Page 61 of Not All Himbos Wear Capes
Shaking my head, I banished the thought because to me, Butch wasn’t some passing fling. This was someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, despite having avoided commitment like the plague before now. It was important for him to meet my family, even if just to show them I had a life outside of their schemes.
Who knows, maybe this will finally get them to cut me loose…
Being powerless meant I never fit in with the Suarez clan, so there had been little chance of an evenlesspowerful normie impressing supes who thrived on dominance. Not for the first time, I wished Dr. Ownit took texts,because I desperately needed his professional opinion on why I would subject the man I’d fallen in love with to this shit show.
He said he loved you too, Xan.
Every time I thought about his confession in the car, my entire body felt like it was lit up from the inside—like little firecrackers were shooting off under my skin. And every time this happened, Butch would throw me a sharp glance as if he felt it too, holding my gaze a beat too long with a wariness in his expression I didn’t like one bit.
You’re safe, baby.
Returning my attention to the conversation, I found Butch had rallied to his usual charming self, albeit a slightly more subdued version. I knew he was nervous about this—hell, I was nervous about putting him within firing range of these psychos, even with all my coaching—but I had every intention of rewarding him for his courage later.
“So tell me more about your parents, Butch,” my mother purred, using her fish knife to separate the meat from the skin on her plate with a surgeon’s precision.
The decision to serve seafood tonight was an insult aimed solely at me—since everyone knew I wouldn’t eat anything that came from the sea. Our family chef, a lesser villain named Betsy, had rebelled in her usual way by boldly preparing steaks for me and Butch. This was because she was a goddamn angel who’d not only seen this play out countless times before, but cooked too well for my mother to kill.
“I’m not sure there’s anything else to tell, Mrs… Marin,” Butch politely replied, calmly dabbing at the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “My parents are both retired and I’m doing my best to make them proud.”
My mother’s lips curved in a wicked smile. “I’m sure you are—especially with coming here tonight. What is it you do for Biggs Enterprises, again?”
Oh, don’t start.
I didn’t remember telling my mother that Butch worked for Biggs, but I’d been so stressed out when I called to ask if he could join me, I may have slipped up. It was no surprise she’d zero in onthatbit of information,and unfortunately, her mention of Butch’s workplace made everyone at the table zero in on our guest again.
“I’m an accountant,” Butch smoothly replied, although I saw the tick in his jaw. “CFO, actually.”
“CFO slash bodyguard?” Baltasar scoffed. “Dude, you look like you bench 650. There’s no way scaredy-cat Biggs doesn’t have you guarding his back, especially since so many villains want to kill him in the most painful way possible.”
“Balty!” Mother admonished, although she did so with affection. “Assassination isnotan appropriate dinner conversation. I’m sure Butch is beingcompletely honestabout what he does… aren’t you, dear?” Her predatory gaze was back on him and my fingers twitched as that mysterioustinglingflickered to life within me.
“Enough,” I gritted out, bringing everyone’s attention my way. My siblings mostly stared at me with blatant surprise, but Wolfgang’s focus was on myhands, where the sensation was centralized. “We all know Biggs Enterprises is a government facility. Butch isn’t able to tell us every gory detail about what he does.”
My mother barked a laugh. “Perfect choice of words, Xanny. Tell me. How did you two meet again?”
I had no idea what the point of this dance was besides giving me a throbbing headache, but I humored the woman—if only so we could both leave here alive. “We met on a dating app we’d both only joined that day.”
“Hmm,” she hummed, tapping her lip. “Isn’t that… coincidental?”
“It was.” Butch’s voice was as cold as my mother’s powers—his expression as close to angry as I’d ever seen it—and we all braced for impact.
To my surprise, Glacial Girl’s glare faltered, and she blinked rapidly at Butch, as if seeing him for the first time. A tense moment passed before she sat back in her seat, her thoughts suddenly a million miles away. “Interesting…” she mused, but said nothing further.
Jesus H.
My heart was pounding uncontrollably, and I discreetly grabbed Butch’s hand under the table, giving it a squeeze, although whether it was to soothe him or me, I wasn’t sure.
Most everyone had returned their attention to their meals—since the threat of death had sadly passed—but I noticed Wolfgang’s gaze flickering between Butch and me as if he were trying to puzzle something out.
I used the distraction of Betsy replacing dinner with dessert to lean in and whisper in Butch’s ear. “You’re doing great, baby. I’m here.”
He nodded once, somehow maintaining his calm demeanor despite the horrid way my mother was behaving, and I internally vowed to never subject him to this bullshit ever again.
I’ll make it up to him somehow.
Unfortunately, that was the moment I was summoned.
We all sat up straighter as a pulse of unimaginable power thrummed through the room. Even Butch shifted uncomfortably, although he wouldn’t understand what he was experiencing. Any normie who’d been unfortunate enough to encounter Apocalypto Man had been wiped from the earth, along with any memory they’d ever existed.
