Page 35 of Burdens
2 I miss you too, mom.
3 No, mom. No fixing me up, please.
4 Okay?
CHAPTER 9
AMALIA (PRESENT)
I’d been sittingon the upper floor of Zakaria’s penthouse for the last fifteen minutes, patiently waiting for him to show up so that I could quench my boredom.
I’d landed in Azilah two days ago after Barrera had insisted I visit the farms he owned in the Anfa mountains, which were east-south of the city. He’d ordered me to check on the progress of our products, making sure harvest would be ready on time and that none of our farmers had stolen from us like what had happened during the last reaping.
I’d tried to argue that I’d just been there last month and me visiting again would be pointless, but he’d brushed my valid point and just raised his voice, saying that I was under his payroll.
I would have reminded him that I hadn’t seen arial?1 since I’d started working for him, most of my money coming from the stash the Agency had given me when I started and the deals I’d made over the years with smaller drug dealers on the side to keep Barrera’s cartel actually functioning.
But I’d decided against it, not wanting to bother having to hear his pestiferous voice grate on my nerves any longer.
I’d noticed Barrera had been more tense recently, but I still couldn’t fully figure out why. At first, I’d thought it was a result from the loss of his only son, Matheo, but Barrera wasn’t sentimental.
He’d lost his wife, Faouzia, two years ago and had barely flinched when I’d given him the news. All he’d said was to make sure she’d be properly buried and to find a nice place next to her parents for her grave.
I’d grown accustomed to his reckless decision-making process over the years, but he’d always at least consulted with Hamza before making any final decisions.
Now, especially over the last two weeks, his decisions had increasingly become more impulsive and he’d been equally more trigger happy than usual with anyone who even dared look at him the wrong way.
Come to think of it, both Barrera and Hamza seemed to be a lot more on edge than usual and that asshole Hamza seemed too familiar with our prisoner.
I knew Noah had been on the case investigating the cartel years ago, but although he’d gotten close, he’d never been able to overthrow Barrera’s operations after his partner and his partner’s wife died in a tragic fire.
My gut had always told me that nothing about that fire seemed accidental, but the incident had happened before my time at the Agency. The files were sealed so even when I’d tried to access the files on the investigation of their death before going undercover, I’d been denied access.
I had clearance for everything Noah and Agent Aguerd had compiled, except the investigation on the fire. I’d brushed it off to bureaucracy, but maybe I should’ve dug deeper.
Barrera’s change in behavior might have been because we’d taken an Agent prisoner, but it wasn’t like this was the first time we’d had that happen. Now, the others were either much easierto turn if we’d made their pockets a little heavier or I’d been simply tasked to get rid of them after a few days.
Which Barrera hadn’t asked me to do yet, something that had never happened in the three years I’d worked as his enforcer. I hadn’t asked any questions and it was a slight relief since killing him wouldn’t bode well for me when I went back to my position at the Agency at the end of my assignment.
Are you sure that’s the only reason?My mind deadpanned.
I pushed the mocking remark away and walked over to the banister. I leaned my forearms against it, my dagger hanging from my fingertips. It swayed from side to side as my eyes scanned over the space to make sure nothing was out of place.
On the left of the all-white minimalistic marble kitchen, plump cushions dressed in warm and rich tones, an array of brown and gold pillows to match were atop long wooden frames arranged around three sides with intricate designs carved onto the front and side panels.
A rectangular low brass table stood in the middle, two matching smaller side tables sitting on each side of the center segment where the other two shorter sofas met. A few ottomans were placed at the end of each side segment, their tones matching the draping of the sofas.
A large overhead gold brass lantern, adorned with handcrafted details to match the other elements in the room, hung from the high ceiling, cloaking the ground floor in warm patterned shadows.
I’d studied the floor plans and Zakaria’s routine over the last few months every time I visited the cannabis fields. I’d hacked into his security systems so that I could access his cameras and make sure he wasn’t present when I came over to learn the ins and outs of his apartment. I also didn’t want to bother picking the lock every time I stopped by.
My gaze flitted over the mantel to the large brass clock that matched the tables in the living room, to see I had seven minutes left until he came home. Which still gave me plenty of time to do what I came here for and catch my flight back to the compound.
I was technically in the region for official business, but since I had some extra time to spare, I’d decided to pay Alaoui’s underboss a little visit to teach him a lesson about hindering my shipments. So once my scheduled visit had been over, I’d driven the eighty-six miles that separated our territories.
If I had been anyone else, Adil Alaoui’s men would have flagged me the second I crossed over and hunted me down, but since my role in Barrera’s cartel was to remain anonymous, it worked quite well in my favor.
Besides, nobody would suspect a woman to be the one behind all the bodies the Barrera cartel left behind. Well, at least in recent years.
