Page 96 of Not All Himbos Wear Capes
I rose and walked away—to give Butch space as he called Sylvano, but also to collect my thoughts before I contacted Wolfgang.
Everything my brother had said was suddenly hitting me all at once. That we’d almost killed each other when we were young before he foiled our parents’ plot to dispose of me. How Wolfy had been scheming for decades to not only murder our mother and father and ascend the Suarez throne, but align himself with fully-bondedinventusmates to ensure he stayed there.
Mostly, I was struggling to wrap my head around having powers at all, never mind supposedly undefeatable ones. I’d grown up powerless. I had no fucking idea what to do with the overwhelming sensations now stampeding through my veins. Powers that were magnified exponentially by myinventus—one of the strongest supes alive.
How canIbe expected to do this?
When I faced Vortexio and my parents, I didn’t have time to think, only act. In those tense moments, I’d somehow instinctivelyknownhow to return my opponents’ energies, canceling out their attacks to protect myself and the man I loved.
It can’t be that easy…
Can it?
Needing to distract myself, I decided to see what scandalous spin was being put on this ‘runaway groom’ story situation by the others involved. Grabbing my phone off the table, I brought up my news app—and immediately wished I hadn’t.
Gemstonia Lincoln filled my screen. She was posing outside the Royal Cove Yacht Club, perfectly styled in her supersuit with such glittering tears in her eyes, I wondered if she’d conjured up actual diamonds.
“I-I thought we were in love…” Her voice wavered just enough to catch in her elegant throat, while remaining perfectly articulate for the mics. “Captain Masculine and I have been planning this wedding together since we were children—it’s all either of us wanted...”
Doubtful.
She paused to dramatically dab at her eye with a monogrammed handkerchief. “I’m not sure if it was our parents finally signing off on our union that gave him cold feet, or if there’s another woman, but I am absolutely heartbroken by his disappearance. I simply don’t know how my family’s reputation will ever recover from the shame of me being left at the altar.”
Good lord, someone give this girl an Oscar.
The shot suddenly cut to the studio, where a nervous-looking news anchor was sitting across from a glowering Vortexio.
“Here to comment on Gemstonia Lincoln’s statement is Captain Masculine’s father, Vortexio—the former protector of our city, alongside Smoldering Siren.” The anchor turned from the cameras to face the supe with a practiced smile. “Will Siren also be joining us today?”
“No,” Vortexio replied, his expression leaving no room for further discussion.
The anchor cleared her throat. “The Lincolns have taken the stance that your son willfully abandoned their daughter, despite a recent agreement that the two heroes would wed.”
What I wouldn’t give to see that contract…
“Captain Masculine would never disgrace the Holt name by running away from his responsibilities. He has too much respect for his family, his fiancé’s family, and the citizens of Big City.” Vortexio’s tone remained steady, but I could see the papers on the anchor’s desk fluttering as his windpower stirred them up.
I also noticed how Vortexio’s stony gaze was fixed on the camera, instead of on the woman speaking to him. There was no doubt in my mind he was saying this so Butch wouldknowhow incredibly disappointed he was in his only son.
This guy is the fucking worst.
A quick glance at Butch across the warehouse space showed he was still on the phone with Sylvano, so I returned my attention to Harold Holt.
“Despite what Gemstonia is boldly implying, my son didnotwillfully abandon their engagement,” Vortexio gritted out, the entire stack of papers now blowing away in a mini-whirlwind. “He was kidnapped by a member of the villainous Suarez family—anundocumentedsupe that Biggs Enterprises has been monitoring for quite some time. Doctor Antihero.”
Oh, this is bad.
Unless it’s not…
“Hey!” Butch appeared at my side so abruptly, I almost dropped my phone in my haste to close the app. “So, Sylvano says he can meet us in two hours at the Rolling Meadows cemetery.”
“That’s not morbid or anything. Are we going to end up in a mob grave?” I was only half-joking, suddenly deeply suspicious about putting my faith in a normie I barely knew.
“I trust Sylvano almost as much as I trust you,” Butch replied to my unspoken concern, running his fingertips down my arms again, soothing me. “He’s never been quiet about opposing Solomon Biggs’ goal to give heroes more rights than villains—”
Excuse me?
“That fucker,” I hissed, incredibly tired of continuously discovering more layers in this stinking pile of bureaucratic bullshit. “What givesBiggsthe authority to decide that? He isnothingwithout the supes he surrounds himself with. The way he acts like heownsyou—”
