3. Andre

CHAPTER 3

ANDRE

Clan Daddy: In preparation for our flight, I would like to remind everyone who is in charge of this clan, and therefore, who is in charge of this entire excursion.

Deadbeat with a Capital D: I'm going to assume you're not talking to me as, last I checked, I hadn't officially joined your clan.

Deadbeat with a Capital D: You're also not my type, Wolfgang—harmless kitten that you are.

The Mouthy One: [Popcorn emoji]

My jaw ticked, as it often did in situations involving Theo.

Even if my dick could cut glass right now.

On the one hand, I lived for Wolfy getting knocked off his high horse—even if we were in a much better brotherly place than we'd been in the past. On the other hand, I knew from personal experience that the more I let Theo run wild, the harder he was to rein in later.

Guess I'll just have to bring him to heel .

What a chore.

Gabe glanced up from his phone as I rose from the rattan sofa and turned to go inside.

"You don't wanna help me finish this?" he choked out, waving a joint in my direction before exhaling a plume of smoke that ended with a cough. "Fuck knows if we'll be allowed to smoke at the resort Xanny picked."

I paused in the terrace doorway—noticing he was back to texting up a storm with Micah Salah, just like he had before that heroic idiot disappeared into space. "Isn't it some carbon neutral, eco-friendly spot? They probably grow their own on site."

My better half chuckled lazily before dropping his pretty little head back against the garish tropical print cushion that made no goddamn sense in the Pacific Northwest.

Breathe, Dre.

While we'd blessedly gutted the Teal Coast mansion after moving in, Theo had somehow convinced me to compromise on pockets of bad design choices.

He must have been on my dick at the time.

"Besides," I added as my irritation over Theo's decorating crimes started to magnify. "You don't answer to Xanny, or anyone else in the Suarez clan, for that matter."

You're mine.

Gabe cracked open his eyes. "No, I don't." He smiled sweetly, reassuringly. "I answer to you."

Such a good boy.

"To us," I clarified, even as I stood a little taller at the reminder I was the leader of our clan of three .

Suarez-Stellari supremacy.

Our phones both buzzed as Theo no doubt continued to cause chaos in the group chat.

"Although someone could use a reminder of who they answer to," I muttered, rolling up the sleeves of my black dress shirt in preparation.

Such a brat.

My favorite thing on Earth.

Gabe dropped his gaze as his cheeks pinked. "If it comes to… you know… leave the door open, yeah?"

"Always." I smiled darkly as I strode inside.

Because we're open door now, bro.

I could have star hopped to the studio, but then I wouldn't have been able to drag out the delicious anticipation for everyone involved.

Even though I knew Theo had heard the elevator arriving at the third floor, followed by the sound of my heavy boots—had probably unleashed a few tendrils to taste my emotions as I drew closer—he had the nerve to act surprised by my arrival.

"Oh! Hello, demon," he chirped, flashing me a smile that was the opposite of apologetic. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

I pointedly looked at the phone in his hands before returning my gaze to his face. "What are you doing?"

"Looking at porn." His smile grew. "Twins, of course. Are you absolutely certain you won't give it a try? Be honest. The idea of both your cocks squeezing into my tight little hole at the same time sounds simply delightful, don't you think? "

It was a struggle to maintain my impassive expression when a jolt of white-hot lust shot through our bond.

What a slut.

"Cool it, Gabe. Theo's just trying to get in our heads."

Shame flooded in—which I did not like one bit—along with the usual uncontrollable horniness I'd come to expect from my twin now that we shared every thought.

And not just horniness for his stellar collision…

Such a fucking slut.

"Sorry, dude. It's just… He makes it sound so good…"

I blew out a slow breath, but then cut it short when Theo's gaze lifted skyward, as if he could see Gabe nestled on his hideous patio furniture, high and flustered as fuck.

The brat probably has multiple tendrils up there with him.

"Hmm…" Theo tapped his lip thoughtfully. "I bet Gabriel would be game, especially if it meant he got to top me."

Say what now?

Before I could get a read on the truth of that statement, my twin slammed the door shut on our mind-bond and went dark.

Uhhh…

Filing that intel away for another time, I refocused on the brat before me, just as his phone chimed with another message from the group chat.

"Don't," I warned as his finger hovered over the screen. "Put the phone down, Theo. Leave it."

His eyes widened with the closest thing to panic I'd ever seen on him. "B-but… I'm physically incapable of allowing someone else to have the last word."

The understatement of the century.

"Theo," I warned.

"Nobody asked Wolfgang to pretend to be in charge here," he continued indignantly, and I sharply inhaled as the urge to defend my eldest brother inexplicably clawed its way to the surface.

What in the multiverse?

I took the opportunity to get my traitorous loyalties under control as I debated how to reply in this delicate situation. The last thing I wanted was to hand Theo ammunition to torture me with during our trip, but I also didn't want to lose the trust I'd managed to earn.

And I cannot give him the satisfaction of seeing me losing my cool.

"Theo." I decided on a firm but kind tone. "We all know who's actually in charge of the Suarez clan, but if you could just… pretend to let Wolfy have the last word, it will make him a lot less annoying to be trapped on an island with, trust."

Theo smirked, and I already knew whatever bullshit was about to come out of his mouth was going to hit hard.

"It's a good thing the supposedly terrifying Hand of Death married well," he purred. "Because Stellaria knows, I could end him myself?—"

I was on him before I could register what I was doing, wrapping my hand around the back of his neck and pinning his larger body to the desk with mine.

"Don't even joke about harming my family, brat," I hissed in his ear as he suggestively rubbed his kimono-covered ass against my dick. "Wolfy is the entire reason Gabe and I are less damaged than we could have been. He was more of a father to us than anyone —including Luca. Do you even understand what it means to have parents as shitty as ours were?"

Ah, fuck.

Theo froze, and I immediately knew I'd fucked up. Not with giving him ammunition or losing my cool—both of which had also just happened—but by accidentally referencing the one thing my Stellarian actually felt regretful over.

Not that he'd ever admit to it.

"Starshine," I murmured, gently brushing my lips behind his ear before releasing my hold and stepping back to give him space. "I'm so?—"

"What is with you Earthlings and your ridiculous obsession with… family?" he haughtily snipped, smoothing his hands over the wrinkles in his kimono and refusing to face me.

Fuck, I really fucked up.

I did my best to sound nonchalant, even as my heart was breaking over the pain I'd just caused. "Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I'm obsessed with my family. My family of three."

The rest of ‘em can eat a dick.

Most of them.

Theo's gaze snapped to mine—his expression uncharacteristically unsure.

What in the multiverse, indeed.

"Do you think…" He swallowed thickly but held my gaze. "Do you think he will be there?"

Oh, starshine .

"I don't know," I admitted, taking a cautious step toward him to test the waters. "Would you like me to find out?"

He chewed his bottom lip as he considered, and it was all I could do not to drag him into my arms. The "he" we were talking about was, of course, Ziggy Andromeda—Theo's only Stellarian offspring and the bounty hunter originally sent to Earth to collect him for trial and execution.

Which would've happened over my dead body.

Luckily, the fact Theo was our inventus— our stellar collision, as his kind called it—saved him from being captured, and the two Stellarians managed to part ways civilly.

As civilly as two katana-welding murder machines could…

Thanks to Gabe texting non-stop with Micah since his return to our atmosphere, I knew Ziggy had found his own stellar collision, so I hoped that meant he'd chilled the fuck out.

Plus he's obviously cool with his man being text buddies with my twin.

Or whatever you want to call two sluts on the line.

Even without the original threat of imprisonment looming over our heads, there was a lot left unresolved in Theo and Ziggy's father-son relationship. I knew better than to push my brat to do anything, but also knew—deep down—he wanted reconciliation so badly I could taste it.

For now, I wanted him to know I had his back, no matter what.

And I will do whatever is necessary to make things right…

"How ‘bout this," I decisively stated, a semi-evil plan already forming in my mind. "I'll find out if he's on the guest list and then you can decide what to do with the information- mmph…" I grunted as Theo dropped his full weight against me.

Such a big, murderous baby.

My baby.

The only thing I loved more than Theo bratting out was when he was brave enough to show us his vulnerability—which he'd been doing more and more the past few months.

I dared to keep the sensitive topic open. "If he is there, what will you need from me, starshine?"

I'll give you more than you think you need.

Both of you.

Theo tilted his head, scratching his beard over my neck and making me shiver. "24-hour protection, probably," he murmured before pulling back to offer me a hesitant smile. "And perhaps you could stop me from… making the situation worse?"

Thoughts and prayers to me.

"I do enjoy a challenge," I chuckled, even as I internally panicked at that impossible assignment. "And as I seem to be the only one who can keep you in line?—"

"Sometimes." He shrugged, back to his usual difficult self.

Good.

"The only time you get away with anything is when I let you, brat." I wrapped my hand around his throat and squeezed, just hard enough to remind him who he belonged to.

Me.

Us .

Theo's lip curled defiantly. "On that note, demon… would you like to help me pick out a pocket square to go with the tragically black suit I've been asked to wear for the wedding? I have the boldest patterns laid out on the bed upstairs."

Of course you do.

"I would love to," I whispered. Then, I brushed my lips over his and bit hard enough to draw blood before star hopping us to the bedroom.

Because if a little color makes my brat happy, I suppose I can compromise.