Page 104 of Not All Himbos Wear Capes
“Can you two please stop eye-fucking each other for a minute,” Wolfy groaned, earning him a glare from me this time. “I want Butch to tell me themore interestingreason he wants to kill Vortexio.”
What the fuck is he talking about?
My attention snapped back to myinventus,and I almost throttled my brother to findtearsthreatening to form in Butch’s gorgeous baby blues.
“I just want it to stop,” he rasped, and I realized it was uncontrollable ragefueling his emotions. “This bullshit has been going on for generations, and my father did absolutelynothingto fight back, not even formysake. I-I can’t imagine not doing everything I could to free my son or daughter from these chains—to at leasteducatethem on what they were up against. But he was more interested in selling his soul, my mother’s, and mine to ensure he held as much power as possible, given the circumstances. I refuse to continue this cycle—contract or not—and I can’t allow others to suffer in similar situations when I’m able to help them.”
I really fucking love him.
While I didn’t possess Butch’s ingrained sense of duty to protect helpless normies, I appreciated how that aspect of his job mattered to him, regardless of his contractual obligation. This was a man who wanted tohelppeople, who still had an unwavering belief in doing the right thing—despite the beating his moral compass has taken lately.
Not knowing if Butch would want me hugging him in front of Wolfgang, I mimicked what he’d done in the cemetery and sent a subtle burst of power through our bond.
I’m here, baby.
It worked as he visibly relaxed and I returned my attention to where Wolfgang sat, eying Butch thoughtfully, considering his answer.
“Blind vengeance would have been hotter than a Boy Scout code of honor, but that’s why you’re Xanny’sinventus,not mine.”
He sighed almost mournfully before quietly adding, “It’s quite rare to have aninventus.I’ve extensively researched it in our family’s archives, wondering if there’s someone out there who could handlethis.”Wolfgang waved a gloved hand, making my jaw drop.
“Since when areyoulooking for love?” I blurted out, half-teasing but actually extremely invested. My brother showing an interest in a relationship of any kind was possibly the wildest thing that had happened this week.
Thoughts and prayers to whoever becomes the object of his obsession.
Wolfgang shrugged, unbothered by my disbelief. “Since I discovered that these marriage contracts are a fairly recent practice, and one started by supes themselves. It’s all about amassing power, of course. But while some, like Vortexio, are simply hoarding it for themselves, it appears others are doing it for the greater good—to shift the power back to supes. I believe our parents were undecided on the issue, or uncaring, which is probably why none of us Suarez kids were married off yet.”
Butch hissed in a breath, drawing our attention back to him. “I overheard my parents arguing when Xander and I first started dating. At the time, I thought it was because he was a normie. Now I realize it was about me being with someone from the Suarez clan. My mother was in favor—partly because of theinventusaspect, I’m sure—but she also must have recognized how beneficial it could be forallsupes if our families aligned.” His expression soured. “Unsurprisingly, my father was opposed. Despite how much power it would have brought him, he was unwilling to even humor the idea, simply because Xander was a ‘villain.’”
A classist through and through.
His air quotes did not escape Wolfgang’s notice, and my brother huffed derisively. “Yes, I always felt the titles of ‘hero’ and ‘villain’ seemed a bit… arbitrary. That being said,”—he clapped his hands together and abruptly stood—“there are some who are decidedly rotten to the core, no matter which side they’re on. Mother has disappeared. Violentia too.”
Excuse you?
I gaped at him. “You could haveledwith this intel, Wolfy, Jesus Christ! Where the fuck did they go? Should we be worried? What about the others?”
He slowly blinked at me before rattling off the requested info in a bored tone. “I would assume mother is going after Vortexio for publicly accusing her of Gemstonia’s death. Oops. Baltasar and the twins knowI’mthe new head of the family and thatyoucould send your beefcake boyfriend to incinerate them, so they’ve received the message to fall in line.”
“And Ultra Violent?” Butch asked, missing nothing.
Wolfgang stared back at him in a way that made my powers flare protectively. “I’ll handle her, Captain. You just mind your own.”
For a moment I worried someone was about to throw hands—or Hand—but Butch stood down with a clipped nod. “I will. Let us know if she becomes a threat.”
“Consider it done,” Wolfgang replied, although he looked uncharacteristically pained. “Although, I do hope it doesn’t come to that.”
All at once, I understood how serious he was about not letting anyone threaten his family. According to Wolfgang’s morally gray morals,anyonewho stood against a Suarez must die, so the moment our parents crossed that line themselves,theybecame his enemies.
He actuallycaresabout the rest of us.
This realization shook me so intensely I barely noticed as he headed for the door, said his goodbyes, and disappeared.
Butch blew out a forceful breath, bringing me back to the present. “Shit. I’m glad that crazy fucker is onourside.”
“Yeah,” I absently murmured. “Me too.” Clearing my throat, I refocused on my two favorite things: Butch and making Butch blush. “You know, sweetheart, if you keep up this swearing, we’re never going to leave the lair.”
Worse things could happen.
