Just then, the elevators open again to reveal Silas, Cupcake, Dex, and Najim, who step into the foyer.
“Naji!” I say a little too loudly. I rush over and give him a quick hug. “Salam alaykum, cousin.”
Najim is one of my favorite humans on the planet, and Imake sure he knows he’s always welcome. Like Silas, he’s one of the cousins who came from a dangerous situation. We don’t know all of his details, either, just that he’s Baba’s nephew on the Noorani side and had never passed for straight. Iraq may have progressed with LGBTQIA+ rights, but the Nooranis never will.
Which reminds me that Truett, whom I haven’t stalked in over a week, called Baba OmarNooraniBash, like it was supposed to mean something.
“Wa ?alaykumu s-salam,” he replies, his accent rich like Baba’s. “Dex told me he was headed this way and let me ride in with him. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course,” I say, giving Dex a hug next. “Thanks for bringing him. I haven’t seen either of you in forever.”
Both Dex and Naji work with Dad’s company in Wimberley and live out in the company-provided dorms, which are nicer than any dorms I’ve ever seen.
Come to think of it, would Dex and Naji know whatever it is I’m missing about my fathers?
Finally, I pat Silas on the arm. “Nice seeing you, cousin. Everyone’s gone upstairs, and I’m just waiting down here while my dads get changed. Go on up. We’ll be there in a bit.”
He stares at Dad and Baba, who have moved to the living room. Cupcake huffs out a low, judgywooftoward my fathers as Silas leans in. “Is it okay that I’m here tonight?”
“Put it to you this way, cousin,” I say, giving Cup an affectionate scritch behind his ears, “I am way happier to see you than I am to see those two. And if they don’t like that you’re here, they can get the fuck out. Sissy, Oak, Mav, and I bought this place with our own money, andyouare always welcome.”
That earns me another softwoof.
“You, too,” I reassure Cup, following that with another ear scritch.
Sy gives me his dark smile, then he and Cup join Dex and Naji in the elevator. “See y’all in a few.”
When the doors close, I turn to my fathers. “I don’t wanna hear it. Silas is an important part of our family and has been a damn sight more trustworthy than you two.”
Baba thins his lips. “I… I agree. We don’t get to have a say in who your friends are. We were afraid of Silas when he was younger, but not so much now.”
Dad rolls his eyes. “Yeah, sure. It’s totally fine to have a bio-engineered psychopath just hanging out with our children.”
Baba raises his eyebrows. I am definitely not supposed to know about the bio-engineered stuff, which means Dad has about thirty seconds to stop talking before he gets himself into some real trouble.
In a rare moment of wisdom, Dad shuts his mouth.
“So,” I say, clapping my hands together. “Do we agree that all surveillance devices not approved by the Wildlings are no longer allowed in our spaces?”
“You do understand that calling yourselves the Wildlings while asking us to pull back important safety measures is a bit of a hard pill to swallow, yes?” Baba asks, his voice gentle.
I know what he’s doing. It’s the same voice he uses with Dad when he gets a wild hair up his ass.
“And you do understand that I, regardless of what the rest of the Wildlings do, will revoke your access to this building if I find so much as a lightbulb out of place, yes?”
Baba curses under his breath, then makes his way over to the beer fridge and removes another button camera. “Yes. This is the last one. There were eighteen total devices.”
“So casual with your felonies,” I say, shamelessly parroting Truett’s words.
Dad and Baba exchange a look. Yeah. I’m gonna need to find out what True knows about those two.
“Have you told your sister?” Baba asks, genuine concern in his eyes.
“I think you know the answer to that.”
If I’d told Maya, she would’ve given them way worse than a talking to, and at a much higher volume.
I sigh. “Alright. Get changed and let’s go have some fun.”
