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“You should have Eddy delete those,” I whispered. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for being photographed with us—”

“Absolutely not,” Sylvano hissed from behind his broad smile. “Let him document that both of you were here with meat this time,paying your respects to my father’s memory.”

What is he talking about?!

Xander was watching Sylvano so intently, I worried he might attack, so I sent a low-grade burst of power his way to snap him out of it. When he sharply glanced at me, I subtly shook my head.

Trusting my friend, I turned to Eddy and waved, flashing my most charming Captain Masculine smile—the only part of my face you could see—while ignoring Xander’s judgmental snort.

He loves it.

“Stay safe.” Sylvano brought me in for another hug before heading for the car. “And be sure to check the news!” he called over his shoulder.

My brow furrowed at his odd choice of words, while Xander had already pulled up the news app on his phone. I watched the car drive off before turning to myinventus,freezing as I registered the shocked expression on his face.

“Well, Wolfy sure took care of the problem,” he chuckled, shaking his head incredulously before meeting my gaze again. “Your fiancé, Gemstonia Lincoln, is dead.”

CHAPTER46

XANDER

When we returned to my warehouse lair, Wolfgang was sitting on my couch.

In the dark.

“Jesus,FUCK,Wolfy!” I shouted as I turned on the lights to discover him there—having to physically restrain Butch from attacking. “How the hell did you get in?”

Unfamiliar with boundaries, as always, he simply shrugged. “I signed for one of your deliveries at the loading dock. Nice bed, by the way.” He canted his chin toward the sleeping area where he’d apparently set it up for us. “It’s big, but I suppose it has to be to contain all those muscles.”

Oh, my god.

Butch was staring at him with a half-shocked, half-disgusted expression, and an equally horrifying thought occurred to me. “Wolfy, I swear on all that is holy, you better not have set up cameras in here. Keep your lecherous voyeurism to OnlyFans, please and thanks.”

Maybe Kai should behisbestie instead.

Wolfgang rolled his eyes, as if he wasn’t exactly the type of person to creep on someone else’s bedroom activities. “I was expecting more of a ‘thank you, Wolfy, for taking care of the problem so professionally,’ but perhaps you haven’t heard—”

“Oh, we heard,” Butch grumbled, pulling off his mask and blasting my brother with that sexy as fuck Captain Masculine glare. “Did it occur to youwemight get blamed for Gemstonia’s death?Xanderespecially?”

You’re adorable.

Wolfgang scoffed, clearly offended Butch didn’t know how our family operated. “Besides you two idiots somehow being smart enough to get photographed on the opposite side of town with Sylvano Ricci at the time of death, all evidence points to a certain ice-wielding villainess with a bone to pick.”

Ice-cold, Wolfy.

“You framed your own mother?” Butch choked out.

My brother fixed him with an unimpressed look. “Says theherowho wants his father dead.”

I closely watched Butch’s reaction to this accusation. He supposedly wanted to be a villain—and now we knew it was semantics, anyway—but actually committing patricide was something else entirely.

Especially as supes value their own families above all others.

He considered for a full minute before replying, proving yet again he was a himbo in appearance only. “Vortexio is a rogue supe who has posed enough of a threat to require a response. Evidence has come to light that strongly suggests he obstructed humanitarian efforts that would have benefited countless supes—both heroes and villains—never mind the unwarranted murders and… attempted murders.”

Butch’s gaze briefly flickered to my face, the split second enough to reveal the burningneedto avenge me simmering beneath the surface. The instinct to protecthimhad already become a habit I enjoyed way more than expected, but to have someone else feel that level of protectiveness over me?

I love this man.