Page 101 of Not All Himbos Wear Capes
While the thought of losing the right to defend the citizens of Big City saddened me, I would gladly give it all up to spend the rest of my days by his side.
“What’s the matter, baby?” Xander called from far above me, where he was now lazily drifting around like he’d been born to do it. “Are you scared of heights?”
Who’s the brat now?
With a huff, I shot straight up, kissing the smirk off his face before separating again. “Never!” I laughed, so happy to be sharing this with him—to share everything. “Just try to keep up.”
Then I turned and took off in the cemetery’s direction—maybe not at full speed, but fast enough to give Xander a challenge. I didn’t need to look over my shoulder to know he was behind me. Not only could Ifeelhim in my blood, but I knew without a doubt he’d always be there, backing me up.
CHAPTER45
BUTCH
Xander and I circled above our destination a few times, heat-scanning the area in case any of the various parties looking for us had followed Sylvano to the cemetery.
After determining the coast was clear, we landed on the ridge overlooking where the Ricci family plot was located—giving me a moment to observe the man waiting for us there. Sylvano was seated on a stone bench facing the mausoleum housing generations of his ancestors’ remains, including his well-respected father.
I’d never met Pasquale Ricci, but had heard enough about him to want to introduce myself to his son Sylvano after the graveside service. Of course, I was there with Solomon Biggs, but slipped away from my boss long enough to approach the newly appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the USN.
Our conversation was stilted at first. I always had to practice caution when speaking to normies, and I wasn’t sure what he’d been briefed on yet. Sylvano somehow saw through my civilian act and casually mentioned he would continue his father’s mission to give supes the equal rights they deserved.
Before asking me point-blank what I thought about his platform.
I gave him a politely neutral answer, mostly because I’d always been told my place in the food chain was established long before I was born. But I clearly remember myinternalreply, even if I didn’t fully understand where my rebellious thoughts were coming from.
Please, make it stop.
I hadn’t thought about that day in a while, but it was at the forefront of my mind as I led Xander to where Sylvano sat. For a moment, no one spoke, but my old friend broke the silence with an incredulous laugh.
“Butch Holt,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “You sly fox. Sneaking yourinventusinto the USN, right under my nose.”
I grimaced, even as he stood and embraced me in a warm hug before turning to shake Xander’s hand. “And if I’d known you were avillain—an unregistered member of the Suarez clan, no less—I would have offered you a tour myself.”
Xander huffed, unsurprisingly unconcerned about any rules we may have broken. “I take it you saw Butch’s father on the news?” When Sylvano nodded, he turned serious. “You don’t, uh, have a sworn duty to immediately take me in to be registered, do you? I’m more than happy to cooperate with the USN in the future, but now’s not really the best time.”
Sylvano laughed again, a full-bodied sound that echoed off the mausoleum. “No, no, no, don’t fret about that right now, Doctor Antihero.In fact, if you and Captain Masculine were so inclined to sneak out of the city altogether, I wouldn’t be leading the charge to bring you back. However,”—he cleared his throat—“I have information that I hope will make you both stay, if for no other reason than to help get this city back on track.”
Anything.
“Of course,” I readily agreed. “It’s the least I can do after lying to you… and sneaking a villain into the USN...”
“It’s perfectly all right, Butch,” Sylvano patted my shoulder in a comforting way my father never had. “If you’d informed me who your guest was, I might have suggested registering him, simply to get it over and done with. But then, none of this excitement would have happened, so it’s all for the best!”
That’s one way to look at it.
“Agreed!” Xander flashed one of his genuine smiles, telling me Sylvano had passed whatever mental gauntlet he ran people through before approving them. “A little chaos never hurt anyone. Now let’s see what sort of top secret documents you’ve brought us.”
Sylvano chuckled at that. “Yes, well, Butch mentioned he’d unearthed the ‘Franco vs. Big City’ case, so I thought I’d hand off copies of my father’s notes from the trial. You may peruse these in your own time, but in short, my father never accepted the rumors of why Franco Marisi—Iron Axe—was killed. He didn’t believe it had anything to do with Franco transferring allegiance, or that he was a former villain attempting to marry a hero.”
I gaped at him. “What else could it have been? My mother told me Vortexio killed Iron Axe so he could claim her instead.”
Oh, sh… it.
Sylvano looked understandably pained by my bombshell, but took a moment to consider before replying. “The Deputy Secretary-General in me would love to use that intel to reopen the Franco case in my father’s memory. However, as yourfriend,I’m going to give you a choice. Would you prefer Vortexio be charged with murder—which will be tricky, since Iron Axewasa former villain—or focus on his more serious crime?”
“What couldnormiesthink is more serious thanmurder?”Xander scoffed.
Read the room, Xan.
