“Not tonight,” I said quietly.
Her eyes flashed with hurt, anger, maybe both.
But before she could respond, a voice cut through the tension like a knife.
“Oh shit.”
I turned.
Syx was standing in the doorway that led from the kitchen to the hallway, arms crossed, grinning like he’d just walked into the best entertainment of his life.
“This just got overly interesting,” he said, his voice full of amusement.
I turned my head slowly and locked eyes with Syx.
“Don’t,” I said, my voice low and even. “Don’t be on no bullshit at this dinner.”
Syx’s grin widened.
He pushed off the doorframe and shrugged, his locs swaying with the movement.
“I can’t make any promises, cuz,” he said, his tone light but his eyes dancing with mischief. “You know how I am.”
I stared at him for a long moment.
Considered throwing him out.
Considered a lot of things.
But Syx was family, and family—no matter how problematic—had a seat at my table.
Even when I didn’t want them there.
“Just—” I exhaled slowly. “Behave.”
“I’ll try,” Syx said, still grinning.
I didn’t believe him.
But I didn’t have time to argue.
I turned back to Layla, who was watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.
“Set an extra place,” I said quietly.
Her jaw tightened.
But she nodded.
“Of course,” she said, her voice clipped.
I left the kitchen before the tension could escalate further and walked back through the hallway toward the dining room.
Alexis was still sitting where I’d left her, legs crossed, scrolling through her phone with the kind of casual elegance that came naturally to women like her.
She looked up when I entered, her face brightening immediately.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
