Page 65 of Burdens

Now, I was faced with an opportunity to right my wrongs. The odds may be stacked against us, but I’d make her mine again. I’d lied and betrayed her trust, but I’d do anything to earn it again. No matter how long it took.

I knew a simple conversation wouldn’t fix everything, but it was a start that I’d never gotten years ago.

I was tired of living in this constant state of hollowness, of having a darkness looming over my head that only Amalia could chase away.

I looked over at where she’d been sitting, only to find her no longer there. Panic sank in my gut at the thought that something happened to her and I was about to rush outside when she walked into the kitchen in the next moment, with an empty cup in her hand.

I let out a breath of relief and stared at her as she brushed past me to rinse her cup and leave it in the sink.

She faced me again. “What’s wrong with you?”

I cleared my throat. “Nothing?”

“Is that a statement or a question?”

“I—”

“It doesn’t matter. We have to get going,” she ordered before heading for the door.

“Wait,” I called out.

She halted in her steps and pinched the bridge of her nose. “We don’t have time, Noah.”

“I need to make a phone call.”

“Then make it.”

“I’d love to, but my phone was unfortunately lost in transit to my cell,” I deadpanned.

She immediately realized her mistake and muttered something under her breath as she reached for her back pocket. Then she tossed an object in my direction and I caught it before it hit my face.

“Make it quick,” she said before turning around and walking out the front door, leaving it ajar. I followed behind and locked the door with the keys she’d left inside the lock.

While Amalia got the car started, I stood by the front door, flipping open the burner phone she’d handed me. I hesitated for a moment before finally dialing his number.

He picked up on the first ring. “Who’s this?” he demanded harshly.

“Hey, Jamal. It’s me,” I replied, careful not to let my tone reflect how I felt.

I planned to tell him everything once we were face to face, but the anticipation of his reaction to my confession terrified me.

Amalia hadn’t taken it well and I could only imagine how he would react to knowing that my own blood robbed him of his.

“Uncle Noah?” he asked, his voice softer now. “What happened? Why are you calling me from a burner phone?”

I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply before saying, “I’ll be texting you an address and time in the next hour and need you to meet me there. You’ll need to be discreet.”

“Okay.” I could hear the apprehension in his voice, but he knew I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

“Bring Valentina and Kai with you,” I tell him.

Jamal wasn’t aware that I knew what he and his friends actually did and I’d intended to keep it that way, but based on Nassim’s comment last night, we’d need all the extra hands we could get.

“I will. How do I contact you when I get there?”

“You won’t. I’ll be in contact.”

There was a pause before he spoke again, “Do I need to be concerned?”