“Glad to hear it.”
Selena turned to me and said carefully, enunciating each word, “We thank you very much.”
“We work very hard,” Rafi echoed.
I nodded, appreciating their effort at communicating. We’d need to find a way to bridge the language barrier. I’d hate to throw one of them out for breaking a rule they didn’t even know about. Kitten was smiling wide, no doubt making plans for our new arrivals.
“Why don’t you help the betas get settled into one of the other houses?” I suggested to Kitten, then glanced toward Macon.
“I’ll help,” Macon said, immediately picking up what I was putting down. I didn’t want Kitten left alone with any of these people, not even his brother, until I knew for certain they could be trusted.
Kitten, still smiling brightly, spoke slowly to Rafi and Selena while motioning for them to follow him. Once everyone else departed to do their chores, it was just Artemis and myself left to gather up the dirty dishes. I did my best to help with only one arm, but Artemis wouldn’t let me.
“Take a night off, boss,” she said, taking the plates from my arm. “You can keep me company though.”
“All right.”
“So, Santiago got to you?” she asked.
“Yeah, but I would have voted that way regardless. We need more people to defend ourselves in case Rabids attack. And they’re better than complete strangers.”
“You don’t seem to like Santiago very much. Or Ansel.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
“Besides the not-so-subtle blackmailing, I don’t like the way Santiago’s treated Kitten, as an afterthought.”
“I agree. And Ansel?”
“You mean the guy who tried to get my boyfriend to blow him?”
“The same,” she said with a smirk.
I shrugged. “As long as he keeps his hands to himself, we’ll get along fine, though he’s probably going to be a pain in my ass too.”
Artemis chuckled. “Maybe this will be a good thing for us.”
“How do you figure?”
“It’s been just the six of us, now seven, for a while, but eventually we’ll need to expand if we want to start families and diversify our skills.”
“We’re not building another Promised Land here,” I told her.
“No, definitely not. We’re building something better. You’ve done a good job, Cipher. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
“Whatwe’veaccomplished,” I corrected her.
“But it was your vision,” she said, and I recalled the long trip back from Promised Land when we’d mapped out what our lives might look like here in South Carolina, the spirited debate we’d had while I determined how best to keep us safe.
I was tempted to argue that it was all of us contributing to that vision, but instead I simply nodded and accepted her praise. My most recent run-in with Rabids was still weighing heavily on my mind. I’d always known that I could be taken out at any moment–any one of us could–but yesterday had really brought that fear to the forefront. “Listen, Artemis, if something ever happens to me–”
“You don’t need to finish that sentence. I already know. I’ll take care of them, all of them, and Kitten especially.”
Artemis had my back. She’d had it since the fire in DC. I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude for her steadfast friendship and loyalty. It got me choked up with a sentimentality that was both strange and unwelcome. “Artemis, I think you might be my best friend.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Yeah, no shit, Cipher. You’re my best friend too, even if you are a dumbass.”
