Page 42 of My Ruthless Alpha

I pulled an amused grin. “Right. I’m not so sure Beau will go along with that one.”

“Oh, come on! I’ll convince him, you’ll see.”

“If you say so.”

Despite looking somewhat dismayed at the thought of his brother saying no to his request, Miles stayed around us a while longer, switching between browsing, chatting, and checking his phone. When Margo started getting restless, he kept her preoccupied, and I wasn’t going to complain about him spending time with his niece—especially not when it meant Sydney and I got a bit more shopping time out of it.

Finally, as the late afternoon inched closer to early evening, the four of us returned to the house and waited for our takeout to arrive.

We went ahead and ate, knowing that Beau and the others would likely grab something while they were out. Sitting at the table, Margo chattered on about everything and nothing while we all ate and listened intently.

But when the front door opened, Beau and Ethan strolled in, chatting together. Her face lit up, and she was quick to get up from her place before hurrying over to them.

They both chuckled at her slightly clumsy movements, and Beau was quick to pick her up and drown her in affection.

“I think someone missed you,” I hummed, getting up to rinse my plate off while he came over.

With a warm grin, Beau leaned in and pressed a kiss against my cheek. “And I missed you both. We just swung by here so I could get out of these clothes before we head out to the bar to meet with the other guys to talk things over. But if you prefer, I can stay, given everything going on.”

I shook my head dismissively. “Of course not. I know it's important, and I don’t want you to miss the meeting. We’ll probably watch a movie or something before Sydney goes for the night.”

Satisfied with the answer, he nodded. “All right. I’m sure the guys will be happy about that. Miles will be here, plus everyone in the pack knows to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. If anything happens at all, try to text or call…and if not, the security cameras will send me alerts.”

“We should be fine, but I appreciate the precautions.”

He nodded. “Of course…I don’t like the thought of leaving right now, but the guys want to go over some plans to safeguard the packs. Plus, we’ve been seeing less on the gang front, so we’re taking that as a good sign. It’s better to plan and take action now while it's quiet.”

“So, you must be Sydney, then,” Ethan said as he walked further into the room, his sights set on her at the table. He gaveher a once-over with an almost assessing gaze that made me look twice. “I’m Ethan.”

She smiled and nodded. “That’s me. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Mhm…” he murmured, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “So you’re the best friend who needed the big rescue, right?”

Seeming a bit confused by his demeanor, Sydney blinked back at him. “Yeah…Beau and Faye got me out of there.”

“Interesting. It’s a wonder nobody saw you fleeing with that hair of yours,” Ethan continued with a teasing lilt to his voice. “With it being so bright and all.”

“Damn…that’s a little harsh,” Miles interjected, lifting a brow in his direction, seemingly voicing what we were all thinking.

Ethan chuckled as Sydney’s face broke into a faint blush, and she obviously didn’t know what to say in return. It seemed he was enjoying teasing her.

But I knew that look. I had seen it enough times on her before. He was poking right at one of her insecurities, even if he was unaware.

“Not harsh…just an observation.”

Beau sighed. “Are you done?”

Ethan grinned at Sydney’s slight fluster, leaving her wordless still, and he took a step back as if realizing he wasn’t alone. He glanced at Beau. “Yeah, sure. I don’t think Red can take much more.”

I felt bad for Sydney in her current state, and I was about to say something when Miles piped up, putting on a pleading expression.

“Beau, can I go with you guys? I promise I’ll stay out of trouble.”

Beau huffed another breath and carefully put Margo down once she started squirming. “I already told you no. You’re underage, and you don’t need to be there.”

His disdain deepened, and his tone got progressively whinier, as if he wasn’t a shifter capable of severely maiming someone if he wanted to. “C’mon…please? I promise I won’t try to sneak drinks or anything. I’ll be on my best behavior.”

He looked at his younger brother with a pointed, unamused look. “No.”

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