Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 561

I paused for a moment, thinking, yeah, at this point, I seem to be acting more like Hiram's mom than Karina ever did.

"Hiram's a good kid," was all I managed to say after a moment of silence.

Neil just scoffed. "Ha," he let out, a cold laugh that sent shivers down my spine. Neil and I, we're different. Finding out Hiram wasn't his own didn't soften him one bit. Me, on the other hand, I'd somehow grown attached to the boy without even realizing it.

Was this some kind of maternal effect? I began to wonder.

"What do you want me to do?" Neil pressed on, his voice cutting through the silence that had settled between us. He knew all about Karina's antics, yet he seemed far from interested in finding a solution. Instead, he was asking me what I wanted him to do, leaving me at a loss for words.

After a long pause, and the call still connected, Neil waiting on the other end for my response, I finally mustered up the courage, asking, "Could you maybe keep an eye out, make sure Karina doesn't get anywhere near Hiram? Do it for me, please?"

"Irene, you're so soft-hearted towards a kid who's not even yours. How come you've never shown me the same kindness?" Neil's voice was tinged with a cold irony.

"That's different. Hiram is innocent; you're not," I retorted sharply. Being soft on Neil would only be cruel to myself.

"I get it. Since you care so much about Hiram, I'll make sure he's looked after. But I have one question for you, and I want you to answer me honestly," Neil finally conceded, but his follow-up question caught me off guard.

I was bracing for him to dive into the mess at home, but that wasn't it.

"Does Russel's hospitalization have anything to do with you?" Neil's question choked me up.

How did he know?

Before I could even question him, he continued, "Don't bother hiding it from me. You know the kind of relationship I have with him now. So, anything that involves him, I'll find out. His admission to the hospital coincides with the night you rushed back to Rosemont. Your departure and arrival times were odd. Were you with him?"

I had to admire Neil's deduction skills; he was spot on.

"Yeah," I admitted, keeping it short and simple.

"What happened, tell me," Neil's voice was calm, as if he was just trying to get a grasp of the night's events, but I sensed an unusual undertone and decided to keep it brief.

"It's nothing much. Ran into some trouble, and Russel helped me out," I brushed off.

Neil knew more than I expected, "Really? Gunshot wounds aren't common. You're saying someone was after your life, and you think it's a minor issue?"

It was far from a minor issue, I knew that.

But I didn't want Neil involved. Russel had warned me. Even if Karina was behind it, there was nothing I could do. She'd cover her tracks well.

As I was pondering how to end the call, Neil's voice grew angry, "Why the silence? Do you not care about your own safety? Are you tired of living?"