Page 73 of Not All Himbos Wear Capes
It would also be easy enough to fabricate a story for who Xander was, especially since there was no official record of his heritage. We could even offer to register him under a false identity, just to make everyone happy. I could manage that with ease.
The thing I absolutely couldnothandle at the moment was who else was waiting for us in Biggs’ office. It was difficult enough for me to face Vortexio when he was angry, but giving him access to the son of his sworn enemies...
Hopefully, he won’t know who Xander is.
I was terrified of the man I loved being in the same room as my father, but the idea of what might happen if I refused Xander’s protection scared me more. If I forced him to sit this one out, his powers might flare up again—at the wrong time and against the wrong supe.
If my father tries to kill him, there’ll be nothing I can do.
CHAPTER33
XANDER
Butch wasshakingby the time we pulled up in front of Biggs Enterprises, and I was dangerously close to imploding myself.
Hearing that snivelingnormiespeak to Butch so disrespectfully was a grave offense that deserved immediate punishment, preferably of the slow and painful variety. I’d been blindly wrathful when it happened—poised to strike--but the wave of power that blasted through the archive room distracted me enough to spare the tattletale from certain death.
But who did that power come from?
The more important question was, whoelsetreated Butch in such an insulting manner?
Because I’m making a shit list and checking it twice.
“Who gave you those bruises?” I quietly asked, my teeth clenched so tightly my jaw popped.
“W-what?” Butch stared at me across the seat.
“When you showed up at my apartment after being inland. Was it yourbosswho did that to you?” My vision was flickering red as I imagined my hands closing around Solomon Biggs’ neck, squeezing until I watched the life leave his eyes.
“What? No! No,” Butch huffed a laugh, but it sounded nervous. “Biggs couldn’t hurt me like that, and he wouldn’twantto. I’m too… valuable to him.”
Like property.
Like a dog.
It was amazing I could form words at all. “What sort of contract do you have with Biggs, Butch?”
He met my gaze with pure devastation in his pretty blue eyes. “Not one I can get out of.”
My skin felt like it was on fire, like I would burst into flames as white-hot rage licked at my veins. I was going to burn Solomon Biggs until his corpse disintegrated, raze the entire Enterprises building to the ground, and dance in the smoldering remains of anyone who ever wronged—
“Xan. XAN!” Butch’s frantic tone snapped me out of my murderous thoughts. “Please breathe. I can’t tell you moreright now…”He paused with a meaningful tilt of his head toward where the driver sat, reminding me he’d been about to explain his job before this goon picked us up. “Andplease,let me do the talking when we get up there. I just… I don’t want you to get hurt.”
The barely contained terror in his voice instantly doused my fury with ice water. Biggs Enterprises was clearly some kind of mafia, and since Butch still thought I was a fragile normie, I needed to humor him and behave as if I didn’t have a death wish.
Even though I feel like I could take on anyone right now…
The town car rolled to a stop in front of the Enterprises building. When the chauffeur hopped out to open our door, it was all I could do to not throw Butch over my shoulder and make a break for freedom—contract be damned.
First chance I get, my lawyer is looking at that bullshit piece of paper.
Unsurprisingly, Biggs’ driver stayed uncomfortably close, escorting us through the lobby and into the elevator, invading our personal space. Even once we were inside, he used his body to block the doors, as if I couldn’t just as easily kill him from behind.
“Xan…” Butch squeezed my hand, searching my face as if checking my mental state. “Please remember that I love you.”
If he was trying to soften me up, it worked, as I actually huffed a laugh. “Baby, if you continue to only say those words under duress, I may get the wrong idea.”
He closed his eyes. “You’re right,” he whispered, his face scrunched in anguish. “I’ve messed this up. I’mstillmessing it up…”
