.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

She didn’t pay me any mind. Slowly, she deliberately searched the ground beside her until she found a long-forked branch.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” I demanded, knowing where she was going with this.

She faintly smiled, never taking her eyes off the copperhead. “I was taught to respect all living things in their own territory and to be grateful when they allow me to step into it.”

“Respect doesn’t stop venom, Hennessy.”

In the blink of an eye, she eased the branch toward the snake with a steadiness that made my finger ready to shoot. The branch settled just behind the copperhead’s head, and the snake struck, but it couldn’t move from her pinning it without hurting it.

My pulse suddenly slammed against my ribs. Still crouched, she reached down with her free hand. Rendering me speechless, she slipped her fingers behind the snake’s head and, in one fluid motion, firm enough to control it, she lifted it only a few inches from the grass and flicked her wrist, tossing it into the dense brush several yards away.

I lowered my crossbow a little, unable to tear my eyes away from her, spewing, “What in the actual fuck was that?”

She turned toward me with a smug expression. “It was just protecting its territory. You have that in common.”

I’d seen a lot of shit in my life, but that was out of control.

“You really don’t have any survival instincts, do you?”

“Says the man who just got saved by a woman.”

“Trust me, sweetheart, it wouldn’t have bitten me.”

“Not when you’re out here looking like Hercules.” She gestured to my crossbow, but it wasn’t just that.

I was on my way to the gym in the west wing of our house, wearing gym shorts, a muscle shirt, and sneakers, when I saw the smoke. As I lowered the crossbow to my side, her gaze followed the movement before her eyes shifted to all the tattoos on my body.

Curiosity took over. Her stare shifted from one of my tattooed sleeves to the other, landing on my chest piece.

I ignored her deep regard, exclaiming, “What are you doing out here anyway?”

Her brown eyes sparkled, never leaving the details of my tattooed art.

Waiting a moment, she kept her attention on my ink until finally confessing, “I’m dancing for the gods. What are you doing?”

Cocking my head to the side, I questioned, “Which one of them forgot to give you any common sense?”

Her concentration on my tattoos didn’t diminish. If anything, she started studying me like I was this jagged puzzle piece she was trying to fit into a tight place. I hated being the center of attention. I was more of a “hang in the background” kind of guy, which was why I never dressed in anything other than casual, comfortable clothing.

I wasn’t pretending to be someone that I wasn’t, dressing in the same pretentious attire to project this perfected, polished image that everyone in town worked so hard to maintain. It was utter bullshit. You could throw a rock and hit corruption at the Graves.

Those who lived in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Except everyone here hid behind granite and brick. It was how old money survived generations of lies and manipulation. Nothing else mattered but ensuring the legacy continued, no matter what.

History proved that much.

It was why I knew where the bodies were buried.

Chapter

Twelve

Onyx: Everyone loves these tattoos. Few know what they mean.

Staying in the background helped me in more ways than one. I knew what she was trying to do. I learned from an early age how to read people. Who was lying, who was pretending, who was bluffing, and who was just full of fucking shit. A person’s body language always told me their story.

Some of it was instinctual, some of it was learned, and some of it was bred.

Most of it was bullshit.

I still loved to observe, though, knowing my mark, knowing my enemies, knowing who I couldn’t trust for a second. Everyone had a tell, and it was usually their demise. It was easier to control someone when you knew the signs.

Defaulting into her witty personality, she teased, “You should try it sometime.”

“Dancing under the moon?” I scoffed. “Not unless you’re sharing whatever you’re on.”

She huffed a laugh, still not looking at me, obsessed with my tattoos. “It’s called nature.”

Without wavering, I baited, “Are you a witch?” I tried to see if she’d give me a straight answer.

“Why?” She smiled, her gaze now reading the font on my chest piece. “Are you scared?”

“Of fairy tales?” I taunted.

My words snapped her gaze to connect with mine. Taking one deliberate step toward me, she sassed, “Little do you know…” She took another step in my direction. “You burned me at the stake in 1692.” She got right in my space, moving my crossbow out of the way before getting on the tips of her toes, closing the distance between us.

My six-foot-two frame towered above her. She couldn’t have been taller than five-four.

With determination, she looked up at me. “And I cursed you to find me in every lifetime.”

Unable to resist the temptation, breaking one of my oaths, I conceded, “I wouldn’t expect anything less from a Belladonna, Hennessy.”

The wall she built came crumbling down, anxiously waiting for what I’d confess next. I had her right where I wanted her. Witnessing the uncertainty crash through her confidence made my dick hard.

When I didn’t share more, she insisted, “Keep going.”

“Tell me, Hennessy…” I threw her a bone, gathering information I could use for later. “How much do you actually know about your family’s history?”

She stepped back. “You mean my father’s?”

“I mean your bloodline.”

She shook her head, confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Good.” I nodded. “The less you know, the better.”

“Better for who? Your family? The Graves Academy? My uncle? What?” She was exasperated. “Or better yet, what do you know about my family? How about we start there?”

Using this to my advantage, I bargained, “What do I get out of it?”

She flinched. “You think this is a negotiation?”

“Everything in life is.”

“Huh,” she hummed. “Is that what your prestigious Graves Academy is teaching you? It’s called extortion. It also comes with a prison sentence.”

I argued, “Only if you get caught, and even then, just throw some money at the problem.”

“So silence is bought?”

“Yes. Especially if you’re dead.”

Her eyes widened. “You think you know everything, don’t you?”

“I’m not the one who’s interrogating you, now, am I?”

She huffed out a deep breath. “The only thing you haven’t done is strip-search me.”

I held back a laugh. “Then bend over and cough for me, Hennessy.”

“You know…” Mischievously, she smiled. “Two can play this game.”

“Careful,” I warned with a slow grin that time. “You don’t know all the rules yet.”

In one breath, she asserted, “I know that I don’t like you.”

I chuckled, eyeing her up and down for a moment. “That’s your pride talking.” I leaned forward, getting close to her face. “Now let’s see if it’s louder than your curiosity since you lack basic common sense.”

“My turn,” she snapped, amusing me far more than anyone else had in a very long time.

Her stare traveled from my eyes to the tattooed sleeve covering my right arm before reaching for it.

Her fingers barely grazed the ink as she gave me her best shot. “Poseidon,” she commented.

I didn’t answer.

“Greeks believe he ruled the ocean, Devereaux.”

Hearing her say my last name with such disdain made my cock twitch, taking my entertainment wherever I could.

“Every ship that dared to cross his sea would answer to him.” Her fingers slid to the trident Poseidon was stabbing through Odysseus. “Most people think that Poseidon was the bad guy. He was a villain, but Odysseus earned his hatred in my opinion.” She traced the waves between them. “You’re not the hero, Onyx. You’re the god making sure everyone pays their consequences.”

I remained silent.

“Now this”—she pointed between the two—“isn’t a battle scene. It’s judgment. Every story needs a villain, and if history has proven anything, it’s that it depends on who is telling the story. Their story isn’t about revenge. It’s about a debt being collected.” She pointed at the back of my lower arm. “You have Medusa in the form of a serpent. You’re honoring her because, like you, she had the power to turn men into stone.”

I swallowed hard, fighting with my restraint to stop her.

Following through, she gestured to the tattoo above Medusa. “The state of Florida, that tattoo means you have someone you actually care for who lives there, or maybe it’s just the fond memories you hold on to, which is why you have a scuba diver right here.” Her fingers lightly traced the lining of my inner forearm. “Is this you or someone else? Either way, the ocean is most important to you.”

I swallowed hard again, hanging on by a thread.

Reaching for my left arm, she pointed at the shipwreck on my shoulder, from the octopus below it, to the killer shark, to the jellyfish and the hammerheads, and then Ariel. “All of these are parts of you, from the pirate that is your lineage, right? Devereaux…” She rolled it off her tongue. “Sounds awfully buccaneer to me. It also explains why there’s a serpent crest at the top of your estate.”

I didn’t answer, too stunned to speak.

“I’m going to guess that Ariel was your first crush. She lost her voice and couldn’t talk, for some reason. I think you’d appreciate that. A woman not having a voice makes it easier for you to control them, and from where I’m standing, that’s all you’re about.”

My chest rose and fell with each thorough analysis that left her mouth.

“Then,” she said, “there’s the skull on your chest with the same date that’s carved into the tree. 10-31-12. But that’s only part of it. You have the same initials tatted over your heart that are on your blazer emblem. It’s different from mine. It’s different from all of ours. You and Caspian have the same one. I’m assuming all your buddies do. I just haven’t figured out what the initials mean, and I know you won’t tell me. You won’t tell me anything.” She didn’t take a breath. “These tattoos aren’t just art on your skin, Onyx. No, they're much deeper than that. They’re your ancestry, and you wear them like an altar.”

With my heart in my throat, I sneered, “Who told you that?”

“Told me what?”

“Any of it.”

She blinked, baffled by my outburst. “No one.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, studying her in the same way she just dissected me. “You’re fucking lying.”

“Why? Because I can read you?”

“These tattoos took me years to plan.” My tone was uneven. I couldn’t hide it now. “I designed them before a needle touched my skin. I have over a hundred hours of art done.”

Her eyes drifted back to my art. “It shows. You wear the altars well, almost like you were born with them on your flesh.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be.”

“Then answer me. Who the fuck told you all that?”

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—”

“When are you going to learn…” he interrupted, leaning forward, inching toward my lips. “I own everything.”

My stomach dropped. I never expected his next declaration.

With a menacing expression, he growled, “Including you, Belladonna.”

Chapter

Thirteen

Hennessy: It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.

“¡En tus sueños!” I roared, “In your dreams.”

There I was, yelling at a guy I knew only by reputation, out in the middle of the woods, which apparently were now owned by him.

Both my fists remained at my sides while I tried like hell to keep my cool, to maintain my composure and act like the lady I was raised to be, but you wouldn’t know it by my actions at that moment. Uncontrollable anger rolled over my entire body, and I fought the urge to punch him right in his damn mouth.

Onyx Devereaux.

Just his name made me want to throw down.

I hated guys like him.

I didn’t know much about him, but the fact was I didn’t need to. Men like him were all the same, every last one of them. Acting as though they were hot shit and owned every place they walked into. With their “my shit don’t stink” attitudes and their “money will buy me out of everything” mentalities.

It was exhausting.

I’d seen them all my life, being raised around all walks of life with tourists coming in and out of mine. Especially the good-looking ones. Add money and power, and they thought they were unstoppable. The older I got, the easier it was to know who to stay away from. The ones whose eyes would linger on me one too many times, the ones who didn’t care that I was only sixteen and not yet a legal adult.

Although in Peru, if you could see above the bar, you could drink. Once I hit puberty, I developed overnight. I always knew the effect I had on men. They were the easiest thing to read and understand. I stayed away, not wanting to make trouble for anyone, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t experienced.

I had a few boyfriends, but none serious. I didn’t have time for any of that, nor did I want the drama I’d seen my friends go through with theirs.

It was so cliché.

All of it.

With an overconfident arched eyebrow, he narrowed his stare on me, standing there with nothing more than a mischievous smirk across his face. It was the first time I’d ever been around a guy who screamed sex. It radiated off him. He had this cocky demeanor without even trying.

I was giving him exactly what he craved. A reaction out of me was what he wanted, and I had yet to figure out what his problem was with me. He didn’t like my family. That much was obvious.

But why?

I slowly licked my lips, my mouth suddenly drying up. I felt like I was suddenly under his spell. His gaze immediately followed the movement of my tongue, and I subconsciously took a step back, holding my ground. I shook my head, ridding myself of the uneasiness I was immersed in because of his slightly intimidating composure that unexpectedly seemed to loom over mine.

With his arms over his chest, accentuating all his muscles, shining bright under the moon, he looked like a god, a fucking Viking, a pirate. Something about his demeanor still made me feel like we knew each other from another world, another lifetime.

I couldn’t shake that feeling, the emotion taking over every part of my nervous system.

What the hell?

I tried like hell to ignore how his stance only emphasized his tall, muscular build as he leaned back.

Cocky and confident as ever, fully aware of what I was thinking, feeling…

He bit the side of his lip in a charismatic and magnetic way, and I arched an eyebrow. I hated that he was trying to use his so-called charm on me.

“What? You’re just going to stand there and not say anything back?”

“Trust me, Hennessy,” he finally spoke with a rough yet smooth tone. “You don’t want me dreaming about you.”

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t catch me off guard. Everything about him did. I thought I knew what to expect when it came to him, but he proved me wrong tonight. He had the power to affect me, and I hated that more than anything. It didn’t make any sense. I was supposed to have the upper hand, not him.

His patronizing stare scanned the length of my body, starting with my pink toes, lingering on my breasts, and coming to a stop at my eyes again. I thought I was prepared. I thought a lot of things, but I would learn soon enough that I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

It was one thing to think you knew, to assume, but when it was staring you right in the face, when he was looking only at you, it changed things.

It changed everything.

The way his honey-colored stare bored into mine ignited a fire deep within me. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking through me, and I hadn’t expected that.

I wasn’t prepared for that.

We locked eyes.

I had never been this conflicted around a guy.

I don’t know how long we stayed frozen at that moment, but he suddenly leaned forward, closing the gap between us and bringing us back to reality.

His cheek grazed mine as he moved closer to my ear. I faintly felt his breath on my neck.

“Your scent is poison,” he whispered, lightly brushing his lips on the sensitive area just below my ear.

Shivers rippled throughout my entire body. The beat of my heart escalated, betraying my mind to the man before me.

I curved my face, meeting his lips. “Hi, Jekyll, meet Hyde.”

He didn’t budge.

“So is this how it works? Am I supposed to spread my legs for you now?” I crudely mocked, letting him know he couldn’t intimidate me. “I will tell you one thing: I’m not impressed. You’re just a lost boy in a man’s world and not even a good one at that.”

He grinned, backing away.

I hated that I immediately felt the loss of his warmth on my skin.

“Is that an invitation?” he finally spoke.

“Fuc—” His finger pressed against my lips, silencing me, and I barely resisted the urge to bite it off.

“See how easy that was.”

I didn’t resist that time, snapping my teeth toward his finger. In one swift movement, he was tugging on the ends of my hair.

“I’m leaving now, but not because you won…” He tugged on my hair a little more. “If I stay, I’m going to show you how much of a man I really am, and you’re not ready for that. Besides, right now you’re easy prey, and I prefer to chase.”

And with that, he turned around and went back to his house.

I was dismissed.

Onyx

“Fuck me,” Caspian announced as I walked into my bedroom.

He stood in front of my computer on the desk in the far-left corner of the wide-open space. He’d been watching the surveillance cameras that surrounded the property.

“Someone just got chewed up and spit the fuck out.” He laughed, obnoxiously clapping. “I’d pay good money to see that again.”

“Shut the fuck up.” I slammed the door behind me.

Caspian didn’t know when to quit, and that was always the problem. He took any opportunity to fuck with me, as I did him. The entire Brotherhood was like that, and I just gave him the perfect ammunition.

I was an asshole. I owned it, making no excuses. There was no reason to try to deny it. I accepted that title a long time ago. I spoke my mind. I didn’t sugarcoat shit, and whether it hurt your feelings or not, it wasn’t my problem. Life was too damn short to pretend to be someone I wasn’t.

My reputation followed me everywhere I went, only making women wet, and they threw their pussies at me like it was gold. Except it wasn’t me they wanted. They craved my last name and everything it stood for.

This was new territory for me, a stranger calling me out. Yet there I was, lost in thought about her. It was the way she came at me with no fear that piqued my interest. She actually had the balls to say to my face what most people said behind my back. It was refreshing.

How she knew about my tattoos wasn’t something I’d soon forget. I couldn’t think of one person who would know all that. I never shared their significance with anyone.

Not a soul knew.

Not that I didn’t enjoy watching her pouty lips pucker every time she tried to hide the effect I had on her. I’d even go so far as to say she affected me too.

She smelled like honey mixed with vanilla and another note I couldn’t name. It was unique, lingering on her tan skin. It was part of the reason I found her that night of her party. I followed her scent. She left it everywhere for me, and I had to tell her that. She was poisonous, and I needed to let her know that too, but something told me she already knew.

Belladonna was living up to her legacy like a little fucking witch.

The girl was a paradox of contradictions. Her demeanor screamed she hated me, but her body, her body liked me just fine. Which only made me want to get to know her that much more. I loved a challenge as much as the next guy.

I wasn’t lying. I loved to chase. The hunt was my favorite thing about the Brotherhood. It was the pirate in me.

“She got to you, didn’t she?” Caspian asked, pulling me away from my reckless thoughts.

“I’m just doing my job.”

“Your job wasn’t to have cameras installed all over her uncle’s estate.”

“It’s not her uncle's. It belongs to Devereaux.”

“It’s going to be her uncle's. He’s marrying your aunt, remember? It’s why he’s living there in the first place.”

I threw off my sneakers, paying him no mind as he added, “What part of your job stated to have cameras in her bedroom?” He smiled like a jokester, big and wide. “Did you put one in her shower too?” He glanced back at the computer screen. “I didn’t get to play around with the camera feeds, but you got quite a few squares on here. My guess is⁠—”

I was over to him in three strides, yanking the cord out of the monitor. It instantly went black, and his eyes flashed with delight.

“Oh, motherfucker…” he sang in a sarcastic tone. “What else are you hiding on that computer?”

Without knocking, Deja appeared out of nowhere, walking into my suite with disappointment written all over her face. I swear she was like a damn cat and had been since we were kids. She used to follow me around as if she were my shadow. I think it was just to learn my habits.

Now, she popped up wherever she felt like it, and I was none the wiser, case in point.

“You have fucking cameras in her bedroom?” she exclaimed loudly. “You’re fucking disgusting! How are we even related?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to knock⁠—”

“How else am I supposed to know what’s going on if I don’t⁠—”

“That’s the whole fucking point, Deja. You’re not supposed to know.”

“Why?” She shrugged, folding her arms over her chest. “Because I’m a girl? That’s sexist,” she sassed, pissing me off. “I can do anything you can do, and probably a better job at it since all you’re run by is your ego and your dick.” She glanced at Caspian, who was leaning up against the wall, enjoying the show.

“Speaking of dicks, what are you doing here, dickhead?”

Deja hated everyone in the Brotherhood, especially since she was promised to one of them. She hadn’t met him yet. She wouldn’t until she was twenty-one. She had about a year and a half left, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she ran away before then.

I hadn’t met him. The only one who knew who he was was our father, and whoever he sold her to was, more than likely, the highest bidder in the room. This was how families maintained generational wealth among those chosen into the society. It was just how things had always been.

Our mother tried to change it. She wanted better for Deja. Instead, she was silenced.

If she did haul ass, the families would murder her, and part of me thought that was the appeal for Deja. To not have to live in this world, one that she didn’t have much say in. I mean, being a Devereaux offered her more advantages than most women married off into the Brotherhood, but not much, and she knew it.

“Should I go look in my room and make sure my betrothed hasn’t hidden cameras everywhere?” she asked, making me lose my patience.

“Is this what you’re doing now?” She made her way over to me. “I should tell Hennessy you’re stalking her.”

“Then you’d have to answer to me.”

“I’m not scared of you.”

“Maybe, but you are scared of Dad.”

She inhaled deeply, hating that I was spitting facts.

“It’s not right what you’re doing to her. You can’t play with people’s lives whenever you feel like it, Onyx.”

“This was set long in place before you and I were ever born, Deja.”

“Jesus, why can’t our family just go to therapy and be done with it? This curse⁠—”

“Deja…” With one stern expression, I rendered her speechless.

“This is so messed up. You know that, right? You’re a fucking psychopath.”

“Sociopath,” I corrected. “If you’re going to diagnose me, at least get it right.”

“That’s worse! You have no remorse for what you do.”

I shrugged, mirroring her stance. “If you truly understood that, you wouldn’t be in my room provoking me right now.”

“Ugh!” She spun so fast, leaving in a second.

“She’s right, you know?” Caspian tore my attention back to him.

“What we do is fucked up.”

I smiled, not hesitating to admit…

“Yeah, but it’s so much fucking fun.”

Chapter

Fourteen

Hennessy: Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.

A month flew by, and nothing had changed about my environment. I’d seen my uncle a few times in passing, but other than that, I was mostly alone with all my uncontrolled thoughts and emotions.

At first, I believed I made some friends with the girls at school, but other than running into each other in the halls, I didn’t hang out with any of them, including Onyx’s sister. I had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with her brother or just being a Devereaux in general.

Is there a difference?

Today was five weeks I’d been at the Graves, and for the first time, I was going out to venture on my own to see all the historical buildings in town. I was on my way out of the garage with a bike I’d found in there when Alfred halted my descent.

“Miss.” He greeted me in an easy tone. “Please let me drive you.”

Reluctantly, I gave in, mostly because I didn’t want to get lost on a bike at night. I only had maybe an hour or two of sunlight left.

Once I was sitting in his SUV, I opened the window, and Alfred got right down to business, stating, “You sure know how to hold a grudge.”

“If that were true,” I replied with certainty in my voice, “I wouldn’t be sitting here with you.”

“So you don’t need a friend yet?”

I sighed, surrendering. “I guess I could use one.”

He didn’t waver. “You look sad, Miss Belladonna.”

We locked eyes through the rearview mirror.

“Not sad, just lonely.”

He nodded in understanding. “The Graves can be a lonely place sometimes.”

Seeing as he was in a talkative mood, I kept it going, enjoying someone to chat with. “How long have you lived here?”

“All my life.” He slid the car into Reverse. “Where to?”

“Umm… I’m not really sure. Take me to the oldest building in this town.”

“You attend school there.”

“Oh… I didn’t know that. Well, then take me to the second one.”

He looked next door at the Devereaux estate. “I won’t have to drive you.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that either. What’s next? Is this property the third?”

“No, miss. How about I drive you to the Litchfield District instead? There are plenty of old buildings for you to explore.”

“Hmm… how did you know I was into that?”

He didn’t answer, driving out of the driveway.

I couldn’t tell you what made me open up to him, but all of a sudden, I didn’t hold back, confessing, “I’ve been here for five weeks now, and I’ve yet to have one conversation with my uncle. I have no friends. Everyone avoids me like I’m living up to my last name, avoiding me like the plague, like I’m a poisonous plant or person… And I’ve somehow managed to fall into a set of rules I’ve yet to hear. I go to class. I pretend I don’t see everyone falling at the Brotherhood’s feet. I come home, and I’m alone…” Pausing for a second, I contemplated what I was to express, “Why am I here if no one wants me to be?”

“To get a grade A education. It’s what your father would’ve wanted.”

My wide stare shifted to his on the rearview mirror again. “You knew my father?”

“Yes.”

“So he did attend the Graves?”

“Yes.”

I was so shocked he was actually answering my questions that I didn’t know what to ask next.

“He’d be very proud of the young woman you’ve turned into. He loved you very much, Hennessy. I hope you know that too.”

I slowly shook my head. “I don’t know anything. My family barely speaks about him.”

His eyebrows pinched together. “Even your mother?”

“My mother the most.”

“Interesting,” he commented.

“You knew my mother as well?”

“Yes.”

“Did she also attend the Graves Academy?”

“No.”

“Oh…” I breathed out. “But you met her here? In Connecticut?”

“Something like that.”

“I don’t understand… she told me she’s never been to this state.”

“It was a long time ago. People tend to forget the past when the people who lived it are no longer with us.”

“Are you talking about my father? Do you know how he died?”

“Hennessy—”

“That’s the first time you’ve called me that. This must be bad.”

“Miss,” he clarified for the second time. “The past is already buried. I highly advise you not to get your hands dirty by digging it up.”

“No,” I disputed. “It’s staring me right in the face everywhere I go, but no one will tell me why I’m a leper. In the jungle, Alfred, where I’m from, when the group turns its back on one of their own, it’s only because they’re as good as dead. Is that what I am here? Dead?”

“Miss,” he spoke in the softest tone. “I’m sorry you’re having a hard time here. I promise it will get better for you.”

“Then this is a test? Am I passing or failing?”

“You’re still here, aren’t you?”

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

“Well, I suggest you try to make some friends. You’re much stronger in numbers than you are alone.”

“That sounds like an army. What… or should I say who, am I supposed to be defeating? The Devereauxs?”

“He’s your uncle's best friend, and you’re about to become family with them.”

“Only through marriage.”

I could tell he was weighing his words, especially when he replied, “Some stories are history you’re born with.”

“What does that mean? You act like my family holds the key to my future.”

“Most families do.” He smiled before informing me, “We’re here.”

“That didn’t take long.” I felt like he was trying to get rid of me.

He gestured toward the homes. “The district isn’t far from your uncle’s. There’s a pathway in the woods that’ll actually take you back to the Graves. I’ll pick you up in an hour?”

Defeat quickly settled into my bones. “How about I just call you when I’m ready?”

He agreed and gave me his cell phone number. After I watched him leave, I thought about what he shared on a dangerous loop in my head. I needed straight answers, not cryptic warnings everyone was adamant about laying on me. I decided right then and there that I was going to get to the bottom of this.

Even if it meant confronting my uncle, which was probably why he was avoiding me to begin with. Trying to change my state of mind, I noticed that every street looked frozen in time under towering apple trees. Autumn was breathing all around me with its crisp cool air and gorgeous amber tones.

The scene in front of me looked like it was taken directly from a postcard that you’d send your family while on vacation. Everything was alive, calling me to investigate. It was too perfect, too untouched by modern hands.

From the white picket fences to the weathered Victorian houses and the cathedrals that appeared to be touching the sunset. I heard church bells in the distance, echoing through the evening.

It was Friday night. This place should’ve been packed with people hanging out. No children were playing in the park, and it looked deserted. None of the stores were even open. No cars were driving by.

Despite the town feeling alive, it was dead inside.

Standing in the middle of the street, I couldn’t shake the certainty of being watched. Out of nowhere, a historical museum caught my attention with its pointed archways and spiritual vibes. I was always a firm believer in going with your gut. My feet moved on their own accord, marching straight to the old building that seemed to have been there for centuries.

With one foot in front of the other, I tried to make my way inside. Disappointment quickly set in when I realized the building was closed for renovations.

I turned to leave, but at the last second, I knocked on the mosaic glass, seeing if maybe someone was in there working and I could take a peek. When no one answered, I walked around the back of the building. My curiosity was getting the best of me.

I checked all the doors until I realized that someone had already tried to break in. One of the mosaic glass windows was broken and covered with thick tarp paper. Not allowing the cold or debris in until they fixed it.

I wonder how long it’s been broken?

I gently pulled the cover away, trying to sneak my way inside. It was a tight fit, but I managed to slide in until a shard of glass accidentally slid across my wrist.

I gasped, immediately feeling the sharp pain slicing along my inner forearm, cutting the protective bracelet my grandmother made me. I never took it off. The red beads scattered across the floor, as if in warning.

It was.

It should’ve been enough for me to haul ass and leave. The bracelet was literally trying to save me from myself, but I didn’t see it. Or maybe I did, and I chose to ignore it. I had to find the truth everyone was trying so desperately to hide from me.

The shard of glass cut me deep enough that I was bleeding, but not enough that I’d need stitches. I grabbed the scarf around my neck, wrapping it around my wound, thankful I decided to grab it instead of a jacket. I was wearing a cream-colored dress, with a long-sleeved shirt under the straps, and boots.

As soon as I wrapped my wrist, the scent of old paper and polished wood assaulted every one of my senses. The museum was definitely under construction. It probably wasn’t safe for me to be in there, but I couldn’t help myself.

It merely reminded me of what Onyx said to me the night in the woods.

“That’s your pride talking. Now let’s see if it’s louder than your curiosity since you lack basic common sense.”

I guess I was proving him right. I hated that after all these weeks, he was still on my mind. At school, he pretended I didn’t exist like everyone else. As though everything that happened the night in the woods between us was a figment of my imagination.

I couldn’t say he was pushing me away, since he’d never let me in.

I still felt his honey-colored eyes following me everywhere, even when I was in my bedroom. It was the weirdest thing, the feeling of being watched 24/7. I even started taking my clothes off and putting them on in the shower, thinking it was the only place I had some real privacy, or at least I hoped I did.

The walls of the property had eyes everywhere, and I couldn’t hide from them. It was designed that way, being a Devereaux’s estate. The evil spirits lurked all around.

The museum felt that way too. It was heavy with emotions I didn’t understand. All the glass cases were empty. I roamed from display to display, finding nothing. All the artifacts had already been removed. I guess it made sense since they were remodeling. The only thing left behind was a few shelves stacked with books that served no purpose to me, just some old dictionaries and such.

“I’m not going to find any answers here.” I turned to leave, but my boot caught on the uneven antique rug below me. “Shit.” Stumbling forward, I caught myself against the bookcase before I face-planted on hundreds of years of history someone was trying to remodel into new.

Are they burying the past, or have they already done so?

It was the only thing on my mind as a loud thunk echoed across the room, and I froze. They didn’t feel like real books that were pressed against. They were made of metal. After considering it for a minute, I lost the battle and touched them all around.

“What is—” I pulled out one of the books, but it didn’t move. Instead, it slowly opened a door behind me that was made to look like a bookshelf. “Mierda,” I murmured. “Fuck.” Shivers coursed up my spine.

I had a bad feeling about this, but again, nothing could stop me. Subconsciously, I glanced over my shoulder, thinking someone was there with me. I came up empty, but I still felt someone’s strong stare on my body.

Swallowing hard, I stepped toward where the door led. My heart hammered in my chest as I headed inside, as if I were walking to my own execution.

Ten steps.

Twenty.

Thirty.

I knew because I counted.

The pungent smell of bleach hit me, and my hand immediately rose to cover my nose and mouth. My heart pounded so profusely that I found it hard to breathe. My lips parted, and my chest heaved with each passing moment that escalated. Panic began to set in, and my mind already started running wild.

I anxiously tried to gather my thoughts.

I didn’t budge.

I couldn’t.

As soon as I walked into what looked like a monument of some sort, I took in every last detail. There in front of my eyes were crests built into the concrete walls around the room. The same emblem on Onyx’s blazer was in the center of the rest.

My gaze shifted to all the names, starting with Devereaux. Their separate crest was the same one on their estate. I saw Hawthorne. Their design had thorns and deep-rooted branches. I didn’t recognize any of the other names until I came upon the last one.

“Wait a second…”

I gasped, turning as pale as a ghost when I saw it. There in gold lettering, staring back at me was my last name.

Belladonna.

Chapter

Fifteen

Hennessy: Curiosity killed the cat.

My heart dropped to my ass.

“¿Qué es esto?” I called out for no one other than myself. “What is this?”

Nothing about this place made any sense, and the more I thought about it in those few seconds, the further I sank into my own misery.

Is my bloodline part of this place? What does this mean? Could it be another Belladonna? No, that’s insane. There are no coincidences.

Feeling sick to my stomach, I backed away, but not before snapping a quick photo of the place, including the Belladonna crest designed to mimic the poisonous plant.

I could’ve called Alfred to get me, but I didn’t want to stay there for another second. Instead, I ran out of there, escaping through the same window I came in. I left it the same way I found it, looking every which way, trying to decide what I was going to do now.

I was so lost, so confused, so taken off guard, that I didn’t realize I was running through the woods. Somewhere along the way, I must have gotten sidetracked and ended up running through an old cemetery.

I halted, leaning forward onto my knees to catch my breath.

“What the hell?” I exclaimed, shaking my head and breathing through the anxiety suffocating me.

It wasn’t from the cemetery. I didn’t mind them. In fact, I started to calm down just standing there, gathering my bearings. From an early age, I was taught to respect the dead, and for the first few minutes, it was really peaceful out there under the moon and trees, surrounded by headstones.

Finally feeling a little more stable, I stood. Hearing all the crows, birds, and insects helped me find my footing again. This time, I didn’t rush. There was no need for me to run.

I grabbed my cell phone and shone the flashlight ahead. I couldn’t see much without it. The few overhead lights scattered through the cemetery weren’t enough for me to see. I looked to see what time it was. It read 9:30 p.m. It was only then that I noticed how long I’d been out there. Alfred had dropped me off at 7:30.

Two hours had flown by in the whirlwind of exploring. It usually did when I was invested in something. Maybe I did see more than I thought. I tried to make a call and let Alfred know I was walking home, but I didn’t have any service.

Dry leaves crunched beneath my boots, and I breathed deeper. Closing my eyes for a moment, I shoved away the haunting feeling of my last name being attached to the Graves. It made sense why Onyx asked me how much I knew about my bloodline. My father didn’t just attend school here. He was a part of something bigger.

Why did he have his own crest? Why did any of them? What did it mean?

The more questions I found myself searching answers for, the harder it was to focus. When suddenly, the woods went silent. The birds didn’t chirp, the insects didn’t sing, and the breeze even seemed to die down.

I shivered, feeling the chilly air. The hairs on my arms stood straight up as I rubbed them, trying to stir up heat. It wasn’t enough. Without the sun, the temperature probably dropped by ten degrees.

Peering down, I checked my wound. My blood had bled through the cotton fabric. It looked nasty, making me think I might actually need stitches.

How do I explain this to someone?

I turned slowly, feeling someone’s eyes on me but finding nothing. No one. Just endless trees and headstones upon headstones, each one appearing more expensive than the last. I spun back around, beginning to walk a little faster. Once again, I counted my steps, trying to concentrate on something other than the looming feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Five steps.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Twenty…

A twig snapped, and it wasn’t below my feet, stopping me dead in my tracks.

Silence.

I peered above, mouthing to the crows, “Am I being followed?”

More silence.

I nervously scoffed out a chuckle. “Maybe it was a squirrel?”

Another snap answered that for me. My pulse stumbled, loud and hard.

Spinning, I asked out loud, “Hello? Is someone there?” I scanned the trees, stepping toward it before I realized what I was doing. “Who’s there?”

Only silence.

The sensation hit me when a crow finally answered me from above my head. It was distressed, confirming my suspicions that someone was there. It squeaked out a loud caw into the night sky, its wings flapping excessively.

It was all the warning I needed. I spun around and started moving, heading home. My pace quickened, faster and faster. In seconds, I heard a footstep behind me. My heart hammered against my ribs, thinking…

“Don’t run. If you run, they’ll know I’m aware they are there with me.”

Quickly, I heard another step, then another and another and another…

I broke that chain of events, running off like a bat out of hell. The trail blurred beneath my feet as I sprinted through the trees, branches clawing at my arms.

All I heard behind me were footsteps. They weren’t running after me; they were just following.

I ran as fast as I could, not bothering to look back when the Graves Academy came into sight. Within minutes, I was tearing through the courtyard into the first building I saw.

It was the one Luna warned me not to go into, saying it was only for the Brotherhood. By the time I ran in there, it was too late. I couldn’t go back now. Darting toward the back of the room to hide, I was instantly met with someone instead.

I loudly gasped, stopping so abruptly that I fell to the ground. Right there at the center of the room was someone dressed in a floor-length black cloak, with the hood over his head. It was dark in there. I could barely see. Every part of them was covered. I couldn’t see their skin or face, just a huge body standing in front of me like a fucking serial killer or a horror movie.

For a moment, I thought maybe it was a statue. It didn’t move, not even when I fell on my ass. It had no reaction to me. Crawling back, I tried to stand, and when I did, they cocked their head to the side in a menacing way.

Lifting my hands in the air, I surrendered. “I know I’m not supposed to be here,” I blurted, eyeing what appeared to be a dagger in their grasp.

Is this how I die?

The polished blade reflected the moonlight that trailed slightly behind them. It was the only light in the room. My words echoed too. The dagger wasn’t raised, though. It wasn’t pointing at me either. It was merely at their side with the sharp end aiming down.

The moon cascaded a little more into the room. Their build was big, too big for a woman. I knew then it was a man inside that cloak.

He wasn’t threatening me. He was just waiting.

“Please take off your hood,” I whispered. “Were you following me? Why?”

I couldn’t get my questions out fast enough. He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. His silence was enough. In the blink of an eye, he moved, slowly stepping in my direction.

He read my mind. I was about to scream, but in an instant, he was holding the edge of the blade up to my lips, silencing me. His heavy cloak echoed off the floor.

My chest was rising and falling, my heart thrashing inside me. Stunned by the drastic turn of events, I choked back a scream, coming face-to-face with his black matte mask. It was one of those masks bikers wore, the same kind you saw in video games or militia military.

He still didn’t speak, never rushing. He backed away a bit before he slid the blade across the wall. The sound only amplified my fear of what was coming. Each one of his steps felt as if he were deciding something. Like an animal, he trapped me into the corner of the room. My back slammed into the wall behind me. Getting in my face, he invaded my personal space.

I never expected what happened next.

Not one damn thing.

I shook my head, back and forth, with my lip quivering. Next, he unbuckled his belt. I went to scream that time, but he covered my mouth with the blade again. My stare went wide, witnessing him crudely tear his belt out of the loops of his slacks with a snap.

“What are you⁠—”

Not allowing me to finish, he raised his hand, swinging the belt as hard as he could, landing right on the wall behind my head. It hissed through the air, breaking my confidence.

I whimpered, my gaze laced with nothing but fear, exactly the way he craved.

It was enough to make me snap out of it, and I spewed, “Don’t you fucking dare.”

He leaned forward, inhaling my vulnerability. It was almost too much for me. I felt exposed and naked when I was fully clothed. He dropped his belt to the floor. It also echoed off the walls. Mirroring my own crumbling down on us.

Catching me more off guard, the lips of his mask started sliding along the side of my neck. They were smooth like silk, gliding effortlessly. I didn’t say anything, too consumed by the unexpected of where he was going with this.

My breathing hitched, my lips parted, my mind already betraying me.

Did I like this?

Something was erotic about the way he held me captive, flushing my face and cheeks. In one swift movement, he gripped my legs, lifting me against the wall to straddle his waist.

I panted now, completely breathless and losing all sense of reasoning and control.

His dick was hard and that much I did feel.

“What the fuck?” I finally let out. “What are you doing to me?”

He didn’t reply, running his hand up the back of my thigh, roughly gripping my hips now. His mask hovered over my face. I couldn’t see anything, not even his eyes. It was too dark. Black holes stared back at me.

Unable to hold back, I blurted, “Are you trying to fuck me or kill me?”

Something in my tone snapped him out of whatever reality he’d been in. Carelessly, he dropped me to my feet, but at the last second, he caught me with his grip on my injured upper arm. I hissed through the pain. His gaze shifted to my forearm, taking in all the blood that had soaked through.

Slowly, he unwrapped it. My skin stung as he pulled off the scarf, exposing the fresh slice beneath. The room fell incredibly still. You could hear a pin drop.

He stared at it. Not at me but at all the blood I’d lost.

God help me, this was all wrong. Without one warning, he lifted the dagger.

“No!” I exclaimed, thinking he was going to stab me.

He didn’t, brutally slicing open his hand instead. I sucked in air. The blade never came near me. His blood gushed in seconds. My stare flew wide as I watched him with an intense regard.

With his bloody hand dripping onto the floor, he grabbed my wound and mixed our blood. It was warm and hurt like hell, especially when he tightened his grip, making me bleed harder into his grasp.

I whimpered in pure pain, looking at how our blood now dripped together onto the ground by our feet. The silence hammered in my ears, making me dizzy. As quickly and easily as he cornered me, he let me go. Shoving me away from him, I stumbled to catch my footing and glanced down at the ground.

When I looked up again, he was gone. There was no sight of him. The only thing that remained was his belt and the dagger that was now lying right in the center of our blood. I didn’t think twice about it. I grabbed his belt and the dagger as fast as I could and got the hell out of there.

Fully aware I was just part of a ritual, I left with nothing but the insatiable desire for him…

Which was probably the whole point in the first place.

Chapter

Sixteen

Hennessy: You become what you focus on and like the people you spend time with.

I ransacked my uncle’s bathrooms, trying to find a first-aid kit, but came up empty. Although going back outside was the last thing I wanted to do, I had to get to the convenience store down the road to find medicine for my arm before it got infected. Praying like hell it didn’t already.

I had no clue what Onyx was into, but I had a strong intuition he was the man behind that mask, and the fact that he just mixed our blood freaked me the hell out for obvious reasons, including any diseases. Grabbing the bike I was going to take earlier, I walked it outside of the garage.

On my way out of the estate, I saw Deja driving into hers. She was in front of her gate, sitting in her BMW convertible, typing in the code to open it. Her music was blasting, and I didn’t think she’d be able to see me in the dark. Somehow, she did.

She shrieked, her hand over her heart. “You just scared the shit out of me!” Her stare immediately shot toward my arm. “Oh my God! Are you okay?” Before I could respond, she ordered, “Get in! I have a first-aid kit!”

Reluctantly, I did, knowing I was entering enemy territory.

Was Onyx behind that mask? Is that why my body reacted to him?

I couldn’t tell you which was worse: him stalking me or it being a stranger…

I thought about it the entire time she parked her car in an enormous garage. There were maybe forty, fifty special editions, so many one-of-a-kinds, just parked there, looking pretty. It was giving luxury warehouse for vehicles and not someone's personal parking space. This was the first time I’d stepped back into this estate since I arrived the night of my welcome surprise party.

Memories tore through my mind, and I tried to focus on the present, too consumed with what just happened.

Is this the plan? Why did he mix our blood?

It felt sacred, ancient, even demonic, and I hated that most of all. Brujería, also known as black magic, was a big part of my culture, and because of my last name and what it already stood for, I stayed away from it. It didn’t mean I didn’t believe in it. I knew wholeheartedly about its power. It was engraved into us as children. Right from the womb, a red string or a gold bracelet was wrapped around our wrists for protection.

Babies and children were the easiest to succumb. It didn’t take much to spook a child. Even if they didn’t mean to, a stranger’s stare could be that potent to an innocent life. It was why they were heavily protected from our families at such a young age.

My mom and grandmother were constantly doing la limpia con huevo, an egg cleansing of your body, to protect you against negative energy or ward off the evil eye. Spiritual magic existed every day. It didn’t sleep; it didn’t need to rest; it was available for the taking from anyone, anywhere. It was what made it so damn powerful, and in the wrong hands, it could do a lot of damage while destroying lives in the process.

Mythology proved that gods always required sacrifice in some form. Good or bad, it didn’t matter. Sacrifice was the exchange to get everything you ever wanted, especially when it involved blood.

Before we even made it into her home, I grabbed Deja’s arm at the door, stopping her from facing me.

“The initials B.O.B. What do they mean?”

Her eyes remained on mine, not saying a word.

“It’s the Brotherhood Luna warned me about, right? What do the other letters stand for?”

“Hennessy—”

“No, don’t bullshit a bullshitter. Tell me the truth. Please, I’m begging you.”

“Hennessy—”

“Please, Deja!” With praying hands, I expressed, “You want me on my knees too? Just give me something, please...”

She glanced all around the garage, blinking one eye at me. It was her subtle way of letting me know she couldn’t share anything there. We were being watched, giving me hope that maybe she’d actually answer my questions.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you with that, but I can help you with your arm…”

I faintly nodded, inhaling a deep breath before following her inside.

Her mansion looked the same. Nothing was out of place, similar to my uncle’s. Their staff was everywhere, but nobody looked in my direction. Deja wrapped a new towel around my wound. Luckily, it hadn’t bled through, but something told me the staff would’ve still minded their own business if it had. They were paid to.

Once we were in her bedroom, I felt a little safer, if that made any sense. She rushed into her bathroom, exiting with a first-aid kit in her hands. Her room was the size of someone’s whole house. It was what I’d imagine her suite would look like. It was very her, with the over-the-top gold details in the build and the furniture.

I could tell every piece of furniture and the decor was passed down. She held millions of dollars’ worth of antique pieces alone. From the paintings on the walls to the sixteenth-century rugs and the seventeenth-century gold canopy bed frame. It just screamed wealth. It looked like a queen lived in there.

Part of me wanted to know their significance, and the researcher in me was dying to take a closer look at the beauty before me. It was like a historical museum you’d see in Italy or Spain with cathedral ceilings and gold, avant-garde design and layout.

She handed me a bottle of 1942 tequila, yanking my attention back to her.

“You’re going to need it. This is going to hurt.”

I did as I was told, chugging down a few swigs. The liquor flowed through my chest, warming up my insides. I was used to drinking Peruvian liquor, Pisco, so this was new to me. She crouched to the floor by my feet, sitting on her knees while she pulled out a needle and thread.

“Whoa…” I called out. “You know how to stitch?”

“I could…” she warily replied. “But you’d probably pass out from the pain. You’re not my brother or his Brotherho…” she corrected herself, “friends.”

Quickly feeling the effects of the alcohol, I questioned, “How often do you stitch up your brother?”

She sighed, rummaging through the kit. “Often enough.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “He’s a dumbass.”

“So he gets into fights?”

She shrugged again. “He does fence and crossbow. Not just for the Academy, but for competitions and stuff…” She changed the subject, pulling out a tube. “I have medical adhesive. It’ll hold the edges of your cut as long as you don’t keep ripping it open. It’ll heal too.”

“You’re just going to glue me back together, Deja?”

“I can if you want me to. If not, I can call our family doctor to make a house call. Your decision.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t want this getting back to my uncle.”

“How are you going to hide it from him?”

“Considering I’ve barely seen him in the last five weeks, I highly doubt it’s going to be an issue.”

“I hate to break this to you, Hennessy… odds are, your uncle already knows.”

“How?”

“Secrets don’t stay hidden here.”

“Except for mine, right?”

She ignored my question, throwing back her own, “How about you tell me what happened while I fix you up because I don’t know.”

I didn’t waver. “Can I trust you, Deja? Are we friends?”

She eyed me cautiously for a moment, giving me more anxiety.

Unable to take the silence, I shared, “I went to the district this evening.”

She reached for my arm, starting to clean me up. “That town is dead. Most of it is under construction. Nobody goes there anymore. We haven’t in years.”

“Alfred suggested it.”

“Who’s Alfred?”

“Oh… umm… Jones, I think.”

“Your driver?” she acknowledged, looking up at me.

“Yeah.”

Her gaze connected with mine. “Why would he…?” She stopped herself. “What did you find?”

“So you know I found something?”

“You tell me.”

“You Devereauxs,” I sassed. “You’re amazing at avoiding questions.”

“Hennessy, I’m trying to help you.”

“You can’t help me. Your family hates me. Especially your brother.”

“Trust me,” she confirmed. “It’s not hate that he feels for you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just tell me what you found.”

With my good arm, I grabbed my cell phone out of the pocket in my dress, showing her the pictures I’d taken.

Her eyes sharpened, immediately ordering, “You need to delete those! Now, Hennessy!” She was about to do it herself, but I snatched it out of her hands.

“Hell no!” I argued. “It’s the only proof I have!”

“Wrong!” She inhaled a deep breath. “That’s evidence! I’m serious, Hennessy, you need to delete those.”

“Or what?”

“Or someone is going to come looking for them to delete it themselves.”

“Who? How?” Now I sounded like a fucking owl. “Nobody was in there with me. How would they know⁠—”

“That museum is filled with cameras.”

I never told her where I found them. “It’s being remodeled.”

“All the more reason to have it surrounded by surveillance.”

“Jesus…” I abruptly stood, yanking my arm out of her grasp. “What the hell is going on, Deja? I just got chased in the woods!”

She didn’t seem fazed by what I just admitted. Instead, she concluded, “Is that how you cut your arm?”

“No, I did that by breaking into the museum.”

“So you left fingerprints?”

With wide eyes, I exclaimed, “What the fuck? Is that who was chasing me? They saw I was in the museum from the cameras? Are these the people who are going to tell my uncle?” I didn’t stop. I was too far gone. “Are you those people, Deja? Are the Devereauxs after me? Why? What does it have to do with my father and my uncle?” I was so out of breath, I had to rest.

Feeling a little dizzy, I grabbed my head.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.”

This time, we didn’t speak until she was finished bandaging my wound. Mostly because it hurt like hell. The liquor wasn’t helping.

Once she was done, she softly asked, “Do you know who was chasing you?”

“They weren’t actually chasing me. They were⁠—”

She didn’t have to be told anymore, confirming for me…

“Hunting you.”

Chapter

Seventeen

Hennessy: What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.

We locked eyes. I felt like her validation was all I needed to know that it wasn’t just in my mind and that I was being hunted.

“When I saw the Graves Academy, I ran there first.”

“And?”

“I ran into the building that Luna warned me against.”

She stood, pacing a little, although she made it appear as if she were simply putting away her first-aid kit. I was already standing where she left me when she walked back into her bedroom.

I blurted, “He was already there waiting for me.”

We locked eyes again, and she sucked in her bottom lip. “Who?”

“He wore a black cloak with a mask. I couldn’t see him at all. At least not his facial features or skin.”

Her eyebrows pinched together for a second, nodding to my wound. “Is that his handiwork?”

I shook my head. “No, I told you, I got that at the museum trying to break in. This was already done, but that didn’t stop him from what he did once he had his hands on me.”

She cocked her head to the side with intrigue and worry.

“He sliced his hand open with a dagger, Deja, like it was nothing. He left it behind, along with his belt, which of course I took both belongings with me.”

Her stare went wide.

“He smeared our blood together.”

She jerked back, surprised. “Did he say anything to you when he did that? Did he say anything at all?”

“Nothing, or maybe he did, and I just didn’t hear him. I’m not entirely sure. I was scared, but also… I don’t know… hot…”

“Hot?” she repeated. “Like aroused?”

“My body reacted to him, and now I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“Who is him?” she carefully questioned.

I spoke with conviction, “Your brother.”

I blinked, and she demanded out of nowhere, “You need to go!”

“What?” I countered, confused.

“You heard me! You have to leave!” She pushed me out of her bedroom suite. “Go home, Hennessy!”

“What? Why? What’s going on? Why are you kicking me out?”

She opened the door, shoving me out of there too. “You got to go before⁠—”

“Too late,” Onyx’s voice stirred down the hall, right at us.

He was leaning against the far-left wall with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

“Deja,” he rasped in an eerie tone, “you know you’re not allowed to bring home strays.”

Her composure changed into something I couldn’t quite place.

“I’m your neighbor,” I reminded.

He nodded to my freshly covered wound. “Deja bandage you up? That’s brave.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ll remember that the next time you ask me to stitch you up.”

“Are you two having a slumber party?” He gestured back and forth between us. “Aren’t you a little old for that?”

Deja answered for me, “She was just leaving.”

Without missing a beat, he simply stated, “She shouldn’t be here in the first place.”

On the same cue, she bit out, “She’s my friend.”

“Deja doesn’t have friends.” His gaze shifted to me. “She has alliances. Is that what you are?”

“Onyx, stop it!” she ordered. “You’re being an asshole.”

I couldn’t help myself. “What else is new?”

He stepped toward me with his hands still in his pockets.

I stood my ground, being straightforward. “You were following me tonight.”

He regarded me for a second, cocking his head. “Was I?”

“Don’t!”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t pretend that wasn’t you tonight. I know it was.”

He mused, “You seem convinced of that.”

“I saw you.”

“Did you?”

“Stop it!” I stomped my foot. “I’m serious, I know it was you.” My stomach tightened. “You’re really going to stand there and try to deny it?”

“I’ve barely said a word.”

“Exactly! You watched me!”

“You certainly seem convinced.”

“I am!”

“Then why ask me any questions at all?”

“Because I want you to admit it to me!”

“Do you?”

I checkmated him, calling his bluff. “Show me your hands.”

His expression remained neutral. “My hands?”

“Yes! Show them to me if it wasn’t you.”

“Hmm…” he slowly hummed in a desolate tone.

After a moment, he casually slid his hands out of the pockets of his hoodie. Palms up, he showed them to us.

My composure stammered, lost and puzzled more than I was.

Not one wound.

No blood.

No stitching.

Nothing.

I frowned, feeling utterly defeated.

Grinning, he asked, “Are you finished now?”

I didn’t say a word.

He placed his hands back into the pockets. “You look disappointed.”

“I know you’re hiding something.”

“You don’t know anything.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Doing what exactly?”

“This! All you do is bait me.”

“Hennessy,” Deja intervened. “I think you should just go home. It’s late, and you’re tired, and you’re not making any sense.”

My gaze shifted to her. “I thought you said you were my friend?”

“I am, and this is why you should go home.”

I searched her face, looking for answers she refused to submit. Instead, all I found was submission.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Her lips parted. No words came out. Her silence was enough of an answer for me.

I humorlessly laughed. “You’re unbelievable. You’re as bad as your brother. It shouldn’t surprise me, though. You’re family after all.”

I backed away and left.

Time must’ve been moving fast. The next thing I knew, I was in my uncle’s kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. I shut the door, gasping with my hand over my heart when I saw my uncle standing there, all unreadable in the darkness.

Watching me.

“Jesus… how long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Last time I checked, this was my home.”

“This isn’t a home. It’s a prison.”

He didn’t pay me any mind. Instead, his stare traveled to the wound on my arm. “Deja isn’t a doctor, Hennessy. I’m home to let the real physician in. He’s going to look at your arm.”

“Great,” I spat. “Maybe then someone will actually believe what happened to me tonight.”

“It doesn’t matter what you tell him. He’s not on your side.”

“And you are?”

“I wouldn’t be standing here if I wasn’t. I wouldn’t have raised hell to get you into the Graves Academy if I wasn’t.”

“Funny, everyone said it was my grades alone that allowed me to be here. Is that a lie?”

“There’s only so much I can do, Hennessy. Do you understand that?”

I snapped, “Do or say?”

“Is there a difference? I’ve been preparing for your arrival for years.”

“Years? No fastidies,” I sneered. “Don’t irritate me.” Gathering my sanity, I didn’t resist what I’d been holding in since I moved in, if you could even call it that. “Now that’s a bag of bullshit, and you know it! You want me here, you say? You’ve been preparing for me? That’s why there’s no Peruvian food here for me, I don’t see any lomo being made or ceviche, no anticuchos, no pollo a la brasa, nada!” I screamed all my favorite cuisines. “No juane or yuca, no tamales or Sublimes, King Kongs or alfajores! There isn’t shit for me to eat here! There’s also nothing to drink but water! Not even a damn Inca Kola! There’s no family or community, no dinners or breakfasts together! Nothing! I’m just alone! Why did you bring me here for me to be lonely all the time? I have no friends! None of my plants or animals! It’s just these walls that hold more secrets than the fucking Vatican!”

“Niña, no me hables así. En esta casa me respetas. ¿Entendido?”

“Right now, I’ll talk to you any way I damn well please! Where is my respect? You don’t want me here, and I just want to hear you admit it! All you wanted was to get back in our family’s good graces. You’re using me, but that’s just the beginning. There’s so much more I don’t know, and no one will tell me!”

“Hennessy—”

“Look at my arm, Tío! Look at what happened to me tonight! I was hunted through the woods like a witch on trial! And then, a man didn’t burn me at the stake. No, he smeared our blood together in some sick demonic ritual, and you’re not batting an eye about it! Is that why I need to see your doctor?”

He didn’t get to react. The doorbell rang, loud and clear, interrupting us. He turned to answer it, but at the last second, he reached into the pocket of his slacks and pulled out my grandmother's protection bracelet. Except it wasn’t broken anymore. It was perfectly intact as he handed it to me.

“Did you fix this? It snapped in half.”

After I grabbed it, he started walking toward the door. “I’m going to let the doctor in.”

I didn’t back down. “You’re lying to me by not telling me what is going on. You know that, right? My mother would be devastated if I called her and told her what was happening to me. You know that too, right? I can bring this whole plan down with one phone call to her.”

He faced me. “If you were going to make that call, you would’ve already.”

“Don’t threaten me, Tío.”

“It’s not a threat, mi niña.”

“You don’t⁠—”

“You haven’t made that call because deep down you know you’re the only one who holds the truth.”

“To what?”

“To your future. You’re just hoping someone’s going to prove you wrong about it.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

The doorbell rang again.

“You want to call your mom and tell her, I’ll hand you my phone, but she doesn’t have any answers for you. No more than I do.”

“Then who does? How about you guide me in that direction?”

“You already know the answer to that too.”

“Yeah, well, the Devereauxs aren’t telling me shit either.”

“You have all the answers, Hennessy.”

He walked toward the door again. Over his shoulder, he added, “You just haven’t realized it yet.”

Two things happened the following morning when I woke up. One, all the stuff I threw in his face about my food, snacks, and drink was in the kitchen, perfectly placed in the huge pantry and enormous fridge as if they’d been there this entire time.

The second was far more alarming…

All the proof I had on my cell phone was gone.

Chapter

Eighteen

Onyx: You cannot change what you refuse to confront.

I followed Hennessy again that morning of All Hallows’ Eve. She didn’t know I was behind her. For the past month, in my free time, I stalked her through the woods, to and from school, even on campus and wherever else she thought she was alone.

I don’t know what happened, maybe I was lonely or maybe I just wanted to test fate, but Belladonna’s poison had infected my blood without one fucking kiss. It was actually insulting how easy this girl stirred through my vein’s.

Day after day, I thought of nothing but her. She put a spell on me and I didn’t put up a fight for one second of it. Instead, I leaned into, seeing where it would take ahold.

During that time, I learned everything there was about her. What made her smile, laugh, cry… how much she loved to dance to her Peruvian music under the night sky. The way she fed all the birds every day, making the crows shit all over our estates. The songs she listened to, the same ones she hummed out loud.

The mythological, folklore books she read, the magazines she’d skim. She was quite the researcher. I studied the rituals she repeated every day. She loved talking to Mother Nature and would often have conversations with her outside by herself. The birds loved her as much as the wild animals did. She fed raccoons, squirrels, and deer. I swear, I saw her trying to make friends with the wolves, coyotes, and bears.

The girl had no fear.

She spent most of her time outside, reading in the trees. I learned her habits, her mannerisms, the way she giggled just right. She was easy prey, never knowing I was there. Stalking her quickly became one of my favorite things to do. She was fascinating, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to her. There was only one person she reminded me of, especially when she watered all the plants on the property.

She actually told the staff she could do it. She had a smile on her face every single time. It was her peace. It was crazy how much she knew about them, taking pride in each new leaf that grew from her nurturing hands.

Even then, as I watched her on my computer screen in my bedroom suite, she was swimming in the pool most nights. She’d take a quick dip, coming in all hot and sweaty from dancing outside. Her white bathing suit clung to her body in all the right places, with her tan skin radiating off the moonlight.

She looked like a goddess.

I also caught her swimming in the river behind the estate a couple of times. She wasn’t scared of what might lurk beneath the glossy dark water. She even added a fucking tire swing she found in the garage. She was quite the little swimmer and tree climber.

Her bedroom floor was covered with books upon books of information on mythology and occult history. She was proving to be quite the little witch indeed.

I never interrupted what she was doing. That wasn’t the point. When she had first arrived, she was a job like every other one I was ordered to take on. Somewhere along the way, between learning who she was inside and out, I got addicted to her. I was looking forward to the next time I’d be able to follow her without her knowing.

You’d be surprised what you could learn about someone by just observing. I believe it was better than asking questions. People lied. This didn’t give her a chance to, and I conjured up my own conclusions about her. I was never wrong, having her right where I wanted her.

She craved me as much as I did her.

It was becoming harder not to feel possessive over her. The pressure to keep her at arm’s length no longer existed.

Now it was time to work my way in…

It was late by the time I walked into the Halloween party the next night. I was dressed as a Huntsman, with my crossbow slung over my shoulder.

The Legacy Council was doing what they did best on this night: sacrifice. It was a full moon, one of the most powerful evenings of the year for rituals. I didn’t partake. I wasn’t asked to. They knew what today signified for me. Having to numb my mind was the only thing on my itinerary tonight.

The demons were hanging off my back, heavy, demanding, and loud as fuck.

Shaking off the thought, I wasn’t much for dressing up. This was the extent of my costume: black slacks and a black button-up I often wore. If it weren’t for my crossbow artillery strapped across my chest, you wouldn’t know what I was. It was the only thing I needed to fit the part.

On top of stalking my pretty poison for the past month, my schedule was packed with class every day from morning until afternoon. Then I had fencing practice for two hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I had two hours of crossbow training in the evenings.

On Saturday mornings, I was either at a fencing tournament, practice, or crossbow conditioning later in the day, particularly for the Brotherhood events. Sundays, I spent my time with the Brotherhood. It was meetings in the evening and everything that entailed.

It was how I remained the best in our university division. If I was going to do something, then I was going to be number one, end of story. All I ever wanted was to make a life for myself out of the Graves and the Brotherhood, but the older I got, the less that became my reality.

It was what I’d worked so hard for, determined to make it happen for myself no matter what. It didn’t feel like a sacrifice to miss out on the normal stuff guys my age were doing. Once I understood who I was and what steps I had to take, I used both sports as an outlet, focusing my anger on my opponent rather than my family legacy.

To me, that was enough.

Tonight was Halloween, marking fourteen years of my own personal hell. I hadn’t seen much of Hennessy, but that soon would change. I’d been preparing for it.

All I wanted to do tonight was forget, whether it was with booze, drugs, or pussy, but preferably all three at once. I fucking hated parties. I was trying to distract myself from my worst enemy.

Me.

I wasn’t much for drinking and drugs. I hated being out of control. Tonight was different, though. It was the one night of the year when I didn’t give a shit about anything other than wanting to forget by any means necessary.

The house was packed with Academy students, drinking and acting a fool. The Hawthornes always put on one hell of a Halloween party. It was their yearly event. Caspian was always the life of the party. He was quite the ladies’ man. We all were. Pussy was thrown at us on a daily basis, making it far too easy to get my dick wet.

Another reason I liked the chase…

Speaking of hunting, my mind didn’t steer from my Hennessy, and like liquor, they were both bad for me. I knew her every track, her every routine, every place she liked to disappear. I knew her eating habits, when she showered and when she slept. There wasn’t anything I didn’t know about her anymore. I studied her, watched her. Her thoughts weren’t even hidden from me. I knew it all.

I shoved away my own reckless ones, knowing my sister was somewhere at this party stirring up trouble I’d probably have to save her from. Getting back at the family was what she did best.

The party was just how I expected it to be. The place was crowded, alcohol flowed freely, and music blared throughout the estate. As the night progressed, people started scattering everywhere. The manor was bursting at the seams, both inside and out.

All the colorful lights danced in sync to the music blaring from the speakers, filling the night air with a mix of house and top 40. Some people were playing pool or shooting darts while others were in the pool or the hot tub. Women walked around wearing next to nothing.

Then there was me and the Brotherhood, snorting lines of cocaine, and smoking weed and cigarettes while chicks found our cocks to grind on to the beat of the music. I made my rounds, flirting it up, gaining potential pussy, all while avoiding the chicks who I’d already had the pleasure of pissing off.

The place was stocked with liquor, beer, and food. An endless supply of whatever your poison might be. Again, Hennessy flashed before my eyes, and the more I drank, getting lost in drugs, the harder it was to push her out of my thoughts.

One thing was for sure: this party was a free-for-all.

“This is some good shit,” one of the brothers hollered, snorting a huge rail off the hand mirror in his hand before passing me the blunt.

We were sitting on one of the couches in the game room with the coffee table in front of us, lined with mountains of cocaine and stocks of pills of all sorts. People were walking around everywhere, smoking weed, popping pills, fucking out in the open, all while kicking back an obscene amount of booze.

We were all on the same page, wanting nothing more than to just forget. Everyone was always running from something, especially in this town.

Most of the women showed up half-naked, dancing on poles, brothers, and each other. It was just the way the wealthy loved to party. The seedier the better. There wasn’t anything money couldn’t buy you or buy you out of, including murder, and I learned that fourteen years ago that day.

I placed the blunt in my mouth, sucking in long and hard, holding the smoke in for as long as I could. It was when I noticed it was laced with something that I started to see trails. The guilt was eating me alive.

As the night continued, so did the usual festivities. I was Onyx Devereaux, putting on a good show.

It was one thing after another lately. The Brotherhood, my dad, and now Hennessy. Everything was a fucking mess. The walls were closing in, and I had no way out. The demons never left me alone. My companions, always sitting right next to me, waiting for the turmoil of more devastation to take over.

More lives, more blood, more death.

Sacrifice.

I blinked, finding myself out back in the grotto, hidden behind the pool and its massive rocks. It was designed that way. I desperately tried to forget, but nothing was working.

The pain was still alive, bleeding right out of me, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. I did another line, leaning back into the couch cushions and letting the blow take over. I watched the colored lights dance around the sky.

The distinct taste of the drip from the blow ran down the back of my throat, but I chased it down with a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 10-year bourbon.

“Hey, Onyx,” some blonde with big tits purred, making herself at home on my lap. She brought her brunette friend with her to sit down next to me.

“I’m Bunny, and this is Penelope,” the blonde informed me, seductively biting her lip and twirling her finger in her hair. She grazed her perfectly manicured finger along her friend’s breasts. “Penelope forgot to put on a bra tonight.” Slightly pulling down her friend’s skintight dress, she exposed a perfectly round nipple before circling her finger around it, making it hard. “She also forgot to wear panties.”

The brunette spread her legs open on cue, propping her one stiletto heel on the table beside us.

“How about Penelope and I show you a good time?” the blonde whispered in my ear, sucking my lobe into her mouth, then flicking it with her tongue.

Her friend looked up at me with piercing bright blue eyes, licking her lips.

Baiting me.

“What makes you think I’m not already having one?” I never took my eyes off the brunette who was eye-fucking the shit out of me.

“You’re sitting here all alone. We figured you could use some company,” the blonde responded, kissing along my jaw.

I already forgot their names.

Taking the cocaine vial out of her bra, she twisted off the cap, tapping it on her friend’s chest. Instantly leaning back, I enjoyed the show, waiting for their next move.

“Ladies, first,” I murmured, gesturing to them.

The blonde nodded, leaned forward, and snorted it right off her friend, and I followed suit. I spent the next hour in a drug-induced blur, watching the two of them dance for me on the poles in the corner of the grotto.

They were grinding on each other, taking turns hanging upside down with their legs out in splits, tongue fucking the shit out of each other’s pussies. Brothers stood around hooting and hollering, throwing bills at them. Twenties, hundreds, it didn’t matter. Money never did. They were enjoying the show.

The blue-eyed brunette came strutting over to me, naked in all her glory. A green light illuminated her curvy frame, showing me the woods and reminding me of Hennessy.

I quickly shook off the sentiment, trying to focus through the fog that was my mind while she straddled my lap backward. I didn’t hesitate. I pulled her back into my chest, nipping at her neck as she swayed her hips to the sultry beat of the music. Grinding her ass into my cock, over and over again.

Before I knew what was happening, the blonde was kneeling between her thighs, lapping at her. The music blared through the house, thumping against the walls, vibrating on my back.

Usually, guys in my current state couldn’t perform when they were as fucked up as I was, but I was a lucky bastard. Drugs and alcohol only made me hard as hell.

“Fuck each other,” I ordered in a low-pitched tone. “Get nice and wet for me.”

They crawled their way to each other, sitting up on their knees in the center, devouring each other. Their tongues were taking what the other wanted, as their hands glided in sync down their bodies. They were moaning into one another’s mouths, causing my cock to twitch and throb against the zipper of my slacks.

They never took their eyes off me as they finger fucked each other. I reached down, fumbling to unbuckle my pants, pulling out my cock, and jerking it off. Enjoying the goddamn show with hazy, hooded eyes, I stroked my cock harder the closer they got to coming.

“Come here,” I demanded, nodding toward the brunette and never letting up on stroking my dick.

I didn’t give a shit if people were watching. It wouldn’t be the first time and probably not the last. She happily obliged, leaving her friend. Crawling over to me, she got up on her knees. I gripped the back of her hair by the nape of her neck, forcefully tugging it back when she leaned in to kiss me. 

We weren’t kissing.

She was going to suck my dick.

Plain and simple.

A moan escaped her mouth, confirming she liked it rough. I dragged her down, moving her to face my cock, shoving it to the back of her throat until she gagged. She never stopped sucking. I grabbed on tighter, bobbing her head the way I liked.

“Arghhh…” I groaned out, nodding to the chick. “Put my balls in your mouth. Show me how much you want to suck my dick, and maybe I’ll let you.”

She grinned, licking from my taint to my balls, sucking one into her mouth and humming, while the brunette sucked my dick like she had something to prove. Her sloppy, wet mouth felt amazing. The blonde stuck out her tongue and licked up my balls to my shaft, while the brunette sucked on the head of my dick. I gripped the sides of her face, thrusting it into the back of her throat.

I fucked her face for a few seconds, wanting to feel the back of her mouth.

I pulled it out with a pop, and she gasped for air.

“Good girl,” I growled in a low, rumbling tone.

Despite being hard, I couldn’t get off. Maybe it was the drugs. It was only when I stared up at the sky, envisioning Hennessy, that I started to feel the desire to come. However, before I could relax enough, something from the corner of my eye caught my attention.

She was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood…

Now she was really going to see how big my teeth were.

Chapter

Nineteen

Onyx: Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it.

Tucking my cock back into my slacks, I ignored their desperate pleas. Leaving them alone, I found someone far more entertaining to whet my appetite.

Making my way to her, Caspian stopped me. “Hey,” he greeted. “You made it.” He smiled in a shit-eating way, fully aware of who had my complete focus. He nodded to her, dancing on the bar. “Did you tell her to wear that for you?” he taunted, whispering in my ear from behind me. “Much easier to chase if she’s wearing red.”

All I could do was stand there in disbelief, mesmerized by the way she rocked her hips. The song “Jamaican Bam Bam” was playing, remixed by the house DJ. It was one of my favorites.

She danced in a way that no other girl was, and I wasn’t the only one captivated by her. The entire room was. They were all watching the way she effortlessly moved her body, screaming sex without even trying. She wasn’t showing off or pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She got lost in the music like she always did when she was by herself, or so she thought.

This time, she wasn’t just dancing for me unknowingly. Now she was dancing for everyone, and I fucking hated that. Frozen in the spot I stood, I watched her from across the wide-open space. I was still outside, and she was in one of the living rooms. It had the main dance floor beside the bar, next to the DJ booth.

It wasn’t until a few guys began tugging on the pleat of her skirt that my patience snapped. The anger I’d been trying to hold back all night, numbing it with liquor, drugs, and pussy decided to explode, and within the blink of an eye, I felt stone-cold sober.

She started shaking her ass above them with her cheeks full on display for all to see. In an instant, I saw nothing but fucking red, matching the color of her barely-there costume. It wasn’t until she crouched in front of them, getting close to their face, that I truly lost my shit.

She looked like she was about to kiss one of them, and I sprang into action, hauling ass toward them. They were either too fucked up to realize she was mine or they had a death wish, and I had no problem burying their bodies. It was what I was good at.

“Onyx!” Some chick threw her arms around my neck. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you!”

Hennessy must have heard my name because her head turned in my direction, jerking back when she saw me coming…

Right. For. Them.

“Onyx,” she coaxed in a wary tone, her hands out in front of her. Subconsciously surrendering to me, she only triggered the beast inside me in a way I’d never experienced before.

“Onyx—”

Within seconds, my hands were around her thighs, pulling her off the bar and throwing her over my shoulder. I’d deal with the guys later, and trust me, I was going to make sure they learned that every action had a consequence, especially when you fucked with what was mine.

“What the hell?” she shrieked, trying to fight me off.

I was beyond the point of reason. She was bringing out this jealousy in me I never knew existed.

“No! Put me down! You’re embarrassing me!” She kicked her legs, flailing. I did the only thing I could. I spanked her ass.

Hard.

She yelped, and I didn’t waste any time. I carried her out back of the estate where no one was around and we were under the full moon, surrounded by trees. I wasn’t going to stop until we were deep in the forest she fucking loved so much.

Any common sense I had seemed to have flown out the damn window with her ass in my face.

“Onyx, you’re being ridiculous! What do you think you’re doing? I wasn’t doing anything wrong! I was just dancing!”

“I know exactly what you were doing,” I replied.

“You can’t do this!” She was panting profusely.

“Yeah? Who’s going to stop me? You?”

“You’re acting like you’re jealous.”

There was no uncertainty in my stride.

“Onyx,” she huffed, pressing her hands on my upper back.

My strong hold tightened behind her knees to keep her locked in place with her ass right in my face.

“You can’t do this! It’s not what you think!”

“Keep telling yourself that. Guys like them fuck whores, Hennessy. They must think pretty highly of you.”

“Wow! Well, you must think pretty highly of me too. Now put me down!”

I spanked her ass again, harder that time.

“What the fuc⁠—”

“You didn’t think I’d notice quite the cock tease you are tonight?”

They said vengeance didn’t make you feel better. It was a lie. I was getting off on this shit.

“It’s not what you think.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Put me down! I want down now!”

“Why would I do that?” I inhaled deeply. “When your sweet little pussy is so close to my mouth?”

“Is this why you’re doing this? To humiliate me? Insult me? Fuck me? Are you for real?”

“Stop pretending you don’t like it.” I spanked her one more time with the same impact. “I can practically taste you on my tongue.”

“Hijo de puta!” she shouted. “Son of a bitch. Put me down now!”

She thrashed around, trying to get away from me. I just wanted to get a rise out of her. It was the sociopath in me.

I slammed her ass down on a tree branch, holding her in place. “I’ll put you where I want you.”

She sat taller, looking me straight in the eyes. “Like you did with those two women in the grotto? News travels fast, asshole.”

Through a vicious tone, I spoke the truth, “It was your lips I felt wrapped around my cock, Hennessy.”

She forcefully shoved me as hard as she could before she pulled her fist back to cold-clock me, and I allowed her to this time.

My head whooshed back as she yelled, “Fuck!” Instantly shaking out her hand, she whined, “I think I broke my hand! What are you? Made of steel?”

I went to grab her before she lost her balance on the branch, but she moved. “Don’t touch me! You made me break my hand!”

I paused, rubbing my jaw back and forth, clenching out, “Let me see.”

“Oh! Now, you care? A second ago, I was just a whore.”

I let out a low laugh, grabbing her injured hand, ordering, “Open and close it for me.”

She reluctantly did as she was told, hissing the entire time. Carefully, I bent her fingers and then slowly flexed her wrist up and down before I cupped her entire hand in mine to form a proper fist.

“You hit like a girl.”

“I am a girl.”

“Fully aware,” I informed. “It’s one of my favorite things about you.”

“One of?” she baited, making me grin.

“If you’re going to come at me like a man,” I explained, “then you need to learn to hit like one.”

She glared at me.

“It’s not broken. It’s just sprained. Your wrist looks better, though.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Keep testing me, and you’ll have a permanent reminder on your ass.”

“So this is how it is now, Onyx? You ignore me, and then when you want, you manhandle me?”

Shrugging, I simply stated, “I could fuck you until you begged me to stop.” I slowly licked my lips. “Would you like that instead?”

“You can’t talk to me like that!”

“So, tell me, Hennessy, how many cocks have been inside you?”

Her chest rose and fell with each word that fell from my lips. “You’re drunk.”

“Among other things.”

“What are you on? Is that why you’re acting like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m yours.”

“You are.” I rubbed the tip of my nose along her neck, inhaling her poisonous, addicting scent.

Her heartbeat pounded profusely. I felt it against my chest. If I wasn’t holding her up, she definitely would have fallen to the ground from the sentiments I was demanding out of her.

“Why are you here, Onyx? What do you want?”

Her breathing hitched, and her lips parted when I started lightly grazing the crease of her inner thigh with the back of my fingers.

“What I’ve always wanted. You. Do you want a piece of me too?”

“Jesus, what did you take?”

“I told you, you’re poisonous for me.”

And just like that…

My resolve fucking shattered.

Neither one of us said anything, and the silence was deafening between us. However, it was the rage that was wreaking havoc in my mind. Whatever was happening between us was almost too much for me to understand.

Other than she was mine to play with, and that was the problem. I wanted more than just an oath to abide by…

I yearned for her body to be beneath mine.

Chapter

Twenty

Onyx: Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

It was becoming obvious I couldn’t stay away from her. The thick black eyeliner on her alluring brown eyes messed with my mind, along with the glossy shine on her pouty lips, making them look bigger than they were.

Her hair was in pigtails, and I couldn’t help but envision gripping them while she was on her knees, completely at my mercy. I groaned at the mere thought. She caught my heady sound. There was no resisting the gravitational pull she had on me, the one we had on each other.

Then she licked her lips, fucking provoking me. My hands didn’t move from her waist, and just to hear her whimper, I gripped a little harder. She gave me what I craved. Hearing her tiny pathetic plea made my cock twitch.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m at a party, Onyx. You know, it’s what people our age do.”

“Deja dress you?”

She looked down at herself. “You don’t like it?”

“I fucking hate it.”

“But I thought you liked to hunt.”

“So you did wear this for me?” Zeroing in on her, I tried to keep my temper in check.

“Don’t I fit the role you want me to play? I obviously do. I’m not the one who threw you over their shoulder, now am I? I’m just trying to fit in, and you just humiliated me again in front of most of the Academy.”

I never expected what happened next. With all her strength, she pushed me away, and I let her. As soon as she was out of my hold, she jumped off the tree branch and started to march her little ass back toward the party.

Before I even knew what I was doing, my feet were moving on their own accord, and she began running from me. I let her run, get as far away from me as she thought she could. I barely kicked up my pace, enjoying the sway of her skirt as it didn’t cover her ass as she ran away from me.

I liked the way her hair was flowing in the wind, the way her legs tore through the grass, the way she couldn’t get away from me fast enough. It was fun, watching her run from me. I enjoyed it far too much.

This was the best show I’d seen all night. There, with my hands in the pockets of my slacks, I walked behind her, never letting her out of my sight.

I mocked into the night, “You shouldn’t run into the woods, Little Red. Didn’t your grandmother warn you against wolves like me? I know she did!”

She quickly clipped to the left. I knew these woods like the back of my hand. Within seconds, I stood in front of her, and she ran straight into my chest.

I barely wavered, but she didn’t have such luck, stumbling to catch her footing with a loud huff, “Ooofff,” knocking all the air out of her lungs.

I growled from deep within my chest, tackling her to the ground. Making her body fall on top of mine, I flipped us over in a second. Her body was now beneath mine, and I caged her in with my arms on either side of her head, holding my body up, but I didn’t care if I was crushing her.

Pleasure came with pain in my world.

She glared at me. “Was that really necessary?”

“You should never run from me unless you’re looking to get hurt.” I leaned in, closing the small distance between us. “I could eat you until there’s nothing left of you. Is that what you want?” Slowly, I rubbed my lips over hers. I barely touched her mouth, but just enough to prove my point that she did want my lips on hers. “My mouth on you?” Back and forth, I brushed my lips along hers as I reached up and grabbed her face.

With my thumbs caressing the soft skin of her cheeks, I dug my own grave when I slammed my mouth onto hers. Words couldn’t describe this moment in time. For a second, it seemed like the world stopped spinning, and it was only us.

Right there, on the grass, with me on top of her, I felt everything. From her lips to her chest to her pussy…

Mine.

Her lips were rough but smooth against mine. Her heartbeat was so fast, I could feel it pounding in my skull, in my bones, in my soul, or whatever was left of it. Trying to follow the movement of my mouth, she slowly parted her lips as I pulled her closer to me as if we already weren’t close enough.

I set the pace for us.

She moaned when my tongue touched her lips, causing this tingling to come alive in the core of my body. As soon as my tongue sought out hers, she was done for. I got lost in the curse that was her scent, her taste, her all-consuming ways.

Another soft moan escaped her mouth, and I kissed her harder.

Faster.

Leaving her breathless and wanting more. Incoherent thoughts ran rampant in my mind. One right after the other, it was a hurricane of confusion, and in its wake was her, standing in the eye of the storm with her in my arms.

I could feel she was fighting the same internal battle I was, but she couldn’t resist me as much as I couldn’t resist her.

“What are you doing to me?” she breathed out against my lips. “I hate you, Onyx. Why are you trying to make me fall for you when you hate me too?”

My phone rang. My father’s ringtone quickly filled the air. It was enough to make me stop and get off her, feeling like a grenade was tossed on top of us. She didn’t move. She just lay there perfectly still.

“Let’s go.”

Her puzzled but aroused stare met mine. “What?”

I grabbed her arm, pulling her up next to me. “I’m driving you home.”

Like the night she danced in the woods for me, she repeated, “Jekyll meet Hyde.”

“Would you prefer me to go on?”

“I don’t know what I want anymore,” she murmured so low I could barely hear her, bowing her head in what I imagined was shame.

Before I knew what I was going to do, I lifted her chin and softly kissed her. Needing her to know she wasn’t my disgrace. She was my weakness, and for a man like me, that was hard to admit. This kiss was more intimate, softer, slower, yet more demanding from her. Gradually, I pulled away, or I was going to claim her right here, right then, out there in the open. Though something told me she’d love that too.

Being fucked in her forest.

“Let’s go,” I rasped against her mouth.

I was shocked she actually listened to me without putting up a fight. She didn’t say a word until we got back to my truck.

“You drive a ’67 Chevy?”

I smiled. “I like classics. She’s one of many.”

She opened the pearl-blue door and stepped inside. “I do too.”

The ride didn’t last long. We were back on the property within ten minutes, and I dropped her off at the gate.

“You’re not going to walk me to my door?”

“Trust me, sweetheart, it won’t be your door I’m walking you to.”

“Suddenly,” she sassed, “you’re a gentleman?”

I smiled. “A gentleman wouldn’t be thinking what I am.”

She eyed me skeptically for a second before biting her bottom lip.

“I’ll tell you what, if you want something from me,” I lured, “just blink twice.”

Being the brat she was, she opened the door, smirking. “You’ll be waiting forever.” With that, she stepped out, and I watched her leave.

Once she walked inside, I drove up to my gate and typed in the code. For the rest of the night, I couldn’t unsee Hennessy lying beneath me or the feel of her mouth on mine.

All I could envision was her at my mercy.

My jaw clenched. I wasn’t a jealous guy, by any means, yet this girl was making me feel like I didn’t know who I was anymore. After I parked in the garage, I made my way inside, deciding to take the back stairs in hopes of avoiding everyone.

It wasn’t in the cards. As soon as I took a step upstairs, my father greeted me from behind. “Onyx, come with me to my office. I need to speak to you.”

“I’m beat. It’s been a long day.”

He didn’t give a shit what I wanted, so reluctantly, I followed him there. I could tell by his composure that whatever he wanted to discuss wasn’t good for me or anyone else.

He spun around. “What do you think you’re doing?”

I stopped dead in my tracks, barely making it into the room. “What do you mean?” I was trying to see how much he already knew.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Onyx. What’s happening between you and the girl?”

I played it off. “What girl?”

He glared at me.

“I’m with a lot of women. You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Onyx…”

“Her name’s Hennessy.”

His eyebrows rose. “Have you slept with her?”

“Since when do you care who I sleep with?”

“Onyx…” he warned in a harsh tone. “You need to follow the rules.”

“And what if I don’t?”

In one stride, he was in my face. “Listen to me, you little shit. Don’t be stupid! Think with your head for once and not your dick.”

I adamantly shook my head. “You don’t even know her.”

“Onyx, I won’t tell you again!”

“Fuck you!”

Before the last word left my mouth, his fist was in the side of my face. I stumbled a bit, quickly catching my footing.

“Don’t you ever talk to me like that again!” He turned and left, leaving me standing there with my hand on my jaw, moving it all around.

I watched him leave, resisting the urge to hit him back. I could literally kill the man with my bare hands. Though the truth was, in the end, it wasn’t my dad who terrified me.

It was the feelings I was developing for her that kept me up at night.

Chapter

Twenty-One

Onyx: When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you.

From the moment I walked into the Legacy Council chamber, the same chamber that we were initiated in. This wasn’t going to be a conversation, that much I did know. I had a hell of a morning, beating the fuck out of the guys who were trying to fuck Hennessy. My knuckles were still raw and bloody.

The Legacy Council were all wearing their black cloaks, which concealed their entire bodies, along with their masks, which covered their faces. There was no indication of who was behind each one, which was the point of all this. They were supposed to be intimidating, but to me, they were just wasting my fucking time.

The faint glow of candlelight caught against each of the sacred crests behind us, representing each family legacy. The council was up in their chamber while I was on the floor below them, resembling a jury as I was on trial.

I stopped when I was in the center of the room for all to see, to investigate and pull apart.

“Onyx Devereaux,” one of the councilmen announced, echoing my name off the ceramic walls.

Keeping my face expressionless, I replied, “Council, to what do I owe the honor?”

“You have been called before the council, and this is how you decide to dress?” the same voice inquired.

I was wearing my usual attire, a black hoodie and jeans with my boots.

“I wasn’t aware of the dress code.”

“Your brazenness isn’t why you’ve been called before the council.” There was nothing but silence until the same voice informed, “You were warned by your father, were you not?”

“Mm-hmm…”

“Onyx Devereaux, use your words.”

I stayed quiet.

“This is the council. Let me remind you that you will answer when you are addressed and your answers will be clear. Do you understand?”

I nodded. “Yes, my father warned me.”

“Yet you continued this affair.”

“Affair?” I chuckled. “I haven’t fucked her.”

“You’re out of line!” one of them shouted. “You will show this council the respect that is owed!”

My eyes lifted toward the voice. “Then perhaps you need to learn the definition of affair. I’m just spitting facts. I haven’t fucked her.”

Another second of silence before the same voice called out, “You kissed her.”

“Yes, that I did.”

“You were warned not to.”

“Yes.”

“And you did it anyway?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, bored already. “Yes.” I grinned. “And before you ask, it’s because I wanted to, so I did.”

The utter silence was deafening. I could hear it deep down into my bones.

“You chose to disobey an order from a council member, is that correct?”

I cocked my head to the side. “Yes, we just established that.”

“You find this amusing?”

I shook my head. “No. Again, I’m just laying out the facts like any good member of the Brotherhood would.”

“You seem to forget who you’re speaking to. The council does not tolerate defiance. You’re forgetting your blood oath to your Brotherhood.”

“No, I remember every word of it perfectly.”

“Then how about you remind us what you swore?”

I sighed. “Speak No Claim, Hear No Promises, See No Temptation.”

“But you’ve managed to forget all three for one girl, correct?”

“I didn’t forget. I made a choice.”

“A choice that goes against what you swore, and you show no remorse.”

“No,” I agreed. “I don’t have any regret for what I did.”

“You stand before the council and admit that?”

“You asked me a question. I answered it.”

“Will you do it again? Kiss her?”

I shrugged. “If I want to.”

“And what gives you the right to disregard what you’re ordered?”

“I kissed a girl. It’s not that deep.”

“You were forbidden to.”

“If that’s what you want to call it.”

A new voice scowled, “You will be punished!”

I jerked back. “For a kiss?”

“The verdict for you voluntarily and knowingly defying your councils’ orders and warnings is the punishment of lashes of correction.”

I didn’t say a word.

“Ten,” another voice added.

That time, I didn’t hesitate. “And if I refuse?”

“Then you will learn the punishment for challenging your council instead of just disobeying it.”

Before I could object again, the doors opened, and two men entered. Unlike the Brotherhood, they wore pressed black shirts, trousers, and leather gloves. No mask hid their faces. They wanted me to see who was going to torture me to degrade me, causing me to bow at their feet.

One was holding a cat-o’-nine-tails, the other a wooden restraint board. It was low to the ground, designed for me to lay my chest, face, and arms on while extending my arms above my head to lock them into the holes so that I couldn’t escape or move.

“Take off your clothes from the waist up, then get on your knees, Onyx Devereaux.”

This wasn’t the first time I went against the council, but it was the first time it’d been for something like this. Never for a woman.

Although it went against everything I believed in, I surrendered, mostly to end this bullshit trial. Slowly, I slid off my hoodie and shirt, tossing it aside before lowering my knees onto the board.

“Chest down and arms up,” the same voice ordered.

I did as I was told. After they secured my wrists through the openings at the top of the board, they tested the restraints.

“Comfortable?” a new voice mocked, recognizing it was my father.

“Like a pig in shit.”

Thinking I’d cower, my father tried one last time, “Last chance, do you regret your actions on kissing the girl?”

He didn’t use her name on purpose, knowing it would piss me off. I could’ve lied. It’d been easy too. All it took was one word, one apology, and I’d receive mercy.

I didn’t, because fuck that shit.

Instead, I chose the hard way and responded, “No.”

I heard the whip rise, whizzing through the air.

Crack!

The first lash tore across my back, and my entire body jerked against the restraints as I sucked in a sharp breath, refusing to give them any satisfaction. They were a bunch of fucking voyeurs and sadists. They were getting off on this shit.

“One,” my father remarked in a cold, detached tone.

He didn’t give a shit what they were doing to me, under the delusion that I deserved it.

Crack!

Heat spread across my skin.

“Two.”

They wanted me to understand that every decision came with a price. I wasn’t allowed to think for myself. When they were halfway through, my skin was broken open, and I felt the blood dripping down my back.

Crack!

“Still believe it’s not that deep?” my father taunted.

“Yeah,” I stated, my voice came out strained. “I do.”

The next lash came down with such force I thought I was going to pass the fuck out.

“Six,” a new voice counted.

“You can stop this,” my father coaxed out of nowhere. Maybe he was starting to feel bad. “Just apologize and beg for mercy.”

Without missing a beat, I clenched out, “Is that all you got for me?”

Crack!

“Seven.”

I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood.

Crack!

“Eight.”

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The room began spinning, and everything started to slow down, the chamber getting darker by the second. I blinked, and the room tilted to its side.

Crack!

“Nine.”

My stomach roiled. The world was hazy, and I found refuge in that. Until finally…

Crack!

“Ten.”

I fought with the desire to tell them to fuck off, but my body had gone numb as the room spun in crazy, fast circles. I caught a glimpse of the council as the men opened the lock, gripping my arms to stand me up. I tried to find my bearings.

One right after the other.

It was no use. My breath disappeared, and darkness immediately took over. I passed the fuck out.

And only then did I find any peace.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Onyx: If you expect the world to be fair with you because you are fair, you’re fooling yourself. That’s like expecting the lion not to eat you because you didn’t eat him.

“This is fucking bullshit!”

I came to with Deja screaming.

“Look at him! Just look at him, Caspian!”

My eyes fluttered open, groaning to wake up.

“How could you let this happen?” she asked him.

“I’m not his keeper, Deja.”

“No, but I thought you were his best friend!”

“Deja…” I grumbled, shaking my head. Blinking a few times, I tried to find her.

Slowly, the room came into focus for me.

“Enough,” I added.

“Enough?” she spewed. “Just wait until you see what they did to you!”

“I was there. I’m fully aware, Deja.”

Her eyes widened. “You voluntarily went through this?”

I didn’t reply, too exhausted.

“Oh. My. God! What the fuck is wrong with all of you? You seriously need to get your head examined because this is not okay! Do you understand me? They could’ve killed you, and then you would’ve left me all alone in this fucked-up world, asshole!”

I chuckled, trying to sit up. “I love you too.”

She rolled her eyes, inhaling a deep breath. In three strides, she was trying to help me, but I shoved her hands away.

“Okay, Macho Man, at least drink some of this water.”

I leaned against the headboard of my bed, hissing upon contact. She placed the straw in my mouth, and I gulped down half the bottle. Dehydrated was an understatement.

Once I finished, I eased her worry. “I’m fine.”

“Fine?” she argued. “You look like you just stepped out of a Medieval Dungeon.”

“Great, I’ll add it to my résumé.”

“This is not fucking funny, Onyx! It’s not funny at all, and the fact that you’re treating it as a joke is just as disturbing!”

I sighed, leaning my head back. “Can you stop fucking screaming at me? My head is pounding.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “You weren’t even conscious when they dragged you in here, not even when the doctor fixed you up.”

“I didn’t need a doctor. You couldn’t stitch me up.”

Her eyes went wide. “I almost passed out when I saw your back, Onyx.”

Caspian chimed in, “Eh, I’ve seen worse.”

She glared at him while he smiled at me.

“Would you like me to bring you a nurse?” he implied.

“First off.” She pointed right at Caspian. “You’re a fucking idiot! And second off.” She pointed right at me now. “You need to stop proving whatever the hell you think you are before you get fucking killed!”

“They’re not going to kill, Deja,” I countered. “I’m a legacy.”

“That’s never stopped them before.”

“Deja—”

“Don’t Deja me! You cannot talk your way out of this one, Onyx. What happened? Why did they do this to you? What did you do?”

I stared at the ceiling, debating what to share with her. “I kissed someone.”

Her face fell. “You what? Since when do you kiss anyone, and why does that matter?”

“It matters because of who she is.”

Her eyes narrowed in on me. “Hennessy?”

I looked at her.

“They did this because you kissed Hennessy? And the council knew?”

“That’s why they called me in.”

“So they fucking whipped you for that?”

I stared at her.

“You took a lashing for this girl?”

Again, I just stared at her.

“What. In. The. 1800s. Did I just walk into?”

“Deja—”

“No! You lost privileges to speak now!” She sat beside me on the bed, grabbing my hand. “You need to listen to me… okay? Promise me you’re going to listen.”

“I can’t listen if I’m talking to you.”

She growled in frustration. “You need to stay away from her. You getting beat to death is not on the itinerary, okay?”

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Dramatic?” She threw my hand at me. “Fuck. You. Onyx!”

“You really need to work on your bedside manner, little sister.”

She abruptly stood. “I’m so done with you!” She pointed at Caspian again. “And especially you!”

He held his arms in the air. “What the fuck did I do?”

“Nothing! You did exactly nothing, and now my brother looks like Frankenstein!”

He gestured to me. “Oh, come on, he’s never looked better. He’ll have all these wicked scars now. Chicks love that shit.”

Her mouth dropped open. “He’s been unconscious for thirty-six hours, you dick!”

He shrugged, gesturing to me again. “And look, now he’s awake.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped my throat.

Deja flung around, seething at me, “Are you laughing? You think this is a joke?”

“You standing here yelling at me isn’t helping me heal, dear sister.”

She chuckled despite herself. “You two are unbelievable.”

“See…” Caspian remarked, “You’re laughing. Chicks dig scars.”

“Caspian!” she chastised.

“What?” he grumbled. “I’m trying to find the silver lining.”

“Which is what?”

He beamed, glancing at me with a dumbass expression. “Our boy’s got his first crush…” In a high-pitched tone, he bit, “It’s so cute…”

“You both are fucking idiots!” With that, she spun around and left.

“Finally,” I breathed out when she slammed the door behind her.

His demeanor changed abruptly, and Caspian sighed. “She’s got a point, though.”

“If you’re going to ride my ass too, there’s the door.”

He dramatically set his hand on his chest. “After everything I did for you?”

As if on cue, there was a knock on my door.

“And there’s your nurse now.”

I arched an eyebrow.

“You may enter!” he called out.

The person I least expected walked through the door.

“Special delivery.” Caspian smiled wide, gesturing to her. “Your Amazon Princess, motherfucker. You’re welcome.”

If I weren’t already sitting down, this might’ve knocked me on my ass.

Hennessy

When Caspian called me last night, I was confused about how he got my number, but that quickly changed as soon as he announced, “Onyx is unconscious.”

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. “What happened?”

“He was punished.”

“What do you mean? What did he do?”

“Well, for starters, he’s lost his mind over you.”

“Over me?” I exclaimed, surprised.

“That’s what I said.”

Feeling instantly defensive, I asked, “What did I do?”

“You’re here,” was all she stated.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that my boy is going to get his dick chopped off if he doesn’t keep it in his pants for you.”

“Excuse me?”

“No, you’re not excused. It’s actually your fault he’s in this situation in the first place.”

“My fault?” I thought back to the reason for his call. “Is he okay?”

“He’ll be fine physically, not too sure about mentally and emotionally. He’s gone soft in the head for you.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Like you don’t already know.”

“Know what?”

“That he's going to want to see you when he wakes up.”

“Is he in the hospital?”

“Of course not, he’s next door to you, tucked away in his bed.”

I frowned. “But I thought you said he’s unconscious?”

“He is.”

“Then why isn’t he at the hospital?”

“Too many questions.”

“And that’s one thing about your Brotherhood, huh? No questions allowed.”

“I didn’t call you to hear your shit, Hennessy. I called you because Onyx is the only brother I’ve ever had, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen him take a lashing for anyone.”

I gasped. “A lashing?”

“Are you a fucking parrot? Yes, a lashing.”

“Ay dios mío.”

“Yeah, no fucking shit. You’re going to have to call all your gods on this one, Amazon Princess. Your man is going to need the protection.”

“Against whom?”

“You.”

“Me?” I winced.

“Yeah, your little kiss cost him forty stitches.”

I gasped again.

“From ten lashes.”

I had to sit, trying to catch my bearings. My heart was pounding out of my chest, especially when he added…

“One for every sin.”

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Hennessy: The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.

For the first time, I laid aside my stubbornness and actually cooked the food my uncle had bought me a month ago. From scratch, I prepared Onyx an Aguadito De Pollo. A hearty chicken soup to help him heal faster. Grabbing some lemon from the fridge, I poured the soup into a Tupperware and grabbed a spoon and a fork for him.

On my way out the door, I grabbed two Inca Kolas from the drink fridge. I packed it all in a heated lunch box, wanting the soup to stay as warm as possible as I made my way to his room.

To my shock, my uncle stopped me.

“Where are you going?” he questioned.

I didn’t stop. “Out.”

“Hennessy, you need to stay away from him.”

Now that stopped me dead in my tracks, snapping around. “It’s none of your business.”

“Try again.”

Reluctantly, I gave in. “It’s just soup.”

“It’s not just soup, and you know it as much as I do.”

“Tío—”

“You’re playing with fire, and he already got burned for you.”

“Don’t you mean lashed for me?” I didn’t hesitate. “Which is exactly why I’m bringing him this soup.”

“You’re not just bringing it. You made it for him.”

“Yeah, and I filled it with affirmations. Would you like me to tell you what spell I used for healing?”

“Hennessy…”

“You can’t stop me from visiting a friend.”

“Onyx doesn’t have friends outside of the Brotherhood.”

It was the first time he acknowledged he knew about them.

“And what exactly is the Brotherhood? Do you know what the first two initials mean?”

He thought about it for a second, admitting, “Blood Oath, Hennessy. That’s what they mean.”

My mind snapped back to the moment the man with the dagger mixed our blood and then to Deja asking me if he said anything as he performed it.

Did he perform a blood oath on me?

I must’ve made an expression. Tío noticed and made a face, but I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.

“So B.O.B. stands for Blood Oath Brotherhood?”

He merely nodded.

“Is that who lashed him?” I searched his stare for more answers, only to come up empty.

Instead of continuing this debate, I spun around and left.

At the last second before I closed the garage door, Tío blessed, “Que Dios te bendiga y vaya contigo, mi niña.” He made the sign of the cross, expressing, “May God bless you and accompany you, my girl.”

I didn’t think anything of it. It was typical to hear when you left your house in Peru. It was usually accompanied by the cross being symbolized on your face, followed by a kiss on your cheek. If it were your direct family, especially your parents or grandparents, then it was more like a thousand kisses, not just one, displayed all over your face.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous on my walk over, mostly because I didn’t know how he’d react to me being there for him. I guess it depended on his mood. My guess was he was on some sort of drugs for the pain, so maybe I’d get the guy from Friday night. However, I was unsure which was worse, Jekyll or Hyde.

Swallowing hard, I used the back stairs to their estate like Caspian told me to, trying to go completely unnoticed. The last thing I wanted to do was answer any more questions or explain why I was there in the first place.

I watched Deja leave his room, slamming the door behind her.

“Great,” I muttered under my breath. “He must be peachy keen.”

Ignoring the anxiety exuding from my pores, I waited until she was gone to make my way to his bedroom. After I knocked, I heard Caspian’s voice, telling me to enter.

Gathering my resolve, I opened the door and came face-to-face with the man who’d taken a lashing for simply kissing me. My heart couldn’t have felt more broken than it did at that moment. I was used to seeing Onyx strong and determined. There, leaning against his headboard and sitting up in his bed, he looked anything but that.

He appeared exhausted despite being knocked out for almost two days.

Finding my voice, I greeted, “Hey.”

Caspian was smiling like a Chester cat, exiting the same way I walked in.

He shut the door behind him, and I resisted the urge to lean against it. Instead, I walked twenty steps to the side of his bed, counting to not lose my nerve.

Meeting his tired eyes, I declared, “I made you some soup.”

His gaze shifted to the container in my hands. I opened it to show him. It was nice and steamy.

“What’s in it?” he questioned.

“It’s aguadito. It’s Peruvian and has chicken, potatoes, a little rice, some cilantro, and healing spices.”

“Healing spices, huh?”

I nodded, not looking at him. Sitting down beside him, I placed the drinks on his nightstand, opening his first and then mine.

“It’s Inca Kola, Peruvian too. Some people say it tastes like pink bubble gum and others say it resembles a banana flavor.”

“What do you think it tastes like?”

I could tell by his tone he was flirting with me.

Still not meeting his intense stare, I shrugged. “Good.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” He went to grab it, hissing when he moved his arm in that direction.

“Here,” I said, holding it instead. “I’ll do it for you.”

Holding the straw to his mouth, he drank a sip.

“What do you think?” I asked when he was done, setting it back down on his nightstand.

“It tastes like candy.”

“You don’t like it?”

“I didn’t say that.” He nodded to the soup in my lap. “Are you going to feed me next?”

I shrugged again. “If you want me to.”

Again, in a flirty tone, he teased, “What did I do to deserve this?”

This time, my gaze connected with his. He looked almost amused, but at the same time endeared by me.

“It’s just food.”

“That you made from scratch for me?”

Like a true Peruvian, I simply stated, “I made enough to feed an army. I can bring you more if you like it.”

Obviously enjoying the attention, he baited, “Did you poison it?”

I smiled. “I guess you won’t know until you try it.”

He joked. “You first.”

I played along, eating a bite off the spoon. Impressed with how great it tasted.

He called me out, “Pleased with yourself?”

“We’ll see.” I scooped another bite with chicken and a piece of potato and fed it to him.

“You keeping me alive?” He grinned.

“Does that mean you like it?”

“I like that you made it.”

I bowed my head, filling another spoonful for him.

“Hennessy.”

I glanced up at him.

“I like it.”

A smiled, not trying to hide it.

For the next fifteen minutes, I fed him as if I were his own private nurse. Once he was finished, I gave him his pain meds that had a big red warning label that stressed not to handle heavy machinery or drive because it causes drowsiness.

Next, I washed the bowls and silverware in the sink at his bar in the corner of the room, then dried them with a towel I threw in his hamper when I was done.

I turned to see his expression had changed. He looked almost alarmed.

“What?” I blurted.

“Nothing, come here.”

Shaking it off, I walked past the back of his computer screen, making my way toward him.

Unable to oppose, I addressed the elephant in the room, “Did you really take a lashing from the Brotherhood because you kissed me?”

“Fucking, Caspian…” he rasped under his breath.

“Then it’s true?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Putting the containers and silverware away in the bag, I pointed out, “It does to me.”

He considered it for a moment. “The damage is done.”

“No, you’re going to scar.”

Scooting down a little on the bed, he alleged, “I’ll just add it to the others.”

“Onyx…” I could tell he was getting tired and sleepy.

“Come here.”

“I am here.”

“No,” he insisted, pulling me to him. “Come here.”

I willingly went, gently laying my head on his chest.

“Better,” he said.

Within seconds, he was passed out cold. I stayed there with him, listening to his soft breathing and the lull of his heartbeat. Somewhere outside, the harsh sound of thunder rolled by before it started to pour. A few of his blinds were shut, but the one from his balcony wasn’t, and I watched the rain cascade down the glass, realizing how close my bedroom was to his.

I instantly wondered if he watched me in my bedroom. He could literally see right over to mine. Somewhere along the way, I began to drift off to sleep myself.

Dreaming of being in his arms…

Except it already became reality.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Onyx: When you’re up, your friends know who you are. When you’re down, you know who your friends are.

Deja roared, “What in the actual fuck?”

Hennessy jumped out of my arms, and I groaned out in agony from her sudden movement.

“Christ, Deja,” I scoffed, trying to lean against the headboard.

I couldn’t believe how sore I was, so I grabbed another pain pill in the process.

“Don’t overdose on those,” Hennessy scolded me. “They’re highly addictive. I can make you something topical for the pain. It’ll numb the wound, but not your body. I can also make you some healing tea.”

I didn’t listen, swallowing two of them with her leftover drink that was warm as shit.

“Until then”—I set the drink down on the nightstand—“this will do.”

“It’s just sangre de grado. It's dragon’s blood resin and will help with the cuts. Copaiba oil will help with soreness. There’s an Amazonian botanical downtown. I can pick it up for⁠—”

“Oh my God!” Deja interrupted. “You both are truly delusional!”

“Deja, if you’re going to keep lecturing me, you know where the door is.”

“Don’t you take that tone with me! You know exactly what I’m talking about. The Brotherhood⁠—”

“Is none of your business.”

“Yeah? Well, your life is my business! Mom wouldn’t⁠—”

With one low growl, I rendered her speechless.

Bowing her head slightly, she corrected, “If Dad would’ve found you two like this, who knows what kind of punishment you’d receive. Do you understand that? You’re lucky he’s out of town. Now let me guess…” She paused, allowing her words to sink in. “Jones said something about the security cameras being out. Did you have something to do with that too?”

“Alfred?” Hennessy announced, trying to follow along.

“Yeah,” Deja replied. “Did you cut the wires so Dad wouldn’t see you with her?”

“No.”

“Then who?”

“I don’t know, Deja. I’ve been unconscious.”

She rolled her eyes, only further testing my temper.

“What time is it?”

“Time for you to get your shit together! Did you not hear a word I said to you this morning? Seriously, are you just allergic to listening?”

“Deja, enough,” I ordered, my body tensing.

Hennessy glanced back and forth between us before grabbing her lunch box and cell phone. “I’m going to go.”

“Deja,” I bit out. “Get out.”

“Onyx—”

“Now!”

She shook her head, backing away. “This is not going to end well, okay? You’re like the modern-day Romeo and Juliet.”

“Romeo and Juliet?” Hennessy caught on, knowing Shakespeare. “Who are the Capulets and who are the Montagues?”

“Does it matter?” Deja clipped.

“Yes.” Hennessy nodded, only looking at her. “The Montagues built their power on loyalty and the Capulets built theirs on fear, so which one are you?”

“That’s the fucked-up part, Hennessy. He was raised to be both.”

“Enough, Deja! Get out!”

“Fine!” she griped. “If you get yourself killed, I will personally bring you back to life just to kick your ass!” Her stare shot to Hennessy. “Will you be able to live with that guilt? You think you can do that? Because let me tell you, I know all about that kind of guilt.”

“Deja, we’re just friends.”

Hearing Hennessy say that to Deja was far worse than the lashing I just took for her.

“Don’t fall in love with him, Hennessy. Not like your⁠—”

“Get the fuck out!” I snapped, groaning from the sudden movement on my back.

Hennessy jolted from my sharp tone while Deja threw another tantrum, mumbling some shit under her breath as she slammed my bedroom door for the second time today.

Hennessy didn’t hesitate. “Not like who?”

I shook my head, lying, “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

“Bullshit.”

I groaned again, feeling the ache in my back. “I don’t have the energy for this.”

She sighed deeply, giving up faster than I thought she would have, but still managing to sass, “That’s a first.”

Using this as the distraction we needed, I changed the subject. “I have something for you.”

“For me?”

“Mm-hmm… help me up.”

“Onyx.” She shook her head. “You can’t get out of bed yet. You need to rest.”

“Either you help me or I’ll do it myself and rip these stitches.”

She slowly made her way over to me, mumbling under her breath. “Eres demasiado terco, no me haces caso de nada de lo que digo.”

“Yeah, yeah, cuss me out later.”

“Hold on, let me get your wheelchair.”

“Fuck the wheelchair.”

I grabbed the cane that was next to it instead, finding it offensive that my father didn’t bother to wait until I woke up to go out of town. I knew none of the staff would tattle. They knew better, but I did wonder who cut off the security.

Caspian?

No, he wouldn’t be that clever.

Her uncle?

No, he wouldn’t be that fucking dumb.

That only left Jones… but why?

After I threw on a hoodie and we put on our shoes, we exited my bedroom. My thoughts ran rampant. It was probably the pain pills. Once we were outside, she tried to stop me, but I refused. Getting in the passenger seat of the golf cart, I nodded for her to drive.

“Where are we going?” she questioned, stepping in to sit.

“You’ll see.”

Arching an eyebrow at me, she coaxed, “Onyx⁠—”

“Just drive.”

Reluctantly, she followed my directions, and I tried like hell to pretend I wasn’t in pain when every inch of my back was throbbing.

Ten minutes later, we were pulling up to what I wanted to show her.

“What is this?”

I didn’t answer. Stepping out of the golf cart, I made my way toward the massive glass structure ahead of us. Hennessy followed me. I could feel her trepidation burning a hole in my back, acting as acid on my wounds.

The moment I opened the door, warm, humid air shot back in my face, carrying the scent of damp earth from the thunderstorm with it. Once I was standing aside, she walked in with wide eyes as soon as she saw what was around her.

“Qué lindo,” she breathed out.

“It is pretty.”

The greenhouse stretched further than we could see, its black iron framework disappearing among all the vines on the ceiling and walls. Plants exploded on every corner along with flowers, ferns, and literally anything under the sun, growing for centuries.

The sun was setting, pouring in through the ornamental stained glass panels with botanical designs. Color spilled everywhere, and I wanted to remember her this way, deep in thought.

Slowly, I leaned against the archway, taking her in. With her messy, wavy bedhead and her pouty pink lips, still slightly swollen from sleep. Her thin cotton tank and jean overalls. She was adorable, looking the part.

There was no taking my eyes off her. I couldn’t, and I didn’t want to. She was breathtakingly beautiful standing there. Her dark hair glowed in the sunlight streaming in.

She looked like a dream.

My dream.

She didn’t turn toward me or even acknowledge I was there for the first few minutes. She was lost in her own little world as she started to wander. Her fingers skimmed the plants, talking to them in Spanish. It was a world I desperately wanted to be a part of.

I gazed at the side of her gorgeous face, willing her to say something, but her eyes remained front and center toward all the gardens and plants while mine remained on her.

I could see it in her eyes. The doubt, the insecurity, the sadness for me. On top of a new emotion that could only be described as caring for someone. All these concerns weighed heavily on my mind.

I had no idea where we went from here. There were so many what-ifs racing through my mind. So many consequences and scenarios that could happen. So many fucking choices that could be right or wrong.

Unable to help myself, I reached over and caressed the side of her face when she was standing beside me, looking at the orchids. She leaned into my embrace like she had been waiting for me to do so since the second we walked in here.

Her eyes closed, melting into my touch.

One thing I was sure of at this moment. I liked her. I liked her a lot. When I was with her, when I was stalking her, when, when, when… there was nowhere else I wanted to be.

“What is this place? Why did you bring me here?”

I glanced around the greenhouse, unsure of how to explain this place to her. I never shared it with anyone. No one knew it was on our estate. That wasn’t the point of this haven.

“I wanted you to see it.”

She opened her eyes, connecting with mine. “It’s beautiful.”

“It used to be better.”

Her eyebrows pinched together. “What do you mean?”

“Some plants are dying.”

“No.” She glanced around for a second before looking back into my eyes. “Whoever is taking care of them has done a good job.”

“I need someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“Is that why you brought me here?”

“Something like that.”

She stepped away, out of my touch, confused. “You want me to care for them?”

I shoved my hands in the pockets of my gym shorts. “You cooked for me. You’re going to make shit for my back.” I shrugged. “It’s yours if you want it.”

“Why me?”

Without thinking, I blurted, “I trust you.”

The statement hung heavy between us before she countered, “Can I trust you?”

I didn’t lie, grinning. “Not a chance in hell.”

She hid a smirk. “Your family won’t appreciate⁠—”

“They don’t have a say. There are no cameras in here or anywhere nearby. Trust me, no one comes in here except for me.”

“This greenhouse is yours, then?”

“No,” I responded.

Before I could think twice about it, I spoke another truth…

“It was my mother’s.”

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Hennessy: Remember: everyone you meet is fighting a mighty battle. Be kind. Be understanding.

“Was?” I blurted.

He nodded.

“Onyx—”

He started walking toward the flower that caught my attention the second I realized it was there. I followed him, my gaze fixated on the delicate purple petals extending off the green stems.

There were so many things I wanted to ask, so many things I still needed to know, but something off-kilter happened. I watched him regress right before my eyes. It was almost like he was in another place and time entirely. He was no longer in that greenhouse with me.

When he didn’t say anything, the silence ate me alive. Witnessing him like this was captivating. His walls were down. He was willingly showing me a part of him I didn’t know existed. If he and his sister had taught me anything, it was that they were both equally involved in a past that wasn’t good by any means.

Something told me his mother was no longer with us, making me think that maybe we had that in common, having only one parent. Where my upbringing was loving, his was filled with nothing but hatred, rules, and trauma.

I couldn’t help but wonder how she passed…

Was she killed? Is that the date on the tree? 10-31-12?

That would’ve made him six years old when it happened. It would also explain why he was so intoxicated on Halloween. My mind was unraveling with an endless stream of theories, one right after the other.

Because I couldn’t contemplate it any longer, I asked about the flower he was utterly consumed with. “You grow belladonna in here?”

“Mm-hmm…”

This wasn’t just planted in here. It’d been there for years.

Reading my mind, he confessed, “My mother planted them.” His gaze remained focused on the flowers. Not looking at me for a second, he was too fixated with whatever was reeling through his mind.

I watched him like you’d watch a car wreck, completely intrigued and terrified with where this was going. Of what I’d see, feel, hear… of what I’d need to process and how it would affect me.

Of how it’d affect us.

“When I was a kid, I remember picking one.” He let out a small laugh, almost to himself. I could tell he was reminiscing about what he was about to share.

I coaxed, “You touched it?”

“I was maybe five, six…” He cocked his head to the side, studying it as if the memory was somewhere hidden in the leaves. “I used to come in here with her every day. She was always so happy in here. She called it her haven, away from my father, the Brotherhood, the town… the fucking Graves.”

“Onyx—”

“It was our time together, away from rules and oaths and blood…”

I listened like he was telling me a bedtime story, and I guess in a way he was.

“On that particular morning, she slapped the belladonna out of my hand, warning me to never touch them again. She made sure I understood just how poisonous they were. Except I never understood how they could be so beautiful… it didn’t make sense how something so beautiful could poison you.”

I frowned.

“I remember she made sure I was listening. Even as a kid, I was a little shit, always trying to be independent, but Deja would never leave me alone. She was my shadow. My mother always harped about how much Deja looked up to me. She used to say I was her hero… our father, he’s never been an affectionate man. He’s always been hard on us, more so on me, but Deja has the shoes she has to fill.”

“What do you mean?”

Still not looking my way, he replied, “She’s promised to a man she’s never met.”

My eyes went wide. “Excuse me?”

That was enough to break the spell he was under. Shifting his stare to me, he stated, “On her twenty-first birthday, she’ll meet him for the first time.”

“Oh my God… is he a Brotherho⁠—”

“The Devereauxs wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I firmly shook my head, adamantly arguing, “No, Onyx. You’re not like them.”

“You’re right. I’m worse.”

“That’s not⁠—”

“My mother made sure I knew that some of the most dangerous things in the world didn’t look dangerous at all.”

Something about the way he said that made me extremely sad for him. Everything he was telling me was devastating.

Poor Deja.

I couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to have to marry someone for anything other than love.

“When I asked her why she would grow something so poisonous in here, especially if it could hurt her…” His jaw clenched, swallowing hard for a second. “She said it didn’t matter how dangerous something is. Knowing that it’s harmful didn’t mean you had to fear it. It just meant you had to respect it.” He reached down, stopping his fingers before he grazed the flowers. “Every time I walked past them, any time we watered them, she’d remind me that beautiful things can still kill you, if you let them.” He looked back at the flower. “I didn’t understand what she meant by that…”

Silence.

His gaze flew to me. “Until now.”

“Onyx…”

He tugged on the ends of my hair. “Until you, Hennessy. It’s quite the coincidence you both share the same name.”

There was something different in his expression. Despite confessing something so sweet and kind and so unlike him, he was distant. His walls were already back up. He might have been looking at me, but his mind was still somewhere else entirely.

I faintly smiled, trying to lighten the mood. I gave him the only peace I could.

“Your mother reminds me of someone. Yacumama, it means Mother of Water. There’s an old legend in the Peruvian Amazon about her. She’s a serpent that lives in the rivers and lagoons. She protects the water, but she can also be deadly if you don’t respect her home.” I paused for a moment. “Where I’m from, we’re taught from an early age to respect everything: elders, family, nature, food… We’re raised on honor, respect, and pride, to never forget where we came from.”

He listened to me so intently, and I found that extremely endearing, him wanting to learn about my culture instead of making me adapt to his. It was the first time there was this deeper connection between us. It wasn’t just superficial anymore. We were adding pieces of ourselves to each other. Our souls were now communicating in a way they weren’t before.

“Your mother saw something beautiful and dangerous, and instead of getting rid of it, she taught you to respect it. That’s what mothers do, Onyx. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

He narrowed his eyes at me, nodding slightly. “Different memories, stories, worlds… same warning.”

Needing him to hear this, I reminded, “If you forget everything else she’s ever taught you, just remember she was trying to keep you alive.”

We stayed quiet for a minute, taking one another in, in a way we never have before. I loved everything about this moment, both of us understanding where we came from. It didn’t matter that they were worlds apart. We still managed to find common ground.

And that was very special to me.

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Hennessy: Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

He was the first to break the silence. “I kept everything she left behind. Most of it is in a storage unit. Though this”—he gestured to the greenhouse—“was the only thing we kept of hers on the property. My father got rid of everything else. And quite frankly, he probably would’ve gotten rid of this had he remembered it existed. I don’t even think Deja remembers this place… She was so young.”

“How long has it been here?”

He shrugged. “Forever. It was passed down from the Devereaux wives, but someone else always took care of them. My mother was different. She was the first to take on this place. You should’ve seen it before she got her hands on it. Everything was dead, rotting, even the building.” He looked all around. “Until she brought it back to life.”

“And you kept it for her?”

He softly smiled, placing his hands on the pocket of his hoodie. “I’ve tried.”

Again, there was nothing but silence all around us. You could hear a pin drop.

Then out of nowhere, he ordered, “You need to stop trying to figure me out. You won’t like what you find.”

My eyebrows pinched together.

“Don’t confuse my kindness for an invitation, Hennessy.”

Confused, I questioned, “An invitation to what?”

“To get too close to me.”

“You’re the one who brought me here.”

“I know.”

“Then stop making it so easy to want to get to know you. We’re friends, Onyx.”

“Friends, huh?”

I was about to reply, but the air was immediately knocked out of me from the impact of his mouth on mine. It was almost like he was trying to prove something to me.

He didn’t falter, parting his lips, beckoning me to follow, and I did. His hands were on the sides of my face, pushing me back until I felt the wood where the belladonna flowers lay.

Ignoring the sting I knew he felt from his back, he lifted me onto the edge. The belladonna was now inches away from us. With his hands on me, it was the scariest, most liberating feeling I’d ever felt. Like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, looking down, ready to jump. Not caring if there would be land or water beneath me.

My mind scrambled with thoughts and emotions I couldn’t control, label, or even understand. It was one giant clusterfuck of weeks of wanting to know the truth of all of this history between our families, the Graves Academy, and the Brotherhood. On top of the emotions we were triggering inside each other.

He kissed me deeper, harder, and with more determination. I had never been kissed like that before. The desire burned off him. My chest rose and fell faster and faster with every slip of his tongue in my mouth. With each deep breath I inhaled, and each caress of his fingers along my face, a groan escaped his mouth, and a moan vibrated out of mine.

With each second we spent just kissing, I felt a little more like his. I wasn’t imagining it. There in his mother’s haven, we found refuge the same way she did.

His body hovered over mine, our lips never leaving one another’s. They continued to move together as if they were meant for each other. He kissed me one last time, letting his lips linger for just a few seconds. I instantly felt the loss of his mouth when he set his forehead on mine.

No one could find us here. We didn’t have to hide.

He pushed the hair away from my face. I wanted to stay lost in his eyes, savoring the way he was looking at me, pulling every sentiment from my body as if it belonged to him.

“You’re poisoning me, Hennessy. You’re just too beautiful not to touch.”

That was another thing about Onyx Deveraux. He wanted to see the truths that most people tried to ignore. I struggled like hell to let go of my resolve that I had been holding on to since I moved here. To bring down the wall I’d built so high, so thick with everyone, especially him.

The way he looked at me, the way he spoke to me, the way he listened, every smile, every laugh, every word that fell from his lips meant something to me. It didn’t matter how big or how small. It was there, etching its way into my heart where no one could ever come close to it.

I cleared my throat, trying to steady my voice. “I won’t kill you, but I can’t say the same for the Brotherhood.”

He softly gripped my throat, his thumb and index finger clutching my pulse that only heightened with his touch. My breathing elevated, showing him just how much he was getting to me.

He continued his gentle torture for a few seconds, enjoying the feel of my skin against his calloused fingers. I could see, feel his internal struggle. He was fighting something deeper than I could ever truly understand.

“I know where you want me to touch you,” he rasped against my lips. “But what I’m going to do and what I yearn to do are two very different things.”

He backed away and left me in there.

Once again, he was back to Jekyll and Hyde.

Onyx

You couldn’t fault me for who I was.

For who I am.

I wanted to touch her so fucking bad. It physically pained me to restrain myself. My cock throbbed, and my balls ached to sink into her sweet pussy. I wasn’t trying to play mind games or go from hot to cold, but goddamn, I couldn’t help myself.

Her sassy mouth had been my initial draw to her in the first place. I wanted her. I wanted her so damn bad I couldn’t see straight. It took everything inside me not to claim every inch of her. To get lost in her body for days.

Her inexperience drove me fucking mad. The mere thought of making her mine, being the first man to claim her, drove me insane.

The truth was, I respected her, and that shocked me to my core.

It wasn’t as hard as I imagined it would be to keep my dick in my pants, but when she talked back to me… Fuck, it did things to my cock that I couldn’t control.

I was a man who was used to getting what he wanted and never holding back.

The Brotherhood lashed me because I kissed her. I couldn’t imagine what they’d do if I fucked her. But that wasn’t my reason. She wasn’t ready for me. That much I did know.

Splashing cold water on my face from the cistern on the side of the greenhouse, I looked into the smaller mirror above it.

“For fuck’s sake, get your shit together.”

On the whole ride back to her gate, she didn’t say one word to me. She was out of the golf cart as soon as she parked, not bothering to wait one second for me.

I did the only thing I could before I flipped my shit. I inhaled another painkiller and passed the fuck out. I must’ve passed out for a while. It felt like days had gone by when I first opened my eyes.

I was still exhausted, unable to shake off the bullshit. I needed to wash off the blood and take a look at what they did to me. I tried to shower, needing to feel clean. Their handiwork on my back left at least ten distinct lashes. They weren’t careless, precise with each stroke that they evoked. It wasn’t one continuous wound. It’d scar like a work of art.

I didn’t bother to replace the bandages. Instead, I just threw on a pair of gym shorts to make my way into the kitchen. When I opened my bedroom door, there were a few things on the floor I hadn’t expected, with a note.

I grabbed the bag, walking back into my bedroom, and kicked the door shut behind me. I brought it over to my desk and took a seat. I tried not to lean my back against the leather chair.

My computer screen was on. The security cameras were active again. Hennessy was outside, feeding the crows. There were hundreds of them flying above her head as if she were Maleficent.

I chuckled, watching her smile and talk to them as she tossed food into the feeder. Their loud caws could be heard for miles, echoing through the woods.

Opening the bag, I grabbed a container of the soup she fed me, along with a meat dish with rice and french fries labeled “lomo.” Another food container was labeled “empanadas and tómales.”

“Jesus, I’m one person,” I muttered to myself.

She really did cook for an army. There was enough food in there for a few days. There were also a couple of Inca Kola that were still cold, making me think she recently dropped this off.

Grabbing my cell phone, I texted Deja to come eat some of this food with me before I grabbed the two bottles labeled “medicine,” each with instructions.

However, it was her note that entertained me the most. It read…

Get better soon, and I want the bag and containers back.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Onyx: Don’t look for someone who will solve all your problems. Look for someone who will face them with you.

My father and I rode home in silence from the Brotherhood meeting. It’d been a few weeks since my punishment, and a lot had changed in that short amount of time. I was being worked to the bone, day in and day out. Between crossbow, fencing, and the Brotherhood, I barely had any time for a single thought.

The council was doing it on purpose, filling my time, another test to prove where my loyalty lay. I hated every second of it. The bit of free time I had, I spent with Hennessy. We’d meet at the greenhouse more often than not, the only place we could truly be alone.

She told me all about her home in Peru. How much she missed her jungle, all her animals, her bedroom, and her friends. There wasn’t much she didn’t fill me in on.

How they mostly lived off their land and its resources, and how they only cooked fresh food and often hunted. How they ate breakfast and dinner together every morning and night. How her house was a community home, with people constantly coming in and out.

She knew so many different languages from her family’s business. She told me all about the tourists and the places she traveled. She was so cultured, so fucking smart too.

Her face lit up every time she talked about her family. She definitely missed them the most. Especially her grandmother. They had a special relationship and connection. She taught her all about the Amazon legends she held so dear. She knew stories upon stories of occults and mythology.

She really was a little witch, living up to her last name. She believed the bracelet her grandmother made for her, which she never took off, warded off evil.

If that were true, she wouldn’t be in my arms.

She believed animals had the power to protect you, and at one point in history, we actually had the ability to talk to them. Saying animals had the capacity to see ghosts, and if you ever touched the eye discharge of a dog or a cat and rubbed it in your eye, you could see them too. There was a bunch of lore she believed in.

Nature was her biggest ally. She believed in spells, magic, and rituals. The knowledge she had about almost everything was fascinating. Although my father and her uncle were best friends, I didn’t know much about him. All I knew was that they grew up together and that he’d always been in love with my aunt. They’d been together for a while, and now they lived in one of our estates.

I didn’t involve myself in my father’s life. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

She was the funniest girl. Her wit, her passion, and the way she looked at life were captivating. I’d never met anyone like her before. The women I was used to were bred not to think for themselves. They came from generational wealth and didn’t know how to work a day in their life. They cared about status and titles.

They were made to be the type of woman who were trophy wives. Deja was so much more than that. She didn’t fit the mold, and they knew that.

I still watched Hennessy. I still stalked her and dreamed about her. I wasn’t just following orders from the council anymore. What started as just another job at making sure she didn’t investigate anything was now something else entirely.

The council still had me track her every step and report back to them, and I did. She started researching the Brotherhood. She wouldn’t find anything. No one ever did. She became extremely curious about the Devereaux name.

She wasn’t aware, at least not by me. My sister and her driver were another story. I didn’t trust either of them. Deja would tell her whatever she could to spare me, not realizing they would kill her for it.

I was responsible for two women. One of them was my blood, the other was my sworn enemy. Or at least she was supposed to be, which was why she was assigned to me in the first place. The council loved their fucking games. It was a way to keep us in line and do as they say.

Blackmail was what ran their world.

We kept whatever we were doing a secret, but it was getting harder by the minute. I didn’t tell her much about me, sharing things that weren’t important. I already gifted her the most important thing to me, the greenhouse. She was a hell of a gardener. In the past couple of weeks alone, she’d turned that place into sunshine and bloom.

There was life in there again for the first time since my mother. You could feel it deep in your bones as soon as you walked in. Plants were thriving because of her, and I wondered if she had the effect on me too.

I never felt more alive than I did when I was stalking her, or when I was with her.

How fucked up is that?

As soon as we walked through the front door, my father went straight to his office like he always did, and I headed up to my room. I spent the rest of the day watching her on my computer screen, thinking about my life and how Hennessy fit into it.

She was never far from my thoughts. She knew who my family was and what the future held for me. We didn’t discuss it, but we didn’t have to. That truth was blatantly staring us in the face. Except when I was with her, I didn’t want to be anywhere else. It was like living a triple life.

We’d gotten closer in ways I never imagined could be possible. She was there when I needed her, and even when I didn’t.

I tried to keep that part of my life private from my father. I knew he was becoming more suspicious, especially after I stopped attending my usual festivities at the Brotherhood lodge, where women ran rampant.

I warmed up some of her food in the microwave in my suite. I kept a mini fridge in there as well. She didn’t stop cooking for me, and if it weren’t for how active my body was on the daily, I would’ve definitely gained weight. I always made sure to return her bag and containers. She was very passionate about those too.

She left food for me at the greenhouse. I was addicted to her meat empanadas, and don’t get me started on her pork tamales. She was a hell of a cook.

I sat at my computer for another minute, seeing what she was up to before jumping in the shower. We were supposed to be meeting later. She said she had a surprise for me.

She walked out of her bathroom, wearing nothing but the smallest towel.

“Fuck me…” I breathed out, leaning into my leather seat.

It was white, barely covering her breasts and pussy. Her hair was wet, scattered all over her face and chest, covering more of her body than the towel intended. Her skin was wet and flushed, all slippery and tempting and warm.

This was pure and utter torture. Worse than the lashes on my back that were healing nicely from her medication. All that ran through my head at that moment was that I was fucked.

I had to get the hell out of there. Turning on the shower, I hoped the cold water would drown out all the images of her riding my cock.

Visions of Hennessy bent over my desk as I thrust into her.

Visions of her on her knees, sucking my dick until she gagged.

Visions of her pussy sitting on my face as she screamed my name.

Visions of fucking her in the woods, in the pool, in the greenhouse.

Visions of her dancing for me with fire all around us.

Visions of claiming her ass.

I growled from deep within my chest.

In a matter of seconds, I fucked every hole on her body, claiming her in every position known to man. I watched her tits bounce as I gripped her thighs, wanting to mark her. Leave my imprint on her like we were animals. It was so primal and raw. I’d never been with a virgin, and she didn’t have to tell me that she was. I knew.

The sin of it all made it more maddening for me. She was poison to my blood.

Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned my arm against the wall with my face resting against it, allowing the hot water to run down my head and scars.

I shut my eyes, reaching for my throbbing, hard dick in the palm of my hand, needing some release.

“Fuck…” I stroked my cock, picturing only her.

The way she’d moan.

The way she’d beg.

Her whimper.

Her cum…

The expressions on her face.

I thought about tying her up, spanking her ass, giving her a safe word. I thought about her taste, her blood, her scent. There wasn’t much I didn’t envision as she took my cock like the good girl she was.

I imagined her back arching, her nipples puckering, her cunt tightening.

“Goddamn…” I fucked my hand harder and faster, my hips rotating in the opposite direction of my heady movements, envisioning her pretty pussy, pulsating, dripping, squirting down my sack.

The way she purred, melted, begged for mercy. Over and over again. I wouldn’t stop until she couldn’t walk for days, feeling me every second between her legs.

My dick, my fingers, my tongue, my mouth…

“Uhhh…” I groaned out a little too loudly on the edge of coming, but not quite there yet.

My dick was getting harder to the point of pain until finally, I came so fucking hard I saw stars. My entire body shook with the most intense orgasm of my life.

“Fuck!”

My biggest fear had come to life. Her poison infected me, and it was keeping me alive.

The irony was not lost on me.

Hennessy

“Oh!” my uncle’s fiancée, Elizabeth, announced, walking into the kitchen while I cooked. She looked at me like I was crazy. “You know we have a chef, right?”

I smiled at her, trying to be friendly.

She took a peek into the pots. “What are you cooking?”

“My uncle has never cooked for you?”

She scoffed out a chuckle. “That’s not how our relationship works.”

“You don’t cook for him?”

She laughed. “We have a chef, one of the best in the world. He doesn’t want me cooking for him.”

“Hmm, food is the key to a man’s heart.”

She was quick with it. “Which is why I hired the best for us.”

“I see…” I hesitated for a moment. “Well, your chef doesn’t cook Peruvian food.”

“Is that what that is?” She inhaled, looking all around. “Smells good.”

I smiled again. At least she was trying to play nice. We were getting somewhere, but as soon as it occurred, it was over because she informed…

“We’re going to my brother’s house for Thanksgiving tomorrow.”

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Hennessy: Tis the season to be jolly.

“We do it every year,” she revealed. “You’ll get to meet the family. They’re dying to meet you.”

I jerked back. “Me? Why?”

“You’re my fiancé’s niece. Of course they're dying to meet you.”

Unable to resist, I blurted, “Did you know my father?”

“You could say that.”

“That’s why I’m asking you.”

“Knew isn’t the word I’d use for your father.”

My eyebrows pinched together before I continued. “The family hasn’t spoken to my uncle since before I was born. How long have you guys been together?”

She eyed me cautiously for a moment. “That’s what they told you?”

“What do you mean?”

She leaned against the kitchen island. “What do you know about us?”

“Up until I moved here, I didn’t know about you at all.”

“Interesting. And your uncle?”

“They had a falling out over him choosing the Graves over running the family business.”

“That’s what they told you?”

I cocked my head to the side. “You already said that.”

“Hennessy—”

“Is that not the truth?”

“There’s always two sides to every story.”

“There’s actually three. Yours, theirs, and the truth.”

She wavered, answering, “You’re a very clever girl. That’s a good trait to have in this world.”

Using what I said to my advantage, I asked, “Why don’t you have to marry into the Brotherhood?”

She was expressionless, with no reaction.

“From what I hear…” I tread lightly. “Deja has an arranged marriage, and you’re a Devereaux, so…”

It was her turn to tilt her head, side-stepping my question. “Your family is always invited into our home, Hennessy, just as you are. You’re making yourself quite comfortable, I see. Your crows keep shitting all over the property.”

You’d think I’d be used to everyone blowing me off, but it still felt like a dagger to the heart. Placating her, I replied, “I’ll talk to them about that.”

She mocked. “Good luck with that. Maybe try feeding them in the woods instead of so close to the house? I’m sure the groundskeeper will appreciate that.”

“Douglas,” I pointed out, “said he had no problem with me feeding the birds in the backyard.”

“You’re on a first-name basis with the staff?”

“Yeah,” I clipped. “I also eat with them sometimes. They like my Peruvian food.”

Her eyes went wide.

“I don’t like eating alone.”

“Is that why you’re making so much food?”

I couldn’t tell her most of it was for her nephew, so I just stated, “I’m used to cooking for a lot more people. Maybe you would like to try some?”

“How about you cook something for tomorrow? We can take it over to my brother’s?”

I grabbed her olive branch. “I can do that.”

“Great.” She beamed, her bright white teeth on display.

She was dressed to the nines, wearing a pencil skirt and collared blouse that probably cost more than my first car. It was her jewelry that shined like the high heavens. She had so much of it on I was surprised she didn’t walk around with a bodyguard.

“Be ready to go by three, alright? We don’t like to be late.”

“No problem.”

To say I was nervous about this celebration would be an understatement. I couldn’t visualize what a room full of Devereauxs would look like. I imagined they would leave quite an impression on me, and maybe vice versa.

If they were anything like their nephew and father, it would be a long day.

“The attire is formal. Did you bring something with you, or should I have the stylist bring something for you to try on? How about the hair and makeup artist?”

I lied, “I’m sure I can put something together.”

“Great,” she repeated. On her way out of the kitchen, she added, “My mother is allergic to walnuts.”

Damn, I’m meeting Grandma too…

“No walnuts, got it.”

After she left, I finished cooking and ran upstairs trying to find a dress that I didn’t have. By the time I ripped apart my closet, I threw on a pair of sweats, tank, and hoodie to meet Onyx at the greenhouse. We were watching a movie tonight, and I had a surprise for him.

Over the past few weeks, I started secretly investigating whatever I could find about the Devereauxs and the Brotherhood, only to come up empty. I even went back to the museum, wanting to retake photos of that room, but the building had been torn down.

I searched old newspaper articles at the library, property records, archives, the internet, nothing…

The information I did find about the Devereauxs was normal wealthy people shit, nothing that had to do with my father or family. It was as if history was scrubbed down to this town. The old maps, property deeds, cemetery records… I thought of everything, only to find out the good stuff.

No negatives, no bad press, no scandals, no hint that anything had gone wrong, just constant whispers. It was a huge red flag. Everyone at school still treated me like a leper. Except for a few stolen glances here and there between Onyx and me, I hadn’t made any friends.

Deja kept her distance, though sometimes we did eat lunch together with her friends, talking about superficial things. None of which interested me in the process. I sat there pretending to pay attention and following along.

One night, I tried to go into the building where I was led to on campus, the one I wasn’t supposed to go in, but it was locked. You couldn’t see through the black-out windows.

Sighing, I gazed at myself in the mirror one more time before adding a bit of perfume. It was cold outside, making my wavy hair soft and shiny. My feelings for the Devereaux estate hadn’t changed. I still felt so many demons clawing at my feet any time I stepped foot in there, and tomorrow would be no different, especially with all the extended family.

However, my emotions for the prodigal son were all over the place. I was opening up to him in ways I never had. He was genuinely interested in everything I shared.

I was grateful to have the greenhouse. It was our escape away from everyone. It was the most precious gesture anyone had ever given me, and the fact that it came from the person I least expected wasn’t lost on me.

I rode the bike I found in my uncle’s garage to the greenhouse, already finding him in there, staring at my surprise.

Getting right to the point, I greeted, “I hear we’re having Thanksgiving together?”

Onyx

I got to spend some alone time with Hennessy, arriving at the greenhouse first. She surprised me with a blow-up mattress she set up in the corner of the room, topped with soft blankets and pillows. It was surrounded by candles, looking really fucking cozy.

Ignoring her remark, I asked, “You trying to seduce me, Hennessy?”

She grinned, wiggling her fingers. “I already put a spell on you.”

“That you did.”

“Are you going to acknowledge my statement?”

I shrugged. “What do you want me to say?”

“How bad is it going to be?”

“It depends.”

“On what?”

“Your definition of bad.”

“Onyx! You’re supposed to make me feel better.”

I stepped close to her, my face turning into the palm of her hand, and I softly kissed it.

“You’re cheating.”

“I’m improvising.”

She chuckled, “You’re the boy who cried wolf, but instead of crying, you try to flirt your way out of everything.”

“Says the woman who made a makeshift bed surrounded by candles.”

“I thought I could set the mood for the movie.”

With that, she plopped down on the bed, gesturing to follow her. I didn’t have to be told twice. She lit the candles and then turned on an old movie on her laptop.

I leaned against the wall on the bed, questioning, “What movie is this?”

“Fitzcarraldo. It’s about a European living in Iquitos, Peru. He wants to bring the opera to the Amazon and needs to raise money, so he comes up with a plan.” She smiled. “Now you can see my home.”

We watched it for a bit. She was narrating a lot of it, adding details and differences of what she experienced versus what they showed.

Once we were about halfway through, she called out, “You look tired,” as she scratched my head on her lap. “Everyone’s working you too hard.”

I slowly turned my face in her lap, nuzzling my nose along her inner thigh as I gazed up at her, wrapping my arms around her waist. In one swift move, I tugged her tiny frame toward me, making her squeal.

Slowly, I slid my body on top of hers, supporting my weight with my arms on either side of her face. My mouth was now inches away from hers.

“I don’t want to talk about that.”

She smirked as I gently brushed my lips back and forth along her mouth. Loving the feel of her lips against mine, so soft, so warm, so mine.

“Shocker, you never want to talk about anything when it comes to you.”

I couldn’t define what we were to each other, but it felt right when it was supposed to be wrong.

“What did you cook for me?”

She giggled. “You’re going to have to wait and see.”

She was the first woman besides my mother to cook me a meal, and I found it so fucking arousing. Something about knowing she was feeding me literally made my dick hard.

“How’s your back?” she asked, grazing her lips against mine. “I made more medicine for you. I can put it on you if you’d like?”

“I don’t want to talk about that either.”

“Then what do you want to talk about, Onyx?”

I smiled. “Who says I want to talk at all?” I worked my way down her neck, yearning to feel her pulse beating against my lips.

I stopped on the spot right under her ear that made her go crazy, moving her hair to the other side of her neck, never letting up on my caresses on her skin.

I could feel the effect I was having on her.

“Mmm…” she moaned, making my cock twitch.

I loved her body's response to me. Most women performed, trying to outdo one another. She was different. I wanted to feel her from the inside, enjoying driving her insane with need, getting her nice and wet for me.

It was the sociopath in me.

“What, baby?” I huskily groaned, kissing from her neck to her collarbone, working my way down to her breasts.

She was wearing a tank and sweats, her hair a mess. I went right for her hard nipple, poking through her slim cotton top. One of the other things I liked about her was that she never wore a bra. She didn’t need to. Her tits were perfect and perky.

Lightly, I flicked her nipple with my tongue through her tank. She was coming undone beneath me, soft moans escaping her pouty lips. I grabbed her wrists with one hand and placed them above her head. My other hand worked its way down her torso to her hip, pushing her further to the edge.

“You’re so fucking beautiful.”

Her mouth parted, licking her lips as I slowly pulled down her tank top. The feel of her was all around me, making me burn with desire to claim every last inch of her body.

I wanted to capture this moment, holding on to it for as long as I could. I did that a lot with her, capturing moments I’d look back on when she was gone.

She couldn’t last in my world. She didn’t belong in it. I’d make sure of it. Until then, I wanted to remember her just like this. 

For me.

Mine.

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

Hennessy: Learn to appreciate the things you have before time forces you to appreciate the things you once had.

The following morning, I got up early to cook a few traditional Peruvian dishes and went to the grocery store when it opened. I spent all morning cooking up a storm, from papa a la huancaína. It was easy to make with a bunch of boiled potatoes covered in a creamy, slightly spicy ají amarillo and cheese sauce. It was a huge delicacy in my country.

I also made ají de gallina, a creamy, shredded-chicken dish with yellow ají amarillo, bread, milk, and spices. Of course, I had to cook juane, an Amazonian dish made with seasoned rice, chicken, olives, eggs, and spices, wrapped in bijao leaves. It was delicious.

Topping off the menu, I made ensalada rusa, a salad that had beets, potatoes, carrots, green peas, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Some people added diced pickles, corn, and onion. Last but not least, I prepared tacu tacu, a crispy pan-fried mixture of rice and beans.

By the time I finished, I was a bit tired, but excited to bring some of my culture to Thanksgiving. I assumed it would be standard American food, which I sometimes enjoyed. I just wasn’t used to it. Peruvian food had so much flavor. It was hard going from that to simpler food.

Cooking all this food made me think of my family. Since I moved there, I hadn’t spoken to them much. Summer in Peru was our high season for tourism. We spoke a few times over the phone through WhatsApp, but didn’t get into too much detail. They were always so busy with one thing or another.

I hadn’t confronted my family with any questions about what was going on, but after talking to Elizabeth yesterday, they knew more than they were letting on.

Why haven’t I ever heard of Elizabeth if they know her?

While the kitchen smelled amazing, I hurried upstairs to shower and try to find something to wear. After I finished blow-drying my hair straight, I walked back into my bedroom, only to find a new dress on my bed with heels, a pair of earrings, and a necklace. The earrings were delicate hoops, but it was the necklace with an Inca sun that made me realize Elizabeth's stylist put a lot of thought into this.

The stunning gown was a soft cream silk with a floral design. It had a V-neckline with a fitted bodice that hugged my torso just right. Below my waistline, a flowy skirt extended past my feet. The heels would be covered unless I took a step, only making it appear as if there were a trail behind me. Reminding me of something a goddess would wear.

The nude heels with red bottoms were delicate, with a four-inch pump. Onyx would still tower over me. It quickly became my first thought. I wondered what he’d think of this dress on me and if he’d like it.

All in all, her stylist picked out exactly what I’d buy myself if I were going to spend thousands of dollars on a designer outfit.

Though this wasn’t my usual attire, I couldn’t help but love the way I looked in front of the full-length mirror. To match the aesthetic of what I wore, I did my makeup a little heavy, with a smoky eye and a nude lip.

I smiled when I walked into the kitchen, finding one of the housekeepers packing up the food. Everything was placed on beautiful, gold trays. They appeared to be antiques, with a cursive D proudly displayed in the middle.

“Wow, Susan, I was just going to pack it in Tupperware. I also made extra for you guys.”

She laughed. “Honey, you cannot take Tupperware to the Devereaux’s Thanksgiving, and thank you. We all love your cooking.”

“That bad, huh?”

She coaxed, “They just have their own traditions, you know, like every family. You don’t want to start on the wrong foot.”

“I think I was already on the wrong foot when I stepped off the plane.”

She smiled. “Grandmother Devereaux isn’t as difficult as the rest, but I’d steer clear of their father, alright? Make sure to compliment the women. They eat it up. Only speak when spoken to.”

“You’re making this sound really fun for me.”

She shrugged. “The Devereauxs have always been sticklers for their strict way of life. Their rituals are set in stone. There were always rules to follow. It was one of the reasons they weren’t fond of Mrs. Devereaux in the first place.”

My eyes widened.

Have I been looking for answers from the wrong people?

I was surprised she shared that with me. Onyx warned me that the staff knew better than to gossip.

Did he say that so I wouldn’t ask them anything?

My feelings for him were beyond distracting, and I started to forget that maybe I couldn’t trust him. He did warn me about that too. At least he wasn’t lying to me.

I’d become friendly with the staff. Maybe that was why she felt comfortable sharing with me. I waited on pins and needles to listen to what Susan was openly disclosing.

“I used to work for Mrs. Devereaux and the kids before they moved me to this property. She was such a lovely lady. Caring, funny, loved those kids. Such a great mom. Out of all the Devereauxs I worked for, she was by far my favorite. It truly is a shame what happened to her. Those kids were never the same, especially Onyx.” She paused, sighing in that defeated way. “Mrs. Devereaux tried to change so many things and, in the end, it didn’t matter. She was laid to rest.”

“What happened to her?”

“Hennessy!” Elizabeth exclaimed in a pleased tone, suddenly making her way into the kitchen. “Oh my God, you look gorgeous!”

I swear she came out of nowhere. Everyone in this town had the ability to interrupt in the most inconvenient moments. I was beginning to think there were cameras everywhere.

I played it off, not wanting to make her suspicious of me. I mean, more than she already was. Elizabeth was dressed in a black gown, her hair pinned up, with diamond jewelry accentuating her wrists and ears. The necklace she wore was probably a million on its own.

She grabbed my hand, spinning me. “This gown, it’s absolutely perfect for you. Where did you get it?”

“What do you mean?” I pursed my lips. “I thought your stylist picked it out for me.”

Confusion spread across her face before she shouted, “Luis!” calling for my uncle.

Seconds later, he walked in wearing a tuxedo.

“Darling, you look as handsome as ever.” She kissed him, her red lipstick not leaving a stain.

It was the first time I’d seen them together since I moved in. They made a beautiful couple. Their babies would be a nice mix of genes. Onyx and I’s family would now be bonded through marriage, and that was still odd to me. Not that my uncle didn’t fit into this world. He obviously did.

I wasn’t any better, having feelings for her nephew.

Tío smiled, sliding his hand across her back while she placed her hand on his chest.

“Look at our girl, doesn’t she clean up nice?”

Tío nodded. “You look beautiful, mi niña.”

“You look nice too, Tío.”

He reached for my hand, pulling me toward him to wrap his arm around my back. “I’m going to walk in with the most beautiful women at the party. What a lucky man I am.” He kissed the top of my head. “Thank you for coming, Hennessy. It means a lot to us that you’re going to be there.”

Gesturing to the food, I acknowledged, “I cooked these dishes for everyone.”

He beamed, completely taken off guard. “You cook?”

My eyebrows pinched together. “Yeah, you bought me groceries a while ago.”

He thought about it for a second, asking Elizabeth, “Did you buy Hennessy groceries? I can’t recall doing that.”

“Honey, I don’t even know where the grocery store is.” She laughed in that pretentious kind of way.

If neither of them bought me groceries, then who did? And how did they know what I ate?

Before I had too much time to contemplate it, Elizabeth ordered Douglas to handle the food.

I intervened, saying I could take it, but she quickly objected, “Hennessy, you’re the funniest girl. Take over the food… so many jokes!”

Despite the Devereaux estate being right next door, Alfred drove us. I thought Elizabeth was going to shit a brick when I sat in the front seat with him. My uncle, on the other hand, hid a smile. I think he enjoyed me getting a rise out of his fiancée.

At one point, our gazes connected through the rearview mirror. I could tell that he was worried about something. His expression was that of a man who was maybe being tested.

It didn’t make any sense, but I felt his anxiety. Elizabeth was none the wiser, too wrapped up in fixing her makeup. I tried to compartmentalize everything I was thinking and the emotions that it stirred, but it was hard. I kept thinking about what my uncle said and how I knew the truth.

Under his breath for only me to hear, Alfred murmured, “Looks like you’re fitting right in, Miss Belladonna.”

Following his lead, I had to know, whispering, “Did you cut their security cameras when Mr. Devereaux was out of town?”

He didn’t answer me. Instead, he ordered, “Don’t run away this time. It’ll only be your demise.”

“What was that, Jones?” Tío chimed in.

“Sir, I was just telling Miss Belladonna how lovely she looked.”

I went to open my mouth, but we were already there, driving through huge iron gates, entering the enormous property. Luxury vehicle after luxury vehicle lined their courtyard driveway. There were millions of dollars parked on the pavers, staring back at us.

Once again trying to find my Zen, I inhaled a deep breath, instantly feeling so anxious about what I was about to encounter. I couldn’t help but stare into the eyes of the serpent crest on the peak of their home as we walked up to the front door.

“Oh!” Elizabeth grabbed my wrist, took off my grandmother’s bracelet, and insisted, “This doesn’t match.”

Before I could object, she was tucking it into her purse. I should’ve never let that happen, stepping into the lion’s den without protection.

“Don’t worry, Hennessy,” she proclaimed. “I’ll give it back.”

“It’s not that. It’s just⁠—”

“Those are gorgeous.” She linked her arm into mine, walking next to me. “Where did you get them?”

I didn’t want to arrive empty-handed, so I picked a few roses and flowers from the greenhouse earlier and made them into a beautiful bouquet.

I lied, “The florists this morning when I went to buy the food.”

“They were open?”

“Mm-hmm…” I inhaled another deep, steady breath as the doors opened for us.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” their butler greeted.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” I repeated.

My heart pounded out of my chest as we stepped inside. Their home still looked like a museum with columns, portraits, and antiques in every corner you walked through. There were so many rooms on our way to the main area. I usually entered through the back of the estate. We were going to the opposite side of the mansion where I hadn’t been to yet.

Every time I was there, I couldn’t believe they’d grown up in such an extravagant and decadent palace. It all mesmerized me. I tried to focus on one thing at a time, but there was too much to see. It was all new to me. Every room we passed had a vintage feel, as if the decorations hadn’t changed in decades.

The creepy portraits with their eyes following you all through the halls. I couldn’t shake the eerie feeling of being watched. Come to think of it, I was starting to feel that way about my uncle’s estate as well.

It was a Devereaux’s after all…

Chapter

Thirty

Hennessy: You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

“This is crazy,” I muttered under my breath.

“Tell me about it,” Elizabeth replied. “This estate has been in my family for generations.”

“I can see that.”

“Don’t let it intimidate you, Hennessy. Your uncle never did.”

She was being overly nice to me, and I wondered if my uncle had something to do with that.

Or does Onyx?

I remembered how everyone kept warning me not to speak unless spoken to. I listened that time, not wanting to stir any more problems than I already had.

Especially with Onyx.

I stood in the background with my hands at my sides, taking it all in, desperately trying not to fidget. A bunch of guests filled what they called the banquet hall. The mahogany double doors led to a massive room with a three- to four-story ceiling. A huge fireplace was lit in the center of the room, but it was the portrait above it that got my attention the most.

It was their family portrait. Onyx and Deja were little, maybe four and five years old, dressed in matching outfits while their father stood behind them. This was the first time I was seeing their parents. She was beautiful, sitting in a chair in front of their dad, with the kids on her lap.

Mr. Devereaux was handsome, though he appeared stern and dark in the portrait. He wasn’t exuding the love their mother did.

Mrs. Devereaux was looking down at her children with nothing but love in her eyes. She looked like a happy, loving family. Their father not so much. From the other portraits, it seemed there was a theme among the men: moody, mysterious, and a bit sinister.

I truly wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. I couldn’t imagine a family not loving each other. It didn’t seem natural to me.

The room was packed with people, yet you couldn’t tell from the extravagant, wide-open space. The Thanksgiving decorations were lovely, filled to the brim with flowers and decadence.

Simple yet tasteful, what I imagined generational wealth would look like.

“Hennessy!” Deja greeted, coming up behind me. Her gaze trailed mine as she fondly revealed, “My mother loved to dress us in matching outfits. You should see our photo albums.”

I peered at the side of her face as her tone shifted to sadness. “I don’t remember much about her.”

“How old were you⁠—”

Glancing at me, she interrupted, “Five. Onyx was six.”

I swallowed hard, listening intently. I wanted to ask her what happened to her mother, but her voice was distant. I didn’t want to cause her more heartache. She wouldn’t tell me anyway.

She stared back at the portrait. “My mother was always so chic, so flawless… she was the light of this house until she wasn’t. Or that’s what everyone says anyway.” Standing there reminiscing right before my eyes, she recalled, “She used to sing to us. She loved to hum… sometimes I still hear her through the halls, her gentle lulling…” She nervously chuckled, sweeping her hair behind her ear. “That’s crazy, right? Why would I hear her?”

I gently caressed her arm, making her look at me. “That’s not crazy at all.” I comforted her the only way I knew how. “Where I’m from, the dead remain part of the family and are honored through music, food, and prayer. Our loved ones are always watching over us. I’m sure my father is over me too.” With a solemn expression, I professed, “Unfortunately, some loved ones don’t get to pass over, and they stay somewhere between, stuck in limbo.”

“I’d hate that for her,” she rasped with earnest eyes. “Having to stay, trapped in these walls.”

“Deja,” I warily spoke. “Onyx told me about your future…”

“Yeah.” She smiled through the sorrow in her gaze. “Hopefully he has a big dick.”

I choked on my drink, laughing.

We were silent for a minute until she acknowledged, “We all have our crosses to bear, Hennessy. It is what it is.”

“And what if you don’t?”

“What do you mean?”

“This arranged marriage, what if you don’t go through with it?”

She laughed, flatly stating, “I’d die.” Her tone was serious despite the laughter. “Well, more like sacrificed, but you get the picture.”

“But they’re already sacrificing you, Deja.”

Her expression faltered as she contemplated the truth. As quick as it was there, she defaulted back into the chameleon she was. “I could always run away, try to start a new life… maybe they’d never find me.”

“It would make Onyx very sad to lose you like that.”

“Yeah…” she breathed out.

“I’m sorry, Deja, I wasn’t trying to⁠—”

“I know.” She rubbed my shoulder. “I appreciate the gesture.”

“If you ever need to talk, you know, about anything, I’m here for you.”

She nodded in understanding. “You’re very kind, Hennessy. I really like that about you. I haven’t seen too much kindness in my life. If it weren’t for Onyx, I wouldn’t have anyone.”

“He loves you too, but what about your father? I’m sure⁠—”

“Onyx has always been my father’s favorite, and that’s not saying much.”

“And your aunt?”

She shrugged. “She’s had her moments over the years. She taught me how to put on makeup, do my hair, told me about my body changing and you know… some girl things.”

“You’re lucky to have had her.”

“She’s tough. I wouldn’t exactly call her warm or loving, but she’s come through when I needed her.”

“I imagine it has to do with her upbringing.”

She nodded. “I know.” Changing the subject, she complimented, “That dress on you is spectacular.”

She was also wearing a black gown. Most of the women wore black outfits, as if it were a funeral rather than a Thanksgiving celebration. We didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Peru, but I knew what it was.

“Thank you, you look great too.”

Wiggling her eyebrows, she grabbed my hands. “Now let’s get you liquored up. You’re going to need it.” She escorted me to the bar.

I ordered a glass of wine, looking for my uncle, not finding him or Elizabeth in the crowd. In Peru, I would’ve been introduced to everyone, having to kiss each person on the cheek as if I’d known them all my life. People were welcoming, warm, and loving.

Here, everyone seemed cold. The men were with the men, the women with the women, each separated in their own cliques. I wondered where their direct family was. Again, I didn’t see anyone that resembled them.

Somehow, I found my way back to the family portrait, standing by the fireplace. Something about their parents was oddly familiar. I couldn’t place where I knew them from.

Sometime during the afternoon, I got bored.

There was only so many hor d’oeuvres I could eat. After a few hours, I still hadn’t seen Onyx, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t show up in his true rebellion form, provoking his father and embarrassing his family.

Deja excused herself. I hadn’t seen her in quite some time either. Without considering the consequences, I began to wander. It’s not like anyone would notice I was gone.

Pretentious laughter echoed through the halls with elevator music playing in the background, which was another thing that was different from my family and culture. Nobody was dancing or actually celebrating. No one was truly engaging.

No stories were being told, no bonds forming, no jokes that weren’t anything other than who was keeping up with the Joneses. Everything was toned down and perfected. Not one hair out of place. Everyone fit into this role they were expected to perform.

Which felt like a ritual in itself.

It was exhausting, and I’d only spoken to Deja. Elizabeth said her family was excited to meet, and I hadn’t been introduced to anyone. It was as if they’d forgotten all about me even being there, making me gloomier than I was already feeling. I thought we were getting somewhere. I wondered if they’d even serve my food.

Did she make me cook for nothing?

The farther I ventured through the halls, the quieter it became. Their mansion went on forever. I thought about trying to find Onyx’s suite, but I was lost, in more ways than one. Every hallway led to another passage, every staircase to another wing. The rooms appeared untouched, unlived in, preserved in such a way that I knew nobody had stepped in there other than to clean in decades.

It was almost suffocating how stunning but unloved everything was. They were just rooms, no heart behind them, no souls in them, just gaudy antiques that meant more to them than actual human beings.

I rounded another corridor, slowly running my fingers along the gold paneling, trying not to think, just feel. I saw a door that was different from the others. This one was older, painted in a faded ivory that had yellowed with age.

My feet came to a complete halt. Unsure why, I immediately felt drawn to this room. Something about it was hauling me to it, whether I wanted it to or not.

I cracked it open, catching my breath. There in front of my eyes was a playroom. It wasn’t as pristine as the rest of the house. It was lived in. The shelves were filled with children’s books, their spines all cracked and faded. There were dolls, stuffed animals, blocks, and Legos. The room had color, unlike the rest of the estate. I could feel the love it once held.

It was the glass music box that captured my stare. I stepped inside, going straight for it.

My chest tightened as I caught a glimpse of a memory, maybe…

There was a woman who grabbed my wrist, softly murmuring a lullaby under her breath.

Is that their mom?

It was only then I realized I’d opened the music box. The calming harmony filled the silent space, reminding me of what Deja had just shared about her mother humming.

Is this their mother’s music box?

I shut my eyes, allowing the melody to take over.

A woman was holding me in her arms. I felt her warmth.

Then…

SNAP!

The lid on the music box slammed shut, jolting me.

Shit…

I was caught.

Chapter

Thirty-One

Hennessy: When you choose to see the good in others, you end up finding the good in yourself.

My eyes abruptly opened, coming face-to-face with Onyx, who was standing there. His hand rested on the music box, but his stare was cold, detached, almost angry.

“Don’t,” he ordered.

“Don’t what?” I muttered.

“Play that.” His tone was low, but it only made his demeanor worse.

“Why?”

“You really don’t know when to stop, do you? You have no fucking sense, Hennessy.”

I winced, hating the tone he was taking with me. “Or maybe I’m just sick and tired of all the secrets. You and I aren’t that different, Onyx.” Unable to hold back, I added, “We were both born into families that expect something from us. Our futures were decided before we were even born.”

His jaw flexed. “Expectation is different from obligation.”

“Yeah?” I mocked. “My family expects me to take over the company, and I don’t want to do that. I love what they’ve built. It’s such a special place, and it’ll forever be my home, but I want to travel. After I graduate, I want to explore the world. I want to research old civilizations and write about them so they don’t get lost in history. There’s so much more I want to learn, and I won’t be able to do that running that place. My family has dedicated their entire lives to it. I’ve never seen any of them take a vacation or time off. All they do is work, but it’s not work to them. It’s their passion. It’s just not mine.” I paused to let my words sink in. “I understand you more than you think. I’m a legacy too. It’s just different from yours, but the end goal is still the same. We’re both trapped in a future we didn’t ask for, and what’s worse, no one ever asked for our opinion or cared to know what we wanted. It’s just what’s expected of us. It’s our obligation to step into their shoes.”

Silence.

It stretched between us for what felt like an eternity. Neither one of us knew how to break it; it hung heavy and unsteady. He looked away first, his eyes landing on the music box. His expression softened, making him less scary and intimidating.

In an instant, his stare shifted over to me. In seconds, his gaze skimmed from my face to my gown back up to my eyes.

“What?” I called him out. “I take it you like my gown?”

He didn’t waver. “I’d like it better on my bedroom floor.”

There he is…

I shook my head, fighting back a smile.

“And you’re wearing the jewelry. The sun reminded me of you.”

I hesitated. “The sun?”

His fingers touched the pendant. “It’s warm like you, but if you stare at it too long, it’ll blind you.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“No, it’s the truth.” He wasn’t teasing. He was being serious. With that, he let go of the pendant as it burned him.

Needing to hear him say it, I questioned, “Did you buy me this dress and jewelry, Onyx?”

He eyed me up and down again. “What do you think?”

“Yes.”

Back to his normal, untrusting composure, he asked, “Why would I do that?”

“You tell me. You’re avoiding the question.”

“Am I?” He faintly smiled. “Maybe I just wanted to gift you something.”

I blushed, bowing my head. “Thank you.”

He lifted my chin to look at him.

“Don’t get shy on me now.”

“Onyx, I don’t need you to buy me things. This must’ve cost a small fortune.”

“How am I supposed to show you I like you if I don’t give you things I know you’ll love?” I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead, he declared, “You have no idea the effect you have when you walk into a room, Hennessy. Everyone looks at you.”

“And you?”

“You’re my favorite thing to look at.”

I smirked. “How did you know I was in here?”

“I know everything about you.”

“Okay,” I scoffed. “That sounds super creepy.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Are you saying you’re stalking me?”

“I’m watching you.”

“Did you watch me come in here on a camera?” I slid my chin out of his grasp. “What is this room anyway?”

“It’s—”

Before he could finish his sentence, a harsh voice shouted, “Onyx!”

And we froze…

Locking eyes with his furious father.

Onyx

Swiftly, Hennessy introduced herself, “Hello, Mr. Devereaux, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

Unable to hold back, I snapped, “What the fuck is the problem now?”

He didn’t cower, not that I expected him to. “I thought I raised you better than this.” Glaring at Hennessy, he bit, “What the hell are you doing in here?”

I spoke for her. “You didn’t raise me at all.”

“Onyx…” Hennessy coaxed.

He must’ve walked right past everyone in the banquet hall, not acknowledging anyone or looking in their direction, trying to find us. He just stormed in here, too pissed off, and I was about to get his wrath.

Looking him dead in the eyes, I arched an eyebrow, waiting.

“I’m going to ask you this one fucking time. One. Time,” he emphasized, holding his finger out in front of him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Mr. Devereaux⁠—”

His glare shot to her. “I wasn’t talking to you, girl! You need to learn your place!”

My hands fisted at my sides, stepping in front of her. “You want to know what I’m doing? I’m standing between you and her.”

“I highly suggest you don’t lie to me. I’m giving you my last warning because you’re my son.”

“That means nothing to me.”

“It’s going to be far worse if you don’t answer my question.”

“Last time I checked, I’m just following orders,” I argued, laying out all of my cards perfectly on the table.

It was the only game my father played, and I was prepared to call his bluff, hoping like hell he wouldn’t call me out on mine. I already said too much in front of Hennessy, but I’d have to deal with her later.

“The change in your eyes! Your composure! You’re not fucking any of the women at the lodge when you’ve done nothing but use it as your own personal candy store! I can see straight through you! I can see her behind your eyes!” He sternly pointed at her. “It’s pouring right out of you! She’s your weakness, your fucking death sentence! Don’t you think I know a little about this?”

“Is that why she’s here?” I viciously spewed, finally saying what I’d been thinking.

“You think I’m capable of that?” he countered. “Do I need to remind you that you’re my son? Why would I want you dead?”

“I think you’re capable of anything.”

Hennessy didn’t say a word. She knew better. Though I could still feel her hurt burning a hole in my back.

The silence was deafening all around us. It was eerier than his rage, feeling like each second brought me closer to my own funeral.

“This is a dangerous time for our family,” he clenched out. “You need to do the right thing.”

Getting right up in his face, I mocked, “You wouldn’t know the right thing if it kneed you in the balls and introduced itself.”

His stare flew back to Hennessy. “Don’t make me regret allowing you to attend the Graves. Don’t make a fool out of me, girl.”

She shook her head. “I’d… I… I don’t understand.”

“You’re just supposed to follow the damn rules.” He spun around and left.

There was nothing left to say. It was all burned to ashes.

Exactly like their bodies.

She didn’t wait for a second before attacking me. “You were ordered to watch me?”

She was perceptive, and I wasn’t surprised she caught on that quickly, though I didn’t try to hide it. I was over all the lies, the hiding. I’d been that way my entire life.

“Did the Brotherhood order you? Why? What’s going on? Why are you ordered to watch me?” She couldn’t get her interrogation out fast enough.

“Hennessy—”

“No! Don’t lie to me!” She shook her head. “Does this mean everything that has happened between us has been a lie? Am I just another job to you?”

“That couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“I don’t know the truth because no one will tell me a damn thing!”

My patience breaking, I snapped, “Does it look like I want to be yelled at?”

“That’s your response?” She shook her head in disappointment. “What kind of watching, Onyx? Huh? Have you been stalking me? Was that the order you were following?”

“Didn’t we just confirm that?”

“I thought you were joking!”

I cocked my head to the side, folding my arms over my chest. “That’s your mistake.”

“¡Eres un imbécil!”

“I thought we already established that I was an asshole too.”

She stepped back with nothing but hurt in her face. “I thought… I just…”

“Whatever you’re thinking, whatever you’re feeling, whatever you want to ask me, the answer is yes to everything, Hennessy.”

She frowned, thinking about all the questions she wanted to ask me, beginning and ending with, do I love her? Just as quick as those questions popped in my head, so did, is she just a job to me?

Unsure of where we went from there, she simply confessed, “I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Onyx—”

She searched my face, looking for something I couldn’t ever give her.

Love…

I just wasn’t made like that, but that didn’t change the fact that…

I’d fallen for her.

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Onyx: If you tell the truth, it becomes a part of your past. If you lie, it becomes a part of your future.

The clock struck midnight. The sound echoed through the Graves Academy, vibrating through the grass beneath my boots. Thanksgiving was a few days ago, and it was the disaster I knew it’d be, which was why I didn’t bother showing up.

The last thing I wanted to do was to pretend that Hennessy wasn’t mine in front of my family and the Brotherhood.

I wouldn’t be able to fake it, and they knew that.

I was done with their fucking tests. I wouldn’t willingly participate in any of their traps that were obviously meant for me to fail. I hadn’t seen Hennessy since the holiday a couple of days ago. She was avoiding me. That much was also obvious.

The clock ticked by, faster and faster. Time was running by. With the thirteenth chime, every candle in the circle was lit, and no one spoke. The Brotherhood stood beneath the night sky, the full moon looming over the horizon, making it a perfect night for a ritual.

Each of us was dressed in our cloaks, our faces hidden behind masks passed down through generations. These woods were used for worship for decades. The candles flickered through the darkness, illuminating the trees all around us, along with the stones that had B.O.B. carved into them.

Some were so old the edges were now smooth, while others were recently engraved with fresh initials or crests. It just depended on the ritual.

However, the blood in the center was fresh.

Hennessy and I had a lot in common when it came to believing in hocus pocus. She wasn’t aware of the knowledge I held when she’d share all about occult magic. I knew a thing or two about that too.

The universe worked in mysterious ways. When I was younger, I used to wonder how I’d explain the Brotherhood to anyone, let alone a woman. With Hennessy there’d be no need. She already believed in mystic things, knowing that the unexplainable was real.

I stood with my arms crossed over my chest, listening for nothing in particular as we started reciting the oath into the fog of the night. The words might have been familiar, but I wasn’t feeling them. Not that I ever did.

Loyalty, silence, power = family.

The things we were taught here mattered more than anything we’d ever learn in class or the real world. This was the only universe that mattered. It was the only thing that existed.

When the blade was brought forward by one of the councils, a brother stepped into the center of the circle, waiting…

The blade was sliced into his palm, it was the more blood, the better. A few drops fell onto the stone, and the flame of the candles trembled as if they were possessed by the evil radiating from our pores.

I was over this shit. These rituals were so fucking performative, from the chants to the blood to the oaths. They were all a fucking show to the legacies before us.

“Tonight,” a council member announced, “We renew what was sworn before us, we renew what our families laid out for us, we renew our pledge to the Blood Oath Brotherhood. Tonight, we remember who we are.”

We renewed our pledge a few times a year, mostly because it made the council’s dick hard. They loved nothing more than to hear their own words thrown back at them, vowing the bullshit we were ordered to. Don’t get me wrong, the Brotherhood had its advantages.

I’d never have to look for a job. The connections were intended that way. If I wanted to run in anything political, I’d have the ties in a matter of minutes. If I ever got arrested, they wouldn’t even handcuff me. If I needed a favor, a lawyer, a fucking blow job, it was handed to me on a gold-plated platter with the initial D on it.

The sky was the limit. Brothers gave their souls over for a free ride at this thing called life.

The blade moved to the next brother. It went on like this for far too long until I heard something coming from the forest. It was the faintest sound, a twig breaking. Without moving my head to make a scene, my eyes shifted toward the movement, and a soft shadow moved with a prowl I was familiar with.

Fuck…

As soon as Hennessy started to make herself at home on our land, I knew it was only a matter of time before she found one of our ritual sites. My father loved hosting these things. It gave him a much greater sense of power in a world where he already held so much. It was never enough; nothing ever was for him.

Especially when it came to this Brotherhood. It was his whole world and the only thing that mattered to him.

For a second, I feared for Hennessy’s life. No one ever came back here, and if they did, they didn’t live to talk about it. She was hidden, blending among the trees in the way she always did, being one with nature, understanding it more than anyone I’d known. The Brotherhood spent decades making sure no one outside of us knew about this place, yet there she was.

Did she follow me out here, or did she stumble upon it?

It was midnight. She could’ve been roaming around, participating in her own rituals. She loved the full moon, never missed one, constantly dancing for her gods. She was getting ballsy, or maybe she was just looking for answers that no one would tell her. I imagined it was probably a little of both.

She was fed up. After Thanksgiving and finding out she was an assignment for me, it was only going to rattle her brain, overriding any sense she actually had, which wasn’t much, if any.

I swear the girl had a death wish.

Everything inside me went still, hoping like hell the Brotherhood hadn’t heard what I did. No one had made any inclination they heard her, and I prayed she had enough sense not to make herself seen.

She shouldn’t be there. No one other than the Brotherhood was permitted in these parts.

Not a soul, but we were all soulless except for her. Maybe it was why I felt her to begin with. She was too pure, too holy, too untouched, and the demon inside me knew that.

I knew her gaze was fixated on what she was observing for the first time. From an outsider looking in, this must’ve been quite a sight. Some sick fucking cult shit, cutting each other, sacrificing our blood to the Brotherhood.

I could feel her stare taking it all in, from the cloaks to the dagger, to all the symbols and oaths and God knows what. If life had taught me anything, it was that confusion always led to fear, which led to panic, which led to fleeing. As much as I loved to chase her, this wasn’t the time or place for my sick fucking kinks.

If she were any other outsider, I would have already been running after her, chasing my prey and then bringing it back to my pack to make them pay. Instead, I stood there more alert than I’d felt in years, ready to protect her with my life if I had to.

She meant that much to me.

So many thoughts and theories sped through my mind at lightning speed with no stop. I couldn’t make a move, not a sound, or a reaction. I just had to keep pretending my focus was on the ritual taking place in front of us.

Even from the space between us, I could feel her emotions pouring out of her and directly into my veins. I saw the exact moment this could turn horribly wrong. The feeling barely left my chest before it was my turn to pledge my oath again.

Except this time, Hennessy would be watching me, and I hated that more than anything.

Word by word, I pledged, “Speak No Claim, Hear No Promises, See No Temptation.”

Each oath felt as if it were tearing apart whatever was left of me with her witnessing my greatest tragedy. I never wanted her to see me like this, and I swear I could hear her breathing, desperately trying not to take off after her. It was my instinct to.

Did she recognize my voice? Did she know it was me under this mask and cloak?

Under all these lies…

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours. We could’ve been standing there for days by the time the ritual was over.

It was only when Caspian whispered in my ear behind me, “You better catch her before they do, Onyx,” that I understood where his loyalty lay.

With me.

I slightly nodded.

For the first time in my life, I felt like I had someone on my side other than Deja. In eight words, Caspian Hawthorne proved his alliance to me, and now I owed him one. It was how our world worked: favor for a favor, eye for an eye. I’d be in his debt now, and he knew that, but that wasn’t his intention.

He was sacrificing his life to save her too, and I’d never forget that.

“Go, now,” he clenched out.

I didn’t have to be told twice. Once the council was out of sight, I backed away slowly, trying as best as I could to go unnoticed, knowing it was probably useless, but having to give it a shot regardless.

Out of nowhere, she turned around and locked eyes with me from across the distance of maybe a hundred yards.

Tonight, she wasn’t getting away from me.

Because I was hunting…

Her.

Chapter

Thirty-Three

Hennessy: The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much and forgetting that you are special too.

Question after question tore through my mind at a rapid pace. One wouldn’t end before the next one began. My eyes fluttered for a moment, or maybe they were closed. Even in the pitch black, someone had caught me there. I couldn’t tell you how I found this place. I was out in the woods, studying in a tree, still in my uniform from school.

I wanted to be alone, afraid that Onyx would find me, and I’d have to face him. I wasn’t ready yet. I’d been avoiding him everywhere I could, spending most of my free time in this forest. It’d become my home. I heard the chimes of an old clock, not understanding why I’d even hear that sound out there.

One impulse led to the next, and then I was being steered to what my eyes weren’t prepared to see. I heard enough, especially when Onyx’s voice was among them. I lost sight of him pretty quickly. All the brothers looked the same. What I assumed was the council had more detail to their cloaks. Their masks were bigger and more avant-garde too.

They were lavish, designed to appear distinguished. It must’ve been an honor to be dressed in one of their attires, but to me it felt like a prison. It was definitely a cult, one run by blood and oath, which makes complete sense of why they chose that title.

I considered running, but before I could exit, someone caught me. I didn’t know which would be worse, Onyx or a stranger…

They were all standing there under the moon, chanting their oath to Satan, or at least it felt that way. Something had guided me there. Everything always happened for a reason. Maybe it was time to face the truth. Whether I was willing or not, it still somehow found me. Maybe that was the plan all along: stay silent until they couldn’t anymore.

It was like my feet were moving on their own accord, one right after the other. Before I knew what I was doing, I was standing there watching what appeared to be a blood oath ritual, similar to what happened to me, but they weren’t mixing their blood. At least not yet.

Now, my senses of sound and smell were heightened. I could barely see what was happening, but somehow, someone still found me, and I quickly freaked the fuck out internally.

I didn’t say a word or make a peep. I hadn’t even moved yet. Too scared of what would happen if I did. I couldn’t fathom how they knew I was there. I hardly realized where I was.

Before I could finish that thought, the night’s disturbing events came crashing down on me like the stack of stones they were bleeding on.

My heart pounded against my chest, my mind reeling with thoughts of why I was there, and what they were going to do with me. I wanted to look around, but I couldn’t will myself to look away from them. If I peered around, it’d make it too real.

My subconscious was protecting me from the reality, from the truth glaring back at me. Our gazes were still locked, with my emotions running wild inside me. Every last fiber of my being screamed at me to run, hide, fully aware it was going to be impossible to.

My head flew to the night where someone chased me through the woods and then did a ritual with our blood. Questions tore apart my brain, but I knew I wouldn’t get any answers.

However, it didn’t stop me from wanting to know them anyway.

Not being able to find my own voice, the feelings stirring through me were crippling me in ways I never thought possible. There was no holding back anymore.

I exploded, bursting into hysterics through my body, and it began to shake blazingly. I was battling the inevitable of losing this unexpected war I found myself in. I thought about the life I still wanted to live and the future I deserved to have with all the people I wouldn’t get to see again or say goodbye to.

I should have known better, but of course I didn’t. My mom always said my defiance would eventually get the best of me, and she wasn’t wrong. The instant I felt my fight-or-flight defenses finally kick in, I chose flight and hauled ass in the opposite direction from where I was being watched.

I ran with everything inside me, knowing my life depended on it. I laid it all out, finding strength I didn’t know I had inside me. Ignoring the unsteadiness of my body and mind, I rushed deeper into those woods.

With one foot in front of the other, I tore through the forest I suddenly felt like I was being held captive in, and I hated them for that.

These woods were my escape, not my death sentence.

My feet mercilessly pounded on the grass. Trying to stay focused on the present, I flew through those trees, resisting the urge to scream.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter. I heard their hammering footsteps coming up behind me. It echoed through the wind and into the core of my being. The sound of their boots dragged on the dirt, slashing beneath their feet, and it was then I understood it was a man. Probably the same man who hunted me months prior.

He was coming for me; that much I knew was true. Terror set in again, and I tried to run faster than I already was, looking back to see how close he was behind me, not paying attention to where I was going.

Frantically, I tried to catch my bearings while I looked around, needing to find something I could use as a weapon. I found a thick wooden stick and picked it up off the ground, hiding behind the tree beside it.

My heart was thrashing out of my chest. It was so loud, I felt as if he could hear it. Placing my hand over my mouth, I concentrated on softly breathing through my nose like a masked man wasn’t chasing me, wearing nothing but a cloak.

I watched through the slits of my eyes as his steps passed by my tree, and I didn’t contemplate the consequences. I heaved that stick toward the side of his head as hard as I could, but at the last second, he whipped around and caught it mid-strike.

Fuck!

He gripped the stick as if it were made of foam, tossing it aside before he grabbed me like I was nothing more than a rag doll, triggering my fight to no avail. In seconds, he pinned me to the ground, getting on top of me.

I tightly shut my eyes, moving my head side to side, refusing to look at him. In a forceful, demanding grip, he snatched my chin, making me face him. Because I was a defiant woman, it was in my nature and part of my DNA at this point. My eyes snapped open, and I impulsively spat in his face. It landed right on his lips.

To my complete horror, he slowly licked his mouth from one end to the other, cocking his head to the side, baiting me. Holding my wrists above my head, he was now hovering above me, making me much more vulnerable in this position.

I was at his mercy, and he knew it too.

Still, I didn’t open my eyes. Scared of the consequences of what I just did, of what I just watched, of who I would tell and where this would lead me.

Suddenly, his cell phone pinged, and he loosened his hold for a second. Thinking quickly on my feet, I opened my eyes to find him reaching for it. I used his moment of distraction to my advantage and kneed him in the balls as hard as I could, silently thanking my grandfather for teaching me this self-defense technique.

He groaned, falling forward, but before he could fall onto the grass, I shoved his body off me and hauled fucking ass. His body collapsed to the grass in a loud, hard thud, and I instantly felt an immense sense of satisfaction that I could at least hurt him.

Except I didn’t get far. He gripped my ankles, dragging me back to him. My nails dug into the dirt, praying for Mother Nature to help me escape. I should’ve screamed, but again, I was too terrified that more of them found me.

Unable to help myself, I finally spewed, “Why are you still wearing a mask? Huh? You know what that proves to me? You’re just a pussy hiding behind that mask.”

For good measure, I spit in his face again. Only this time, it landed on his cheek. What I wasn’t expecting was for him to scoff out a chuckle, obviously amused with my outburst.

Still feeling feisty, I pushed more boundaries, adding, “People will look for me. If I go missing, they’ll look, and then the truth will come out.”

I lay there on pins and needles, waiting for the inevitable. Once I saw him, there was no going back. I’d be an eyewitness if he gave me over to them. Despite the harsh outcome of seeing his face, it didn’t stop my desire to see who he was.

In one swift movement, he showed me the man behind the black matte mask.

“Oh my God.”

It was who I wanted him to be…

Onyx Devereaux was now my captor and I, his prisoner.

This wasn’t my happily ever after. It was my execution.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Onyx: Falling in love is not a choice. To stay in love is.

Her brown eyes widened as she lay there in disbelief. The fear in her expression quickly shifted to something else entirely.

Lust.

I released her wrists and then hesitantly started moving away with my hands out in front of me in a gesture of surrender. As soon as I was sitting on the balls of my boots, she tried to punch me in the face, but I caught it mid-strike, which only further pissed her off.

I couldn’t blame her, making me hard as fuck.

If anything, I was proud of the courage she held in such a life-and-death situation.

Hennessy was a lot stronger than I ever gave her credit for, and that was saying something, considering I thought she was already pretty brave for all the shit she did out in these woods in the first place.

Alone and with no one to protect her.

Not letting up, she began fighting me again, but I was at my wits’ end with her to begin with.

“Calm down,” I ordered, blocking her attacks.

“Calm down?” She went to hit me again. “You want me to calm down?”

Again and again, she tried to assault me, and my patience snapped like a lead pipe made of string.

“That’s it,” I growled close to her mouth. “I’m over this shit.” I stood, dragging her with me.

“Onyx, don’t you⁠—”

I threw her over my shoulder, carrying her farther into the woods, to a more secluded spot where no one would find us. She kicked the whole way, putting up one hell of a fight, but I didn’t expect anything less from her at this point.

She wasn’t the only one who knew these woods like the back of her hand. I too spent a lot of time out there alone, trying to get away from all the bullshit that was supposed to be my home. It was the only place I could ever feel truly free, just another thing we had in common.

Despite being raised in two completely different environments, we understood each other in ways no one else could fathom. On paper, we didn’t make any sense. In reality, it was the only thing that did, and I loved that about us. I didn’t have to explain who I was or what I believed in…

When I believed in her.

I smacked her ass a few times, trying to get her to steady. Unaware of how much time it took to get to my location, I slammed her ass down by a fire near the river. No one came out this far, too afraid of what lurked in the water, particularly at night.

I was never scared of death. I was terrified of living. If my fate was to die at the hands of a bear or a wolf or a gator, then so be it. I’d die a warrior. Exactly like my pirate ancestors.

Nobody ever understood the importance of lineage as she did, and she read mine as if she had written it herself with only a glance at me. I never had that happen before. Calling me out on it was one of her favorite things to do.

She whipped around as soon as her ass hit the log. “No!” She tried to break free from me as I hovered above her.

“Stop, or you’re going to hurt yourself.”

She glared at me. “Not any more than you already have.”

Inhaling a deep breath, I desperately tried to keep my cool although I was on the brink of insanity when it came to her.

Right on cue, she didn’t hesitate. “What the hell is going on?”

“The less you know, the better.”

“What kind of bullshit response is that?”

“The only one I’m giving you.”

We were at a standoff for a moment.

“Where are we?”

“Where I want you to be.”

“Stop fucking doing that!”

“Shhhh…” I ordered. “The woods echo.”

Slowly moving off her, I sat beside her instead, contemplating what I would say to her next.

Her long dark hair flowed all around her face and down the sides of her body. Her complexion was pale, and her pouty lips were dry from dehydration. She was still wearing the Academy uniform, and something about her submissiveness in that second made me want to claim every last inch of her.

In true Hennessy rebellion, she didn’t stop. “Why would you scare me?”

“Because you love it so much.”

“That’s not⁠—”

“No need to bullshit me.”

“Oh, that’s right! I forgot you know everything about me.”

“You think this is easy for me, Hennessy?”

“You were never going to show me your face, were you?”

“I was, on my time, not yours, but you made it completely fucking impossible for me not to reveal myself. What the hell⁠—”

“How about you think for a minute what I’m going through, you selfish son of a bitch?”

I growled as my hands fisted at my sides. “All I’ve done is think about you, and that’s why we’re in this bullshit to begin with.”

“Are you just going to sit there and be all you?” She gestured her hand toward me, working it up and down.

“You’re not going to ask any more questions⁠—”

“The hell I’m not!”

“If you interrupt me one more fucking time, Hennessy, I’ll gag you. Do you understand me? Nod your pretty little head if you do.”

I could see it in her eyes. She wanted to defy me. However, she reluctantly nodded instead.

“Good girl.”

Her jaw clenched.

“Trust me, Hennessy. I know this is really hard for you, but you have two choices here. You can either listen to every order I give you or…” I paused, letting my words sink in. “You can be silenced.”

She opened her mouth but quickly remembered my warning.

“Good girl.”

She scowled at me, mouthing, “Fuck you.”

I sighed, unwillingly giving in to her. “Ask.”

She didn’t hesitate. “Now I’m just expected to trust you?”

I didn’t waver in my reaction. “I’m not who you think I am.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “I don’t understand.”

“And you’re not going to.”

“Try me. Please. I need to know you’re not going to hurt me.”

“For now, you’re safe with me.”

“For now?”

“You’re going to have to trust me.”

“Don’t you dare tell me that… not after all this.”

“You fell for the man you think I am.”

“That’s not true.”

“You can’t be this naive.”

She winced, not trying to hide it from me. “So what? I’m just a job to you?” Her eyes widened in disbelief.

It was blatantly obvious that her mind was spinning out of control. The realization of my statement caused her more turmoil than it did ease.

She peered around the woods, avoiding my eyes. Her emotions were getting the best of her.

“I just want to go home,” she whispered so low.

She wasn’t talking about her uncle’s. “You’re not safe there right now. You need to be here with me.”

She frowned, tears pooling in her eyes as she bowed her head, defeated. “With you?”

“Yes. With me.”

She peered up at me through her long, dark lashes as a few tears streamed down the sides of her face, but she instantly wiped them away, not wanting me to see her looking so weak.

Again, fear was a hell of a drug, and I understood that too. She was probably crying from the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Still, she didn’t understand I could read her like the back of my hand without even trying.

“You’re safe here for the time being,” I answered her question the best I could.

“With a man like you? A Brotherhood member? You’re precious Blood Oath Brotherhood?”

“Something like that.”

She gave me a questioning stare. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you in danger too?”

“I’m always in fucking danger. It comes with the territory of who I am. I thought you understood that.”

It hurt her to hear the truth out of my mouth. I could tell she felt bad for me, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t faze me.

It did.

Much more than I cared to admit.

I couldn’t remember the last time someone did.

“Why were you ordered to watch me?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me. Do you have cameras in my house?”

Dealing with the tantrum she was about to throw, I spoke another truth, “Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.”

Her face dropped. “The food… it was you?”

“It made you happy.”

Her eyes widened, realizing what this meant. “So you’ve watched me shower?”

Being the asshole I was, I acknowledged…

“Among other things.”

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Onyx: When someone tells you, “You’ve changed,” it might simply be because you’ve stopped living your life their way.

She gasped. “You shameless bastard!” She went at me again. This time, she lunged for me, getting on top of me.

In less than a second, I flipped us over, gripping her throat with my bloody hand, marking her. “Who do you think you’re fucking with?” Unable to resist provoking her, I insisted, “I’m going to need that dagger back now. You can keep the belt.” Licking away her tears from her cheek, I bit, “I’ll tie you up with it.”

All the color drained from her face. “It was you… How did⁠—”

“Hennessy,” I half sang, purposely trying to taunt her. If we were going to have it out, then I was going to enjoy it. “You haven’t been paying attention. I fucking warned you.”

“But you showed me your hands.”

Cocking my head to the side with an evil grin, I confessed, “I just showed you what I wanted you to see. Haven’t you met the makeup artist?”

She rasped, “You fucking asshole.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “How many ways do I have to prove that to you?”

“Why?”

I maliciously smiled. “We’re bonded for life now. You’re mine.”

“You can’t own my soul unless I consent,” she breathed out, not waiting a second. “Rule number one, asshole. The devil can’t collect what isn’t owed to him. That’s free will, you fucking asshole!”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it, loving the fact she already knew that. Sucking on her bottom lip, I scoffed out, “You’re too smart for your own good.”

She didn’t let me get away with it, chomping down on my tongue when I slid it into her mouth. I groaned loudly, and it only made my dick harder. I claimed what was mine, continuing my descent. She kissed me back, not that I didn’t expect her to.

She was as addicted to me as I was to her.

I couldn’t help but notice how vulnerable she felt. How exposed she was to me at that moment. Hennessy didn’t just poison me. She was venomous to herself as well. Belladonna ended up being toxic for both of us, and I hadn’t seen that coming.

For a woman who hid behind her strength, it was hard to watch. At least it was for me.

She slowly licked my blood off her lips, trying to govern her unsteady breathing. Hoping I didn’t realize how much she wanted me to touch her.

Hold her.

Comfort her.

I didn’t.

I couldn’t.

I wasn’t made like that either. I wouldn’t know where to begin. I wouldn’t know what to say, how to explain, how to tell her I’d fallen in love with her. Perhaps it was her venom that made that happen too.

For the first time in my life, I understood the meaning behind the saying that love could kill you, and you’d think I’d already know that by now.

She paused, panting with her forehead placed on top of mine. “None of this makes any sense to me. I should hate you. What did you do to me?”

“You do hate me, or at least you will.”

“Hate is not what I feel for you, Onyx.”

“Hmm…” I murmured against her lips. “If that were true, you wouldn’t live to say it to me.” My bloody hand hadn’t left her throat.

“Why did you mix our blood?” she asked when she noticed.

“The more questions you ask, the less anything is going to make sense.”

“I want to know anyway.”

Going completely against my better judgment, I declared, “It was a ritual of silence.”

“Silence?”

I wanted to provide her the only security I could, which only put her life in more danger, and trust me, the irony was not lost on me. Despite feeling uneasy about confessing this, I answered her persistent question as if I was a man on death row, and in some cases, I was.

Looking deep into her eyes, I shared another truth, speaking with conviction, “I vowed to never tell you what happened to your father.”

If she weren’t lying down, she would’ve fallen to the ground from the impact of what I just openly shared with her.

“You knew my father?”

“Knew isn’t the word I’d use.”

Her eyebrows pinched together. “That’s the same thing your aunt said to me when I asked her about him.”

I stayed quiet. What could I reply to that…

“All I was told was that he died when I was young.”

“He did.”

“Where? Here? Is he part of the Brotherhood too?”

Unsure of how much I’d actually share, I went with it and answered, “He’s like me.”

“What do you mean? Like you, how?”

“He’s a legacy family…”

She gasped with wide eyes. “The crest I saw in the museum?”

I simply nodded.

“What does that mean?”

“Your ancestors started the Blood Oath Brotherhood, just like mine did.”

“Ay dios mío.”

I shook my head, confirming, “Your God isn’t going to save you from this, Hennessy. Your father already cursed you with his last name.”

Determined, she snapped, “I’m not my father.”

“Your bloodline is, and that’s all that matters.”

“What the fuck?” she exclaimed. “Does my mother⁠—”

“Why do you think you live in the Peruvian Amazon, Hennessy? Now I need you to open your fucking eyes and see the truth that’s been in your mind this entire time because it’s the only thing I can’t share with you.”

“So your loyalty lies with them?”

“My allegiance is to keep you alive.”

“My family has a generational business. They’re not hiding me.”

“Your mother has one. That has nothing to do with your father.”

“Why do you say it with such contempt? What did my father do?”

“He betrayed the Brotherhood, and it cost him his life, but before he sacrificed himself, he made sure you wouldn’t know about his legacy. It ended with him, and up until this school year, his request was met.”

“What happened?”

“Your fucking uncle.”

“What can you tell me about him? How is he marrying your aunt? She’s a Devereaux. Why isn’t it an arranged marriage like your sister's? My uncle isn’t in the Brotherhood.”

I merely watched that little mouse running wildly inside her head until once again, all the expression from her face vanished in plain sight as she figured it out on her own.

Answering what was on her mind, I confirmed what she already predicted, “He pledged his alliance to marry her.”

If your soul could actually leave your body for a few seconds, then that was what just happened to Hennessy. I swear I saw it rise right out of her chest and float above us.

Trying to give her whatever reassurance I could, I explained, “You and I are the same.”

“If that were true, I would know about my family’s past.”

“It was designed that way.”

She frowned.

“Your father made sure of it. He did it to protect you.”

“Protect me from your family?”

“No,” I stated. “Protect you from the Brotherhood.”

“My mother knows?”

“The only ones who don’t know are you and my sister, I mean, she knows some, but not all. At first, it was the only reason I agreed to watch you.”

“And now?”

“You’re the reason I can’t stop obsessing over you. Their plan backfired because, baby, to watch you, to learn about you, your every movement, your every gesture, your smile, your laugh, the way you dance, the way you cook, how you talk to nature, how you can read people so easily, your beliefs, your knowledge, your beauty…” I caressed the side of her face, leaving my blood there too.

Maybe in a way, this was my ritual for her.

“Your kindness, the way you love, your innocence, your sass, your determination, your wit, your smart-ass fucking mouth, your strength, your courage, the power you have over wild animals and my fucking dick, everything about you… is to love you, Hennessy Belladonna.”

Her eyes filled with fresh tears. “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“If I had a soul, I’d hand it to you. Do you understand that?”

She nodded. “I understand everything.”

“Good.”

“Deja?” She swallowed hard, my eyes hardening. She knew she wouldn’t get anything else out of me after that. Changing the subject, she questioned, “How long have you been stalking me?”

Unable to resist, I leaned forward, kissing and licking those tears off her face too. “Since the second you stepped onto American soil.”

“That’s four months, Onyx. You’ve been lying⁠—”

“I never lied to you.”

“What do you call what you’re doing right now? You think any of this is normal?”

“Since when have you ever been normal, Hennessy? You talk to nature like it talks back to you.”

“It does.” Without missing a beat, she added, “And you can hear it, or this wouldn’t be your escape too.” She gestured to the firepit.

“I come here to stop the voices, Hennessy.”

“Does it work?”

“It did until you woke them from the dead.”

“Is that what your aunt meant by the woods are witnesses?”

“Just as much as you are. Now do you understand that?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” I repeated.

If I had the power to freeze time, I’d have done it right then and there, but magic like that didn’t exist. If it did, what played out next would’ve never happened to begin with.

In an instant, my whole world flipped upside down as I knew it would eventually. Preparing for it wasn’t enough, no, not even close.

Sacrifice was never something I enjoyed watching. Especially when the victim didn’t earn it, which in most cases, they didn’t. Except none of that mattered.

There were rules to follow, and I just broke all of them, putting our lives at risk to share some of the truth she deserved to know.

I hung us on the cross that night under the full moon. You reaped what you sowed, and I understood that the moment I shouted, “Run!” to Hennessy.

But I was too late. The consequences of my betrayal caught up to us. I grabbed her hand, yanking her up with me and hauling ass, straight out of hell. The demons always caught up with me, particularly when I was dragging an angel with me.

We didn’t make it out of those woods, not when we ran into Caspian…

Hanging from a tree.

Chapter

Thirty-Six

Hennessy: Welcome to the Blood Oath Brotherhood. We’ve been expecting you.

I screamed bloody murder when I saw Caspian’s limp body hanging from my favorite tree. It was the same one I climbed the first time I’d set foot onto this property. I’d used it time and time again, wanting to know what the carved date meant.

“No!” I shouted, instantly going to help him.

His hands were tied to a branch with his mask still on his face. The Brotherhood crest had been burned into his chest, right over his heart. He was wearing only his boxer shorts. They humiliated him. He’d been whipped to a bloody pulp. It wasn’t just his back like with Onyx. It was all over his body, from his arms to his legs to all over his chest.

“What the fuck?” I exclaimed, immediately stripping off his mask to see if he was alive.

His face was the only thing that hadn’t been marred.

“Padre nuestro, que estas en los cielos,” I broke out into prayer. It was the only power I held, crying out.

I’d never seen anything like this. It was too much. It was too real.

“Onyx, help me!” I ordered, tears streaming down my face. “He’s still breathing!”

In less than a second, the rope hanging him up snapped in half, and he fell into my arms. Before I could help him further, a chain wrapped around my ankles out of nowhere. I didn’t have time to contemplate a single thing as I was flipped upside down onto the same tree Caspian was on.

The Brotherhood hung me from my feet.

“No!” Onyx called out with everything inside him. His tone hurt my heart, my core, my soul.

His scream could be heard by our ancestors and the bodies that were buried here.

The council was still dressed in their fancy cloaks, their masks proudly displayed. Not an ounce of blood was spilled on them as a few of them held on to Onyx.

These men hid behind those masks and those cloaks, having someone else do the dirty work for them. They weren’t as powerful as they thought they were, or they wouldn’t have to hide at all.

The truth would be in plain sight.

I’d really done it now, and I wondered if my uncle was among them, watching this tragedy play out as entertainment for their demons.

“You call yourself the Blood Oath Brotherhood, right? Well,” I challenged. “If you kill me, there’ll be consequences!”

They laughed in my face as the blood rushed to my head.

“You’re just like your father,” a voice I didn’t recognize announced.

Smugly, I hollered, “Then you know I’m a fucking witch!”

“Sweetheart,” the same voice boasted, “your father already cursed this Brotherhood.”

How long can a person stay upside down without passing out? Luckily, as a kid, this was my preferred method of hanging off trees. My longest record was seven minutes.

“Yeah?” I mocked. “Why don’t you ask me about my dead-man-switch?”

“Hennessy!” Onyx demanded. “Shut the fuck up!”

They gagged him, and he desperately tried to fight them off. I’d never seen anything like it. He was literally a feral animal, but it didn’t matter. There were too many of them.

“Little girl,” one of the council members pressed their knife up to my throat. Onyx lost his shit, continuing to try to get free.

It was no use. They took a bat to his knees, making him bow at their feet. I heard something crack and whimpered in pain for him.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” the man holding the dagger to my throat remarked.

Thinking quickly, praying that Onyx could hear my thoughts like always, I told a tale, “I made sure if I disappeared, your dagger would see the light of day.”

“Onyx.” His stare flew to him. “What the fuck is she talking about? The night you deleted her photos from her phone, you confirmed the dagger was in your possession again.”

Spitting blood at his feet, he caught on, “I lied.”

Thank you, God…

It didn’t matter what you believed in. God was always on your side. You just had to not lose faith in him. It was how the devil won in the first place. You’d always be tested, tempted, scorned. The secret was not to let it wear you down. The moment weakness took over was the second you’d sell your soul for strength.

“Enough with the fucking games!” the council member roared.

Onyx deviously chuckled, singing out, “But they’re so fucking fun!”

They kicked him in the stomach, knocking him over.

“Stop it!” I pleaded. “He didn’t do anything wrong!”

“All he’s done since you arrived has been wrong! You’ve put a spell on him!”

“Then you should know not to fuck with me!” I spewed.

The back of his hand came up, and I knew what was going to happen next. I braced for it, but in the end, it didn’t matter in the least. The moment he backhanded me across the face, I saw stars regardless.

“No!” Onyx screamed with everything inside him again.

He gripped my face, yanking my head back to look at him. For a second, I thought he was trying to snap my neck. I panted through the pain, trying not to show Onyx how badly it hurt, not wanting him to take the grunt of what was happening to me.

I didn’t wait, blurting, “You hit like a bitch,” spitting blood on his beloved mask.

“You’re nothing but a traitor!” He yanked me toward him, close to his face. “Just like your father! We should’ve never agreed for you to attend here, and now you’re going to pay the price for your fucking sins!”

I resisted the urge to beg for mercy.

Fuck him.

Fuck all of them.

They wouldn’t get what they wanted.

He backhanded me again, but when he gripped my neck, choking me out, I saw my whole life flash before my eyes. It was only then I was smacked in the face with some of the truth. Right then and there, a memory broke loose.

“Mamita, you’re going to stay right here, like a good little girl,” Mamá ordered in a scared tone. “Promise me, alright?” Even though we were in a playroom, I didn’t want to play with anything.

I smiled, hating that sad expression on her face. Mamá was never sad. It made my stomach hurt.

“I promise.”

“Here, play with this,” another woman’s voice added, grabbing my wrist, showing me the music box.

“Don’t touch my daughter!” Mamá shouted in a voice I’d never heard before.

“Please… a little bit of reason… my children are here too.”

There was a boy around my age, standing near his sister. He was holding her hand in the corner of the room, looking right at me.

I had never seen them either. I didn’t like this house or these people. I wanted to go home, but Mamá said we had to find Daddy. My grandparents were at the hotel, and Mamá wouldn’t let me stay with them.

Little by little, I started not being able to breathe, but that only triggered more of my memory.

“Reason?” Mamá repeated. “I’ll give you fucking reason!”

I jumped when I heard another voice shout, “Get the fuck out of my house!”

That time it was a man I’d never seen, and the kids in the corner looked scared of him. The boy hugged his sister tight to his body, and I wanted to run over there to be with them, so I did.

I ran as fast as my legs could get me there until he extended his hand out for me to take, and I did.

There… now I felt safe again.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I hid my face into his chest like his sister. She grabbed my hand too, shutting her eyes like me.

“Not here!” Mamá's voice echoed off the walls.

I heard Onyx’s voice, shouting for me, but I couldn’t follow it, needing to finally come face-to-face with the truth my mind had been hiding from me. Staying in my memory, I felt the warmth of my father grabbing me.

Then all of a sudden, I opened my gaze, finding my papa there.

He’d make everything better now. He always did.

“Mi vida, te quiero con toda mi alma. Perdóname, pero lo voy a arreglar, te prometo que lo voy a arreglar todo para que tú no sufras por mis pecados.” He said, “My world, I love you with all my soul. Forgive me, but I’m going to fix it. I promise you, I’ll fix everything, so you won’t pay for my sins.” He kissed all over my face.

I love Daddy’s kisses. They made me feel so happy.

Mamá didn’t look happy, though. She was crying, watching us only. He kissed my cheek one last time before looking at the other little girl who was still hiding in her brother’s chest.

Slowly, he whispered in her ear, “I wish things could’ve been different. I’m sorry, Deja. In another life maybe…”

I gasped, snapping back to the present while the light in me was dimming.

“No!” Onyx continued yelling for me. “Stop it! You’re fucking killing her!”

“You did this, Onyx,” the council member clutched onto my throat harder, booming, “This is what happens when you betray us!”

“What the fuck did you expect?” Onyx spoke out, hanging on by a thread.

I’d never forget who told me the truth of a secret that was supposed to stay buried for all of my life. Never expecting in my wildest dreams that it’d have the power to bury me with it.

As Onyx confessed…

“If my mother couldn’t resist falling in love with her father, how the fuck did you think I wouldn’t fall in love with his daughter?”

Chapter

Thirty-Seven

Onyx: The truth will set you free because the lie has only ever incarcerated you.

The council stopped choking Hennessy, and she instantly went lax, coughing up a storm. Before relief could take over, he lifted a gun, the red dot aimed directly at my forehead.

“You’re going to pay for that!” With his finger on the trigger, he was about to shoot.

For the first time in my life, I shut my eyes, finding some faith somewhere deep inside me, silently praying he wouldn’t kill me.

Not because I was scared of death, but because I wanted to live for her.

When all of a sudden, my father's panicked voice filled the seedy air, declaring, “I’ll sacrifice myself for the sins of my son!”

My eyes shot open as if the council had actually shot me.

“Have mercy on my boy and kill me instead!”

I didn’t just sit up. I abruptly stood, blown away by what just happened. The members let go of me, and I ran straight to Hennessy, holding her up into my arms before she passed the fuck out. I cradled her, leaning her head against my chest, trying to get her to come back to me.

It was only then that her uncle came out of nowhere, rushing into the woods where we were. In one second, he glanced around, then ran to Hennessy.

“Give her to me!” He reached for her.

“Fuck you!” I snapped, holding her closer to me. “You’re the reason we’re in this fucked-up bullshit in the first place! You couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you? Now look.” I gestured to her as she came to.

“Onyx, please stop…” she weakly bellowed, trying to get out of my embrace.

I growled, keeping her in place.

We were all at a standstill. The council was even in shock. It felt as if years flew by us in a matter of seconds.

“Oh my God…” Hennessy spoke out, breaking the deafening silence.

I looked down at her. It was only then that I realized what she figured out on her own.

For some reason, I thought back on my prayer when she finally understood the truth without anyone having to utter another word to her.

We locked eyes. Hers were filled with so much agony it was hard to see and experience it with her, but I was thankful someone did. Pain like that needed to be shared. You couldn’t carry it alone. It was as if she reached into my chest and yanked out my heart.

It was now beating in the palm of her hand.

Then she ripped it apart, the moment she realized, “Deja is my father’s daughter, isn’t she?”

I didn’t have to confirm. You could see it written all over my face.

Hennessy

“Isn’t she?” I insisted, needing to hear him say it.

No one spoke until my uncle's pleading gaze landed on the council, who hadn’t stopped looking at Mr. Devereaux. I think they were in as much shock as we were that he just sacrificed himself for his only son.

It was the last thing I ever expected, proving where his loyalty lay, despite his blood oath to his sacred Brotherhood. I knew how much this meant to Onyx, and with the expression on his face, he was dying inside.

Tío didn’t surrender, adding, “She already knows the truth. Don’t you think this has gone on long enough? How many more lives need to die before⁠—”

“As many as we need!” one of the council members yelled.

My gaze fell upon Onyx again. I pushed against him, needing to stand. To my surprise, he let me. Finding my balance, I faced the council.

I stood tall, proud, and with conviction. Not thinking twice about it, I stated, “What if I pledge my oath to the Brotherhood?”

Onyx didn’t just fall back. He stumbled from the impact of my vow. “Hennessy, don’t you fucking dare!”

I whipped around. “Haven’t you been paying attention? I do whatever the fuck I want.” With that, I turned back, facing them once again.

I was tired of all the death, of all of the secrets… it was obvious what happened to Mrs. Devereaux and my father now. I didn’t have to be told to know that they sacrificed themselves for their children, or maybe they were tortured and murdered for their affair.

Regardless, this curse…

It fucking ended with me.

“If I pledge my alliance to the Brotherhood, can you spare Mr. Devereaux’s life?”

I could feel Onyx’s glare and Mr. Devereaux’s surprised gaze burning holes all over my body.

Finally, a council member replied, “You’re a woman.”

I didn’t hesitate. “I’m a legacy, and if it weren’t for my ancestors, none of you would be standing here today, so if you really want to talk about the order of things, let’s start there.”

Onyx softly chuckled from behind me, and out of nowhere, Caspian groaned in pain, rolling onto his side.

Pleading my case, I added, “The truth is out now. There is no need for more killing unless you’re doing it for your own sick pleasure and not for what’s in the best interest of your blood oath, which, let me remind you, needs to come first, right?” Grabbing the dagger that they used to cut down Caspian off the grass, I sliced it into the palm of my hand, vowing, “Speak No Evil, Hear No Promises, See No Temptation.” With that, I threw it on the ground between us, lifting my hand to show them my blood oath.

My uncle didn’t hide his pleased expression. He displayed it just as proudly as I was.

To my complete and utter dismay, Onyx stepped out beside me, in front of me actually. Swiftly, my tío did the same, standing beside him. Within seconds, Mr. Devereaux was standing there also.

What they were doing was a ritual in itself, that much I was aware of. As if on cue, Caspian suddenly stood beside Mr. Devereaux, who grabbed him, trying to hold him steady.

Coughing up a lung, Caspian groaned out, “I’m also a legacy family, from the Hawthorne crest, and I think this is a great fucking idea. Can we bury this shit?”

I resisted the urge to chuckle. In true Caspian form, he was a smart-ass even in pain.

“I stand before the Blood Oath Brotherhood,” Mr. Devereaux announced, bringing our attention back to him. It was only then that I noticed he was holding the dagger.

“With the power of the Devereaux crest, my family lineage, for which we would not be gathering here tonight, I vow my oath to you: Speak No Claim, Hear No Promises, See No Temptation.” He slid the knife through the palm of his hand and immediately grabbed mine, lifting it in the air. “The ritual of silence, I accept Hennessy Belladonna into our secret society. For she is the legacy of the Belladonna family, one of the original thirteen families.”

Passing the blade to my uncle, he proceeded to do the same thing, and then Onyx repeated it. I swear I wasn’t intending on this to happen, but my blood wouldn’t be poison after all…

It’d be liberation.

The council members gathered, whispering something into the night. I couldn’t help it. I stared up at the sky, locking eyes with the full moon as crows gathered above us. As soon as I saw them, I knew everything would be alright, or at least, as alright as it could be, given the circumstances.

I wasn’t mad about my father’s infidelity. I wasn’t going to pretend to know what happened in their relationship to make my father stray. It made sense why my family never wanted to speak to me about him. I wondered if it was from the promises he made to save me and Deja.

Is that why they ordered Onyx to watch me?

He was protecting Deja from the truth she still didn’t know, and I’d never tell her. It wasn’t my place to.

I wonder what would happen if she found out my father was hers too?

It made perfect sense why I felt this immediate connection to her, and the truth was, she felt it too. She was the first and only person to welcome me to the Graves Academy.

It all made sense now. Every last second of the past four months of my life came down to this moment.

Fate always had a way of catching up to you.

No matter what, my destiny was here whether I wanted it to be or not. That was the thing about the universe: the pendulum always came back around.

With luck.

With money.

With power.

With anything…

You couldn’t hide from the truth. Eventually, secrets come out into the light.

Cocking his head to the side, the council member who was holding a knife to my face grabbed the dagger out of Onyx’s grasp and announced, “On this day, Hennessy Belladonna is one of us.” He sliced his hand, grabbing mine and mixing our blood before continuing with…

“Welcome home, Hennessy.”

Chapter

Thirty-Eight

Onyx: Welcome home, Hennessy.

To say I thought it’d end up this way would be an understatement. I never imagined it’d be like this. If Hennessy proved anything to me, it was that she really did have no fucking sense, but at least more lives were spared. My father coming to my defense wasn’t something I ever thought could or would happen either.

It was a whirlwind of what the fucks and emotions I didn’t know were possible to experience, especially when it came from my own flesh and blood. I didn’t know where my father and I would go from here, other than it had to be better than where we’d been for the past twenty years.

Once we were back inside the estate, Caspian was seen by the doctor in the banquet hall. It was the farthest room from Deja’s, and the last thing we needed to happen was for her to find out the truth. She was the reason I was following orders in the first place. I never wanted her to find out who her father truly was. She knew about their affair or at least she assumed, despite my father’s attempts, rumors and myths were carried out for life.

She already had a fucked-up life with barely remembering our mother and having an arranged marriage. Those were enough crosses for her to bear. The rest could be kept a secret. I trusted Caspian to know that too. It wasn’t like they could stand being in the room together in the first place, and I was grateful for that fact. They hated each other. It had been that way since we were kids.

As soon as I could, I helped him sit up, apologizing, “I’m sorry they punished you because of me.”

“Not everything is about you.” He half smiled, waiting for Jones to drive him home.

“In this case, it is.”

Hennessy appeared, sitting beside him on the couch. “Looks like you’re going to have some wicked scars there, Caspian. Were you jealous of Onyx’s scars? You had to go get your own?” She smirked. “Don’t worry, I have some medicine I can make to help you heal faster. Now, can I ask why they whipped you too?”

With confidence in his expression, he remarked, “Don’t worry, Amazon princess, you fucking owe me, and trust me, I’ll collect when the time is right.”

Her eyebrows pinched together. “You saw me tonight too?”

“Apparently, so did the council.” He winked at her. “You’re welcome for whatever time I did buy you.”

Her face softened as she carefully leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“Come on, sir,” James chimed in, grabbing hold of him.

Hennessy locked eyes with Alfred. “You knew this whole time, didn’t you?”

He winked at her too before helping Caspian leave with him. When they were out of sight, my father and her uncle appeared in the banquet hall. We hadn’t had a second alone since everything came to light, and I expected there was only more to come.

My father and her uncle didn’t walk in here to say good night and tuck us in.

She didn’t waver, not that I expected her to. Looking up at her uncle, she interrogated, “Am I allowed to ask questions now?”

Her uncle nodded, answering her question from earlier, “Yes, mi niña. Deja’s your half sister. She’s the product of a love affair between your father and their mother.”

Our gazes shifted to my father, who was standing below our last family portrait, staring up at it, lost in memories that would forever haunt him. The irony was not lost on me.

The only reason I knew the truth was that they needed me to watch her, and they were aware of how much loyalty I had to my sister. I wasn’t surprised my mother had an affair. My father was a difficult man to love. I didn’t involve myself in things that didn’t concern me, and this sure as hell didn’t.

Nothing changed about how I viewed Deja. She’d forever be my sister. Who gave a fuck who her biological father was? Mine was the one who raised her, and that was all that mattered to me. I never blamed Hennessy for her father's sins. I was just protective of my sister, and I wasn’t sure what she remembered about the day her mother confronted them on our estate.

The only thing I remembered was the screaming, but how much could you truly recall when you’re that young? My mother often yelled at my father. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for them to be fighting about something. It all made sense once I found out the truth.

Without looking at us, my old man openly shared, “Your father and I grew up together like most legacy children. My wife and I had an arranged marriage. Except she didn’t fall in love with me as I did with her.” He faced Hennessy now. “She fell in love with your father instead. I wasn’t… I’m not…” He gathered his words. “I’ve never been a loving man. I just wasn’t raised like that, but it didn’t mean that I didn’t love her. She was my weakness, and she knew that too.”

I watched him carefully as he slid his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

“Their affair started before we got married. I met her when she turned twenty-one, and I was twenty-five. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She was the daughter of another Brotherhood member, not a legacy child, but a higher elder. They started their affair shortly after we met. The council, of course, found out, and they were warned that she was already promised to me.” He paused, allowing his words to sink in. “Your father vowed to stay away from her. We were due to marry that summer, and your father fled to the Peruvian Amazon to forget. It’s where he met your mother. He stayed at your lodge for the next year and a half, and when he returned home, Onyx had just been born.” He paused again. This time, it was from the pain he was obviously feeling.

I stood, making my way over to him.

“I think you know what happened next…”

I gripped his shoulder, trying to give him any strength I could muster.

“Less than a year later, I thought I was the father of a beautiful baby girl, and for the next five years, I raised her as such. It wasn’t until the council needed her blood work for her arranged marriage that we found out her DNA didn’t match mine, but your father's instead.” He bowed his head, shaking off the emotions. “I plead mercy for my family, but it didn’t matter… your mother showed up shortly after and…”

Her uncle took over. “The council had already made their decision. Eye for an eye. They wanted you, Hennessy. Your life for his sins, but your father sacrificed himself, and since he was a legacy child, they allowed it. With the exception that your mother would take you away from the Graves Academy and you’d never find out the truth of your legacy.”

She stood, walking over to him. “Then how am I here now?”

“Because this is your home, mi niña.”

“So you went against my father’s wishes?”

“Not without your mother’s consent.”

She jerked back. “What do you mean?”

“Your mother always knew about Mrs. Devereaux. Your father never hid the fact that he was in Peru with a broken heart. That he was there to try to forget her. After Deja was conceived, your mother had just given birth to you. Your father flew back to be with her, but he wasn’t made for that world. He constantly traveled back and forth between Peru and here, never stopping his affair with Mrs. Devereaux. They were able to get away with it until it came down to Deja’s paternity. That was when all hell broke loose.”

“Is this how you met Elizabeth?”

“Your father knew I was unhappy with having the burden of our family’s business. He helped me get a job at the Graves, and I chose freedom over the purgatory I’d been feeling. With that, your mother thought I was abandoning her with all the responsibility, and she hated that I’d be working at the Academy where his lover’s mistress lived.”

“Does that mean she knew about them?”

He nodded. “And she put up with it until she couldn’t anymore. She wanted to give you a better example of love and in finding a husband. She never imagined they’d kill him for it. The choice was between the man who’d taken her for a fool or her daughter, so you can imagine that the choice was simple for her. She got on that plane and never looked back until she called me about three years ago.”

She listened intently to everything he was sharing.

“She was crying, saying she messed everything up for you. That she’d never be able to give you the life you deserved, the one you wanted. She said you were unhappy like I was, that she could see it on your face every single day. It didn’t matter how much you hid it from her. You yearned for freedom in the same way I did. She wanted you to attend the Graves Academy to receive the best education for your future, and she knew it’d open doors for you to build connections and make all your dreams come true.”

Her eyes welled up with tears, and I hated seeing her so upset.

“She begged me to help her, to make the council understand that you were meant to be here. I spent the next three years doing exactly that until finally, they agreed, but only if Onyx would watch you and make sure you didn’t remember or find out the truth.”

“Why couldn’t Mrs. Devereaux and my father be together if they were so in love?”

“Because she was already promised to another man.”

“But it would have spared them their lives.”

He caressed the side of her face, looking deep into her eyes before adding…

“Because in this world, mi niña, the council is your God.”

Chapter

Thirty-Nine

Hennessy: Love is messy, but beautiful.

My mind was spinning. “That’s so silly. If they loved each other, they should’ve been able to be together. My father was a legacy family. Why couldn’t she just marry into that instead?”

“I opposed,” Mr. Devereaux chimed in. “I was so young… so full of myself… I didn’t want the shame of another man winning the love of my life. I couldn’t allow her to humiliate me like that, choosing to marry another man over me. My dignity couldn’t stand for it.” He shook his head in disappointment. “I wouldn’t have survived the embarrassment. Everyone knew she was promised to me.”

“Wow,” I rasped. “So your ego won out over their lives?”

He locked eyes with me. “Yes, it did, and I’ve lived with the regret. I thought I could look the other way. As long as she didn’t leave me, I’d let her live a double life until I found out Deja wasn’t mine… then I turned into a man out for vengeance, and the council does love their blood.”

There was no denying it. “You had them killed.”

He didn’t reply, but he didn’t have to. The truth was written clear across his face in bright, bold lettering.

“I’m sorry, Hennessy. That’s all I can offer you now. But please know, I’m in debt to you for saving my life, and I know there’ll come a time when you collect. I look forward to it.”

I thought about what he offered. What could I possibly need from this man? He’d taken my father from me. I wanted to hate him, and I’d be lying if I said, had I known this prior to pledging my oath to the Brotherhood, I still would’ve sacrificed myself for him, but what was done was done.

There was no use in crying over spilled blood now.

The doctor had wrapped my hand, and I squeezed it tight, trying to be strong and not hold grudges or seek revenge. It was what started all of this to begin with. I refused to be like them. I wouldn’t let them change who I was.

I did what felt right. “I forgive you.”

He slightly nodded. “I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know.”

With that, he gestured to Onyx to follow him out on the balcony. Once Onyx shut the double glass doors behind him, my uncle handed me his cell phone.

At first, I was confused. Glancing at the screen, I saw my mother’s name.

Feeling wary, I greeted, “Hola, Mamá.”

She replied, “I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

“How could you keep this from me?”

“I was scared. We all were. Please don’t be mad at your tío. He was trying his best to keep his distance from you. It’s why he’s been so absent and cold to you. He was trying to keep you away from him.”

“This would be the way of things until I graduated, had I not known the truth? Does the town know? Everyone at Graves treats me like I’m a leper.”

“Hennessy, you know more than anyone knows about legends and myths and the power of whispers through generations.”

“This is a mess.”

“It won’t be anymore.”

“How can you say that? Look what I’ve had to do⁠—”

“You’re still a woman in a man’s society. They’re not going to treat you as such. They want your secrecy, not your future. It’ll open a lot of doors for you.”

“I don’t want any of them.”

“That’s your choice to make, and I couldn’t continue to make it for you. Do you understand that?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“I need you to know something.”

“More secrets?”

“Last one.”

“Alright.”

“The protection bracelet your grandmother gave you. It was your father's.”

I glanced at my uncle as he reached into the pocket of his slacks, handing it over to me.

I grabbed it, looking at it. “She said she made it.”

“She did. She made it for him the first week he was at the lodge. She told him that he looked like a man who needed it. He never took it off until he gave it to me to give to you. I returned it to your grandmother, and you know the rest.”

I inhaled. “I’m exhausted, Mamá. I don’t know what to say to you to make this alright between us.”

“One day when you’re a mother, you’ll understand. Your father adored you, Hennessy. Our relationship had nothing to do with how much he loved you. He loved both of you.”

“Then you know about Deja too?”

“Having a sibling is the strongest connection you can share with anyone in the world.”

“She doesn’t know the truth, and I hate that things have to be this way.”

“It’s why I made sure you attended the Graves. It’s the way things should be. Your ancestors started that Academy, and it’s your right to be there.”

“My ancestors also started our lodge, Mamá.”

“Yes, and your childhood will always be here. This is your home. It doesn’t change just because you live somewhere else.”

“If my father is a legacy family, why didn’t he have an arranged marriage?”

“He didn’t want one. Your father was a wild man, and they get to choose if they want to marry or not.”

“What do you know about the Brotherhood? Was he happy?”

“He was a rebel like you. He wanted to find his own identity. Every day you remind me more of him.”

“You sure that’s not why you sent me away?”

“No, mi amor, and I know you don’t believe that.”

She was right. I didn’t.

“Anything else I need to know?”

She chuckled. “I don’t think so, but if you have any more questions, you can always call me.”

I inhaled another deep breath.

“I do have a question for you.”

“Okay.”

I could see her smiling. “Tell me all about the boy.”

It was my turn to chuckle as I looked out the window, trying to find Onyx, only to see his intense stare was already on me.

Onyx

“Onyx,” my father interrupted. Are you listening to me?”

“Mm-hmm…” Hennessy’s gaze connected with mine before I brought my attention back to him.

“Are you alright?”

“Depends on your definition.”

He nodded in understanding. “I’d like to apologize to you too. I was wrong about the girl… Hennessy.”

“Yeah.” I slid my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “You’re wrong about a lot of things.”

“Careful, Son. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“Do you think Deja suspects anything?”

I shook my head.

“And Caspian? He is trustworthy?”

“He took a beating for Hennessy and me. I’m sure of it.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“You know, for a father who obviously loves her, you should try to show it to her sometime.”

“She doesn’t need my love. She has you.”

“She doesn’t need to be married off to a stranger either.”

He shrugged. “That’s not how things work.”

“I’m well aware. Just stating facts.”

“You got what you wanted, Onyx. You should be content with that.”

“Yeah, well, you got what you wanted too, and I don’t see you content with shit.”

He smiled, gripping my shoulder. “Again, Son, the apple does not fall far from the tree.”

With that, he squeezed my shoulder, but at the last second, he threw his arms around me. At first, I didn’t know if this was actually happening or if I was hallucinating. I couldn’t tell you a time when my father ever hugged me.

I stood there for a few seconds completely frozen, unsure of how to react to his blatant display of affection until he tucked his face into my neck, whispering, “Your mother made me understand what love was, and to this day, it still feels like a prison sentence. Every day I look at the two of you, and I’m reminded of her demons. I’ve spent years trying to work through that, but I am who I am.”

Slowly, I embraced him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

I swear I felt a tear drop onto my skin as he wholeheartedly expressed, “Deja may not be my blood, but I’d take a bullet for her too. You’re both my children, and that will never change. I love you, Onyx Devereaux, and I’m proud as fuck of the man you’ve become. I need you to understand, the Brotherhood isn’t my damnation for you.”

In one breath, he added…

“It’s my salvation.”

Chapter

Forty

Hennessy: Blood was bond.

It was the early hours of the morning by the time we made it back into Onyx’s bedroom. I never thought I’d think of this house as anything other than an imprisonment. It was wild how much your perspective could change when you least expected it.

“Hey.” I walked out onto the balcony of his bedroom.

He leaned his elbows against the rails, watching the sun rise, declaring a new day.

“You need to get some sleep.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Will you come lie with me?”

For a moment, our eyes connected before he nodded. I grabbed his hand, leading him inside.

When we passed his bed, he questioned, “Where are you going?”

“To shower. We’re filthy.”

“Hennessy—”

I looked back at him. “Trust me.”

Once we were in the bathroom, I turned on the shower, and within seconds, the glass fogged up from the steam of the hot water. Not letting go of his hand, I spun to face him.

His eyes never lied to me. They were curious about how far I wanted to take this. There was no unease in my hands as I let go of his to unbutton his shirt. One by one, my fingers moved down his torso before carefully pulling it down off his arms, cautious not to hurt all the bruises already forming on his body.

“How’s your leg? You’re limping.”

He grinned. “I’ll live.” Softly, he caressed my neck. “That motherfucker’s hands were all over your throat. You got a nasty bruise. You’ll have to cover that up.”

I repeated his words, smiling. “I’ll live.”

“You almost didn’t.”

I smiled wider. “Now I have a legend to tell my kids.”

“Kids, huh?”

“Mm-hmm…”

Once he was shirtless, something came over me. I leaned in and softly kissed all over his chest while peering up at him through my lashes.

My hands reached for his belt and the button of his slacks, stripping them off as well, letting them fall to his ankles. He stepped out of them, never breaking our intense connection.

In one quick move, I undressed—my Academy uniform, bra, panties, and knee-high socks. His prying stare quickly turned predatory with desire. I smiled, loving the reaction my body evoked in his face. Stepping back into the shower, I brought him with me.

He closed the doors as I approached him with caution, terrified he’d push me away but not caring if he did. Tenderly, I touched the bruises and cuts that ruined his once soft skin on his chest, his arms, and his stomach. I even caressed the scars on his back from the whipping he took for just kissing me.

I wanted to remember this moment, seeing him vulnerable. My beautiful broken boy.

Mine.

His body shuddered when I touched him, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My fingers moved to his sides. I wanted to get rid of all the hurt and torment he might be feeling.

For me.

He grabbed my hand, unable to handle the affection. Gripping my face, he scolded, “You have no fucking sense, Hennessy! Not one bit of fucking sense… How could you do that?”

“You expected me to let your father die in front of you? Come on, you have to know me better than that. It would’ve ruined whatever is left of you, and I couldn’t let that happen, not when I’m in love with you.”

He narrowed his stare at me, gripping my face a little harder. There under the hot cascading water above our heads.

In one breath, he murmured, “I love you too, Hennessy. My crazy fucking girl.”

I didn’t get a chance to reply. Instead, he slammed his mouth onto mine.

Onyx

The steaming hot water rushed down our naked bodies as if it was cleaning off our families’ sins. We’d never be able to change what happened or to make it any better. We’d definitely never be able to forget.

Clutching the sides of her face, I steadied her until her back hit the tile in the shower.

To claim her, own her, worship her… fucking love her.

For a minute, I allowed her to take my breath away. In my eyes, she’d never looked so fucking beautiful, so goddamn breathtaking, so fucking mine. I gripped her wrists and held them above her head with one hand, while the other slid from her face down to her breasts, kneading them in my hand.

She moaned. I wouldn’t let up. I just kept kissing her, caressing her, whispering how much I loved her. Using my lips to wipe away all her tears, tasting her truths, her father’s sins, her vows to the Brotherhood.

Before another second slipped by, I kissed her for all the months I couldn’t, losing myself in her. It was almost like I was trying to kiss away her allegiance to the society. I never wanted this to happen to her, but I was strong enough to hold her demons with mine.

“Do you have any idea how many nights I’ve watched you, imagining all the things I wanted to do to you?” I pressed against her lips, causing her eyes to flutter open.

I trapped her gaze with mine. She triggered a profound carnal reaction from within me. Her lips were swollen and red, her skin warm and flushed, her hair tousled and flowing loosely all around her gorgeous face. I released her wrists, pulling a few strands of her hair away from her eyes, wanting nothing in the way of her surrendering stare.

I held her face between my hands, prepared to tell her what would always haunt my mind.

“I’ll always protect you, Hennessy. Do you understand that?”

“Yes…”

“You’re mine.”

“Yes…” She nodded, instinctively gripping my wrists, still cradling her face, providing me with the strength to keep going.

“I can’t lose you. Please tell me you know that?”

“I do. I swear it. Please make me yours…”

I didn’t have to be told twice, gliding my tongue into her mouth. She stirred, melting into my touch. I could feel her chest rising and falling against my torso. Her hard nipples firmly pressed against my tarnished skin and tattoos. I hadn’t even touched her yet, and she was already fucking melting, splitting at the seams for me. Exactly the way I wanted her to be.

“Onyx,” she panted, strangled and frantic.

That was my undoing. I dropped to my knees, dying to taste heaven. Sucking her sensitive clit into my mouth, she was now at my mercy, and I never intended to give it to her.

Through heated eyes, she pleaded, “Please…please…”

“Only because you asked so nicely.”

“Onyx…” She purred out my name, fisting my hair, using it as leverage to stay upright.

I made love to her with my tongue, working her clit side to side and up and down as she ground her hips in a back-and-forth motion against my lips and tongue. She was going to rip out my hair, making my cock throb so fucking hard, I started to fuck my fist.

She started coming down my throat and chest.

I watched her unravel from the inside, possessing every last fiber of her being.

I taunted, “Whose pretty little pussy is this?”

“It’s yours. It’s all yours.”

I grinned with her clit in my mouth. Her body shook so fucking violently from the pressure and pleasure, screaming out, “Onyx!”

I made her come one last time with my mouth, before I stood. Wrapping her legs around my waist, I backed her against the shower tile again. I should’ve gotten her ready to take my cock, but I was a shameless bastard, and I wanted to feel her from the inside with my dick first. I wanted to feel her pain of losing her virginity to me.

I’d never been with a virgin before.

She was holy.

Through hooded eyes, she gave me what I craved. “I want your dick inside me.”

“Good girl.”

Needing to bury myself inside her, I longed to feel her tight virgin pussy wrapped around me. She didn’t have to wait long. In one hard thrust, I slid inside her.

She cried out in pleasure, but also in pain, and I liked that a little too much.

I kissed her all over her face, her neck, her breasts, back to her lips again, whispering, “Are you okay?”

Sliding my hand between our bodies, I began rubbing her clit, trying to make it easier for her to take my cock.

“Goddamn… you’re so fucking tight… I’m going to break you.”

“Promise?”

“Just the thought of your virgin blood on my dick right now is driving me to the brink of insanity.”

I was a sick fucking bastard. Blame it on the Blood Oath Brotherhood. I didn’t think twice about it. I brought my bloody fingers up to my lips and sucked them in my mouth.

Her eyes widened, shocked by what I just did.

“Your virgin blood is now a part of me, the ritual of innocence that belongs to me too now.”

Her gaze was still huge. “You’re so fucked up… but I love you too.”

I didn’t stop thrusting in and out of her, feeling her clamp on tighter and tighter with each push and pull of my body. Our hearts pounded, our lungs completely out of breath, vanished in our abandonment.

Slowly rocking her hips, getting used to the feeling of my shaft deep inside her, her head rolled back with another moan. All I could hear was her desire. Encouraging me to go faster, harder.

I could feel her pussy tighten, gripping my cock like a fucking vise. Grabbing onto the back of her neck, I wanted to bring her closer to my face. Our lips found each other, no longer having any control over our actions.

“I love you, Onyx. I love you so much.”

That one statement made me lose all sense, roughly gripping her hips. I pounded into her. Both our mouths parted, breathless, riding the high together. When I felt her pussy throb against my cock, pulsating long and hard, her coming was my undoing.

She’s my undoing.

She came hard, and I followed her over the edge, releasing my seed as far back in her cunt as I could. As both of us tried to catch our breath, I kissed her again. I couldn’t get enough of her.

We stayed in the shower all morning. For once, my demons were resting…

The angel riding my dick made sure of it.

Chapter

Forty-One

Onyx: The Ritual of Flame

It was Christmas Eve. I bought Hennessy a few of her favorite things, including a flight home. We’d be leaving in the evening and staying until after the new year. We’d also be surprising her family.

She was adamant about giving me one of my gifts tonight, saying it had to be at midnight under the full moon. She wore one of my hoodies, saying some shit about not being able to wear her outfit in public. It was for me only, intriguing me even more than I already was.

Once we were outside our woods, near the carved tree, she asked, “What does that date mean?

“You don’t need the burden of that date.”

“Yeah, well, you can’t carry it alone.” She kissed me.

Since it was Christmas, I shared, “It’s the day your father and my mother were⁠—”

She kissed me again, silencing me. “Got it,” she breathed out before backing away. “Thank you for telling me.”

“Look at you, all polite. Where’s my girl?”

“Hey!” She giggled. “I’m actually a very polite girl.”

“You’re a pain in the ass is what you are.”

She laughed. “Ditto.”

I spanked her. “Hey!” she repeated.

“Good girls don’t get spanked.”

“Yeah… I feel like that gets me spanked more by you.”

I shrugged, gesturing to the way she decorated out there. “Been busy?”

There were fairy lights on the trees, a blanket near the firepit. A few random things were lying on it, a white cloth with a red candle.

“If you don’t behave, you’re not going to get my gift.”

I reached for her. “That’s supposed to stop me?” Unable to resist the temptation that was this woman, I gave in. “Show me.”

She crouched beside the pile of wood. “Help me.”

I did, squatting beside her. She looked at me as I grabbed a few logs and tossed them on top of the others.

“Not like that,” she corrected, moving the wood in a certain way.

I watched her as she stated, “Fire needs to breathe.”

I sat back, leaning against one of the logs I’d use to sit with my arm perched on my knee, waiting. Pulling off my hoodie, she threw it at my feet, leaving her in a white mini ruffled skirt that showed off her ass cheeks with a white top that barely covered her breasts, and her feet were bare.

My expression turned heated.

“You like?” She smiled, turning in a slow circle for me.

“I love.” Grinning, I added, “The lack of clothes is nice too.”

She chuckled, grabbing one of the matches from the box. She slid it against the striker strip in such a sinful way, I couldn’t look anywhere else if I wanted to. She had my complete and utter focus.

She made her way over to the kindling and lit the lighter fluid on top of the wood, causing it to erupt. Behind the flames, she seductively rocked her body as she played a song on her phone. I could tell it was one of her Afro-Peruvian songs. They were her favorite to dance to.

My girl was like nobody I’d ever seen. A man started singing, “Burn her and turn on her candle.”

It didn’t translate the best into English, but the beat was similar to the one I’d heard in other songs. The fire caught, illuminating the shape of her face as she stood. Grabbing the red candle off the blanket, she danced her way over to me.

The music was low and rhythmic, with her hips following the drum of the tune, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She wasn’t just moving her body. She was one with the drums. Her knees bent slightly with each beat, keeping all her heady movements low to the ground.

Her hips continued to sway side to side in a controlled, steady movement. She slowly spun in a circle, her skirt bunching, showing off all of her ass now.

I growled, enjoying the fucking view.

Lifting the candle, she lit that too, moving her hand all around her, the flame following her trail. The light caught her face, making her smile for me.

In three seductive strides, she stopped right in front of me.

“Your turn.”

I shook my head. “I don’t dance.”

“I don’t need you to dance. I need you to put my fire out.”

Not understanding what she meant, she handed me the candle before turning around.

“Préndeme la vela, Onyx.”

She was telling me what the lyrics ordered to turn on her candle. It was only then I noticed the white cloth was tucked into her skirt and hanging down below, closer to the back of her thighs, and I thought she’d lost her mind.

“It’ll burn you.”

“Only if you don’t put it out first.” She beamed. “I trust you.”

Feeling reluctant, I did as instructed, lighting the cloth on fire. Instantly, she bent her knees, so the fire was farther away from her skin as the fire crackled beside us.

The drums grew louder, faster, filling the silence all around us. She moved in front of me, dancing with precision, with the fire now between us. All I could see was her; all I could feel was her.

The music continued, the fire getting higher on the cloth, but her hips never stopped moving, causing the fire to never get close enough to burn her. This wasn’t the first time she was dancing this, and it kind of pissed me off.

What man is putting out the fire in Peru?

She read my mind, baiting, “The tourists put out my fire, Onyx. What are you going to do about it?”

I growled again, reaching to put it out with my bare hands, but she quickly danced away from me. She wanted me to chase her, and it was still one of my favorite things to do.

The fire grew, and I followed her, trying to put it out to no avail. She was too fast, too skillful, never looking like she didn’t know what she was doing in such a sinful and delicious way.

She rocked her hips, swaying her body and working me into a fucking frenzy until finally, I got behind her and started moving my hips in line with hers, the fire now between us.

She celebrated, leaning her head back against my chest. “I thought you didn’t dance.”

“This isn’t dancing. It’s fucking with clothes on.”

Wiggling her eyebrows, she teased, “Jealous?”

The voice on the song kept singing, “Burn her, burn her, burn her.”

My cock twitched. We rotated in a slow circle, our hips in sync with each other, the fire getting closer and closer to her ass cheeks.

This was a dancing ritual between us, and I fucking loved her for that.

With no direction, I dropped to my knees and put out the fire with my bare hands. Her breath caught, realizing what I’d just done.

She rasped, “No one’s ever been able to do that.”

With that, I yanked her toward me as if I were a possessed man. This was such a feral moment between us. I’d never experienced anything like it.

Our own little ritual, one that she was teaching me.

I placed her on my lap with her legs straddling my waist. She kissed along my cheek, moving down my neck. I wrapped my hands around her waist, sliding them under her top to feel the soft skin on her back.

She rotated her hips against my cock in approval, leaning her head back to give my lips more access to her flesh. My mouth moved from her neck down to her collarbone, slowly savoring the elevated heat of her body pressed up against mine and getting hotter with each caress of my tongue touching her skin.

I grabbed both sides of her face, closing the distance between us, colliding our lips together. Our tongues did their own sinful dance, devouring each other. I bit her bottom lip, causing her to whimper. Her mouth was so fucking perfect, and all I could picture was her plump lips wrapped around my cock.

She was one of a kind.

Mine.

Her lips parted. I slipped my tongue into her waiting mouth. When she breathed out, her scent was all around us, consuming my desire to feel her wrapped around me. I leaned forward, flipping her onto her back on the blanket. I wanted to feel her body beneath mine. The second I was above her, my hand started roaming. Her breathing picked up, engulfing me in nothing but my need to keep going and claim what would always be mine.

She writhed and moaned beneath me, only enticing me to go further. My hand moved to the top of her breast, her nipple hardening. She pushed her breast further into my hand, and I immediately gripped it harder, earning me a moan.

It was the best sound in the world.

I rubbed my hard cock against her pussy, igniting this friction between us. She followed my lead, starting to rub up against me.

“Fuck,” I groaned into her open mouth.

Her hips moved faster against my cock with much more momentum than before. I felt her hand creep down between us and delicate fingers wrap around my dick over my jeans. She stroked me with a steady rhythm.

There was something animalistic about the way I was staring at her. A lion before it attacked its prey, luring me in with her eyes.

“What do you want?” she panted.

“Only what you can give me,” I simply replied, not budging for a second.

She knew she was testing my limits, provoking me on purpose, but this was a power struggle I wasn’t willing to lose.

She was breathless, her chest immediately heaving. “What if I don’t want to?”

“I didn’t ask what you wanted.”

She sucked in her lip, contemplating disobeying me, pushing my buttons a little more, but the look on my face told her I’d reached my limit.

“You’re so possessive.”

“What tourists, Hennessy?”

“Why?” she mocked. “Are you going to put a hit out on them?”

“No, baby.” I gripped the front of her throat. “I’ll kill them with my bare hands for touching one inch of your skin.”

“That’s healthy…” she taunted, fully aware of what she was doing. “I’d still choose the bear.”

“Sweetheart.” I grinned against her mouth. “You did.”

She smiled against mine. “Don’t I know it.”

Within seconds, I had her completely naked beneath me.

“What about your clothes?”

Over her rebelliousness, I flipped her onto her hands and knees. Before she could go anywhere, I gripped her hair by the nape of her neck and yanked her back toward me. Her ass was against my cock, her body arched like a fucking cat.

“Who do you think you’re fucking with?” I breathed out, gently licking my lips, stirring her need for me to kiss her.

“Do you want me to touch you?” I baited, walking my fingers down her stomach.

She sucked in air, and I grinned against her mouth.

“Do you know what I could do to you? How I could make you feel?” I continued. “Where, baby, where do you want me to touch you?” I cocked my head to the side, still not moving my lips from hers. “Where?” I slid my fingers down her stomach, slipping them into her pussy. She was just about to cum from that alone, and I hadn’t even touched her yet.

It was easy to make Hennessy come. It didn’t take much. Her body was mine to own, and she willingly gave it to me. She was such a primal being, never ashamed of how much I could make her come for me. She took her pleasure in any form that I gave it to her, never denying me either.

Another moan escaped her lips just from the anticipation of what I was going to do next.

“Here?” I tormented, softly touching her pussy.

She didn’t say a word. She was barely breathing.

I rubbed everywhere, except where she really wanted me to.

“Or…” I pressed my fingers against her clit. “Here?”

She loudly panted, which earned her a smile from me. I didn’t even try to hide it. She grabbed at the back of my neck for more leverage. I couldn’t take it anymore, moving her clit in a side-to-side motion.

“Feels good, huh?”

“Yes…” she finally whimpered.

I slid my finger between her lips, running it from her opening, back up to her clit. I could feel her wetness pooling. Continuing my sweet torture for a few seconds, I enjoyed the feel of her slickness against my callused fingers.

When I eased my finger into her opening, she whimpered again, and I shoved my tongue into her mouth, savoring both the taste and feel of her, and how her body was completely in my control.

“Oh, God, right there,” she panted into my mouth when my finger angled deep inside her, slowly slipping in another finger, working her pussy over in a steady rhythm, making me squirm to the music that switched over to Closer by Nine Inch Nails.

“Right there?” I mocked, pushing harder against her G-spot.

Her body felt warm all over, with an uncontrollable need for something to happen that would take away the ache I was deliberately creating.

“You know what else I want?” I kissed her with a much more heated look in my eyes. “What I want more than anything?” I kissed her again. “Is for you to tell me what I need to hear.” I rubbed harder and faster, and her lips parted.

Her eyes closed as I spread her legs wide open. Her breathing was heavy and deep, with sweat glistening off her forehead. Her clit was so exposed that I could see the bright red nub from where I was. She shined vibrantly with the pre-glow of her impending orgasm that I didn’t allow her to finish under her precious full moon.

“I know what your pussy feels like when it’s about to come, and how your face gets flushed, and your breathing gets heavy.”

Her breathing hitched when I reached her inner thigh as I finger fucked her harder and with more determination.

She moaned, and her head fell back.

“I’ve barely touched you, and your legs are already shaking. You’re fucking addicting. The taste of you, the feel of you, the love I have for you. I’m poisoned by you. You’re mine.”

A single tear fell down the side of her face.

“It’s just you and me, Hennessy. I’m not going anywhere, and trust me, neither are you. I’m yours.”

Another tear fell, and I kissed that one away.

“You swear?”

“I promise, and my word is bond.”

She smiled, whispering, “I love you.”

I pulled out my cock, except it wasn’t her pussy I claimed that night.

It was her asshole.

Chapter

Forty-Two

Hennessy: Welcome to Iquitos, home of the Peruvian Amazon.

“You must’ve spent a small fortune on first-class tickets, Onyx. You’re spoiling me.”

“Who else am I supposed to spend my money on?” He tugged on the ends of my hair. “Besides, you think I could travel twenty hours with no fucking legroom?”

I smiled. “Fair.”

We landed in Peru a few days ago. It was New Year’s Eve, and Onyx planned our first official date out. We really did do things ass backwards, but since we became an actual couple, we hadn’t left his bedroom much. I never imagined how this man managed to keep his hands off me for so long. Nowadays, he spent most of his spare time inside me.

Not that I was complaining.

“What are you thinking about over there?” he asked while he was driving.

“I still can’t believe you’re driving.”

He honked his horn, holding it down and aggressively hollering, “Hijo de puta!” Like a true Peruvian, he shouted, “Son of a bitch.”

The laws governing driving in my country were nonexistent.

I loudly gasped. “You do speak Spanish!”

He grinned, glancing at me. “Just the cusswords.”

I laughed. “Where are you taking me anyway?”

“What part of surprise do you not understand?”

I rolled my eyes, and he gripped my leg, right where I was ticklish.

I grabbed on top of his hands. “Hey! Pay attention to the road and stop torturing me.”

“But it’s one of my favorite things to do.”

“Sir, you cannot dress me up as Little Red Riding Hood and chase me through the Amazon.”

“Damn,” he rasped in an exaggerated tone. “I’m going to have to change the plans for tonight then.”

“You hunt me on your property all the time. Aren’t you bored of it yet?”

“Says the woman who begs me to hunt her.”

I smirked. “That’s only because it leads to the other stuff that I’m quite fond of.”

“Other stuff, huh?”

“Yeah, you know… the part when you catch me and then have your way with me.”

“Is that what I’m doing?”

“Isn’t it?”

“I’d call it fucking you senseless, but we can go with yours.”

“Aw,” I mocked. “You’re such a gentleman.”

“I do what I can.”

Minutes later, we were driving up to the Port.

Once he parked the car, he reminded me, “Show me your home, baby.”

I squealed, jumping out of the car. We got on a boat, and we went to my favorite spot, El Dorado.

“Wow…” he breathed out, looking all around him. “This is… damn… I don’t have words for this.”

With the trees, the sun, the vibes, it was perfect. We got comfortable, parking by a tree. I leaned my back against his chest, loving his warmth on my skin. It was summer in Peru. The weather was perfect.

“Tell me about your life, Onyx.”

“We’re getting deep now?”

I glanced up at him through my lashes, giving him doe eyes. “Yes, please.”

For the first time since he told me on Halloween night, I blinked twice for him.

“You do know how much I love you begging me.”

I did.

“There’s not much to know.”

“You know everything about me. How about I just ask you questions and you answer them?”

He narrowed his gaze at me, and I accepted it as an invitation.

“How many women have you been with?”

He cocked his head to the side, grinning. “That’s your first question?”

“Well, as you know, you’re quite skilled, and I’d like to know how you got that way.”

“What can I say?” He kissed the top of my head. “I’m blessed from the gods.”

I giggled. “That is not an answer.”

“You’re not going to like the answer.”

“Come on, try me.”

“Hennessy…”

“Fine, is it less than ten?”

Reluctantly, he shook his head.

“Hmm… less than twenty?”

He shook his head again.

My eyes went wide. “Less than fifty?”

He blinked, debating whether to shake his head.

“Jesus! You’re twenty! Are you having sex every day with random women?”

“I lost my virginity when I was thirteen. It’s like a rite of passage among the Devereaux men. Add a girl a month, maybe a few, give or take in seven years, and you have your number.”

My mouth dropped. “Oh my God! You’re a man whore!”

He chuckled. “I’d say experienced, but again, we can go with your definition.”

“And you used a condom every time? Because you sure as hell don’t use one with me.”

He smiled. “That’s because you’re holy.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

He simply stated, “You’re on the pill.”

My mouth dropped again. “It’s truly disturbing that you know that only because you’ve stalked me on camera.”

“Stalked implies I stopped.”

Sitting up, I smacked him on the chest. “You’re still watching me?”

He smiled in that sexy yet devious way. “You’re my favorite show to watch.”

“I need therapy for the fact that I find this incredibly attractive.”

He grabbed the back of my neck, tugging me toward him to kiss me. “I’ve never gone raw until you.”

Needing to hear him say it, I questioned, “Are you lying?”

“I don’t lie to you.”

“Good answer.”

“Are we done with this game?”

“Not even close.” Sitting back in front of him, I followed up with, “Have you ever had a girlfriend?”

Catching on, he shared, “You’re my first anything and everything that’s ever mattered to me.”

I beamed. “Great answer.”

He reached for me. “What do I get as a reward?”

I swatted his hands away. “No, don’t start that. Next question, what do you want to do with your life?”

He didn’t hesitate in replying, “I want to travel the world with you.”

“What does it feel like to be a trust fund baby and not have to worry about money or anything like that?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

I jerked back. “I’m not a trust fund baby.”

His expression softened. “You have me now.”

“That’s very sweet, but I don’t need your money.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

“I’m serious!” I playfully smacked him again. “I’m an independent woman.”

“Is that right?”

“Yep.” I teased, “I don’t need a man.”

“Is that right?” he repeated with a hard edge in his tone.

“I mean.” I shrugged. “We may not be together forever.”

“Mmm…” he replied.

In the blink of an eye, he yanked me toward him to straddle his waist.

“Try to leave me,” he warned, and I loved every second of it.

Onyx

“I could. What are you going to do about it?” she baited.

Giving her what she craved, I coaxed, “I could tie you up to my bed.”

She spoke, kissing my face. “You already do that.”

“I could kidnap you and use you as my sex slave?”

Kissing along my jawline, she expressed, “You already do that too.”

I scoffed out a chuckle. Not hesitating, I added, “I could marry you.”

That made her stop to look at me.

With a serious expression, I said, “Then you could tell our kids about your legend.”

She bit back a smile. “Mmm… sounds like you’ve given this some thought.”

“Oh, you know… once or twice.”

Shifting to sit on my cock now, she mused, “What else have you given some thought to?”

“How you’d look sucking my cock right now.”

She leaned forward, kissing my mouth. “And?”

I groaned, “You’re making this really hard on me.”

“You’re really hard beneath me.” Purposely, she swayed her hips on my dick.

“How am I supposed to sleep in the lodge and you in your bedroom like we’re twelve?”

“I find it hard to believe you weren’t sneaking into girls’ windows at that age, but it’s custom in Hispanic families.”

“Then I’m going to have to make an honest woman out of you.”

“That’s the second time you’ve said that for a man who’s only thought about it once or twice.” She rocked her hips again.

“I’m just trying to win your mother over. She doesn’t like me.”

She kissed me. “She doesn’t know you.”

I shook my head, chuckling. “That’ll only make it worse.”

“Onyx.” She rubbed her lips on my neck. “She’s hard on everyone, including me, so you’re going to have to win her over.”

“Then we’re going to have to get married.”

“That’s three times.” She giggled, making my cock twitch. “The Devereauxs and the Belladonnas uniting as one?” Wiggling her eyebrows, she taunted, “What would the council say?”

“We’re bound by blood, you and I. I’m sure they’re already expecting it. Two legacy families coming together will make their dicks hard.”

“You’re talking like you’ve already asked them.”

I cocked my head to the side. “I don’t ask for anything.”

“I see…”

“What do you think we’re doing here, baby? Playing house?”

“I’m loving you, and you’re loving me.”

“And what do you think that’s going to lead to?” Gripping the nape of her neck, I questioned, “Have you not been paying attention? Hear this, and maybe it will make sense to you. I don’t do anything half-assed. It’s all or nothing with me. You understand?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Onyx, are you asking me to marry you?”

“No.” I kissed her. “What you and I have goes deeper than marriage. It’s not a vow that we say in front of people. It’s already been written into our destinies. Time, distance, death, it doesn’t matter… I’ll find you in every lifetime, Hennessy. You didn’t curse me, you saved me.”

Fresh tears swelled her eyes. “How do you always know what to say?”

“Because I only speak the truth.”

“Well, just so you know.” She smiled wide. “I’m not changing my last name. I’ll hyphenate it.”

“Are we done with your game?”

Pleased with herself, she remarked, “For now.”

Unable to hold back, I flipped us over on the boat, hovering above her. She watched my every move as I reached into the pocket of my shorts and pulled out a diamond ring.

She slightly gasped as I slid it on her ring finger.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her gaze blazing with fire.

“What it looks like.”

“And what’s that?”

Without thinking twice about it, I vowed…

“Claiming what’s mine in every lifetime.”

Epilogue

Hennessy: The end or is the beginning…

“Oh my God!” Deja exclaimed, grabbing at the back of her tank top. “There’s a fucking bug on me!”

I laughed, swiping it off her. “It’s not poisonous. You’re fine. I told you not to wear that perfume out here because it would attract them.”

“Ugh,” she remarked. “Then I’d stink like Caspian.”

We’d flown back to my home for spring break. This time, she and Caspian came with us, much to her disappointment. She really hated him.

“Careful, Goldie Locks, the bear might get you,” Caspian goaded, pretending to be a spider crawling on her with his fingers.

We were walking through the Amazon. Onyx wanted to catch dinner with his crossbow.

She swatted Caspian’s hand away. “You know they have perfectly good food already cooked back at Hennessy’s house, right? Your family has already made me gain five pounds.”

“Then stop eating,” I stated.

“Rude.” She touched her chest. “You’re supposed to say I look amazing.”

For us being half sisters, we truly were nothing alike.

“Deja, shut the fuck up,” Onyx ordered in a playful tone. “You’re scaring away dinner.”

“Good! Why do you need to kill something anyway? It’s so barbaric. You know we’re in the twenty-first century now, right? You really need to talk to a therapist.” She looked at me. “You should make him.”

“Deja, I can’t make your brother do anything.”

Onyx looked over his shoulder. “The lies she tells you.”

I smiled.

Everything had returned to normal, or as close to normal as it could be. I made some new friends at school, but I spent most of my time with Onyx. My uncle and his father had come around to the idea of us. We ate dinner together every night. I even went shopping with Elizabeth a few times.

I thought maybe she was being a bitch to me at first, but the more I got to know her, the more I understood that was her personality and the way she showed affection. I guess it came with the last name Devereaux. She was a hard-ass.

My mother was adamant that I bring Deja with us this time. She wanted to meet her. They actually got along very well. My mother even read her cards last night. She wouldn’t tell me what she said. I’d get it out of her eventually. We’d become close in the past few months.

Now Onyx was still Onyx, not that I wanted him to be anybody different. He still had his same kinks and loved to chase me through the woods. Especially when he was wearing his mask, he let me ride his face with it on.

Life got lighter again, which I more than appreciated.

Later that night, we’d come home from the club, drunk as shit.

“You need to stop,” I chastised Onyx as he backed me into his room.

They each had their own rooms in the lodge while I was back in my bedroom. My family would shit a brick if we slept in the same bed together.

“You know that’s only going to make me keep going.” He kicked the door shut.

“We cannot have sex right now,” I murmured. “My family would kill you.”

“I’m prepared to face the consequences for your pussy.”

“Ay dios mío.”

He shook his head, taking off his shirt. “Your God isn’t going to save you now.”

“Onyx…” I coaxed.

“Why are you whispering?”

“I don’t know.” Smirking, I decided to push his buttons. “It’s a force of habit when guys sneak me into their bedrooms.”

He cocked his head to the side. “For someone who claims they don’t like to be spanked, you sure do love making it happen.” He lunged for me, but I quickly backed away. “You’re going to pay for that one.”

“Onyx, don’t you dar⁠—”

He tackled me to his bed, and I shrieked, giggling at the same time.

“I don’t know whether to punish you with my cock in your pussy or...” He hovered above me, caging me in with his arms around my face. “Or in your ass?”

“Either or would be great with me, my lord.”

He smiled, loving his nickname I randomly said one night. “I didn’t say I’d let you come.”

“Good!” I ducked under his arm and ran toward the door. “Because there isn’t going to be any of that!”

He caught me, turning me to face him.

In a few words, he convinced me. “Be my good girl. I love you.”

And just like that, I gave in. But I drew the line at us sleeping in the same bed together.

“Oh, come on,” he reprimanded after he made me come for the last hour.

“I feel like you just used me.”

“Yes.” I smiled, sliding on my dress. “It was a great time. I’ll call you again.”

He growled, lunging for me, but I was faster and got the hell out of there, fully aware he’d make me pay for it later.

On my way back to my bedroom, I remembered that I had given Deja my cell phone. I’d just tiptoe into her room to grab it real quick. Quietly, I opened the door, careful not to wake her. I crept through the hallway since she had a suite, extra cautious when I was walking down the hall.

“Fuck…” I heard a man groan, followed by her moaning.

Shit!

She brought back a guy. Onyx was going to murder her.

Instead of confronting her, I hightailed my way out of there, but at the last second, I heard her moan, “Yes… Caspian… fuck me just like that…”

My mouth dropped open.

Onyx was going to murder someone, except it wasn’t going to be his sister…

It was going to be his best friend.

THE END

It’s only the beginning, or is it the end for…

Caspian Hawthorne & Deja Devereaux.

HEAR NO PROMISES: Releasing later this year.

Preorder Here: https://geni.us/MRHNP

Also by M. Robinson

Why Choose Duet

We Are Yours

Say You’re Ours

THE BILLION-AIRE MEN

Bossy Billionaire

Vicious Tycoon

Filthy Mogul

BECKHAM DYNASTY

Tempting Enemy

Perfect Enemy

Sinful Enemy

SECOND CHANCE SERIES

Second Chance Contract

Second Chance Vow

Second Chance Scandal

Second Chance Love

Second Chance Rival

Second Chance Mine

ANGSTY ROM-COM

The Kiss

The Fling

MAFIA/ORGANIZED CRIME ROMANCE

El Diablo

El Santo

El Pecador

Sinful Arrangement

Mafia Casanova: Co-written with Rachel Van Dyken

Falling for the Villain: Co-written with Rachel Van Dyken

SMALL TOWN ROMANCE

Complicate Me

Forbid Me

Undo Me

Crave Me

She Was Mine First

Inherited Holiday

SINGLE DAD/NANNY ROMANCE

Choosing Us

Choosing You

ENEMIES TO LOVERS ROMANCE

Hated You Then

Love You Now

MC ROMANCE

Road to Nowhere

Ends Here

MMA FIGHTER ROMANCE

Lost Boy

ROCK STAR ROMANCE

From the First Verse

‘Til the Last Lyric

BUNDLES

Road to Nowhere/Ends Here

Jameson Brothers

Sinner/Saint Duet

Pierced Hearts Duet

Love Hurts Duet

Life of Debauchery Duet

Good Ol' Boys

Los Diablos

EROTIC ROMANCE

VIP

The Madam

MVP

Two Sides

Tempting Bad

Acknowledgements

Personal Assistant: Renee Druckenbrodt

Editing:4 Indies Editor: Jenny Sims

Cover Design: Y’all That Graphic

Photographer: Impreza Photography

Paperback Formatter: Renee Druckenbrodt

Ebook Formatter: Renee Druckenbrodt

Agent: Stephanie DeLamater Phillips

Bloggers/Bookstagrammers: Without you I’d be nothing. Thank you for all your support always. 

My VIPS/Readers

Street Team Leaders: Leeann Van Rensburg & Jamie Guellar 

My VIP Reader Group Admins: 

Lily Garcia, Leeann Van Rensburg, Jennifer Pon, Jessica Laws, Louisa Brandenburger

Street Team & Hype Girls: You’re the best. 

My alphas & betas: 

Thank you for helping me bring this book to life.

About the Author

M. Robinson is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of more than thirty novels in Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense. Crowned the “Queen of Angst” by her loyal readers, you’ll feel the cut of her pen slicing through your heart as your soul bleeds upon the words of her stories with each turn of the page. 

Most notably known for the Good Ol’ Boys, M’s newest venture has graced her with the #1 Bestseller on Apple Books with Second Chance Contract. The Second Chance Men are powerful, intelligent and will sweep you off your feet and leave you weak in the knees–every woman’s wildest dreams. 

M. lives the boat life along the Gulf Coast of Florida with her two puppies and real life book boyfriend, the inspiration for all her filthy talking alphas, Bossman.  

When she isn’t in the cave writing her next epic love story, you can usually spot her mad-dashing through Target or in the drive-thru of Starbucks, refueling. Yes, she’s a self-proclaimed shopaholic, but only if she’s spending Bossman’s money. 

You can follow M, Ted, Marley, and Bossman on Facebook, Instagram, and her absolute favorite social platform-TikTok.