He cackled while spouting, “Nothing like a beautiful adversary to keep things interesting.”
She laughed at his faux bravado, guessing he was attempting to come off as intimidating when in reality he was failing miserably. But then he asked, “By the way, where is your felon these days?”
She casually shrugged, which Denton didn’t buy as he boorishly invaded her space even more. “If you ever get lonely, give me a call.”
He slithered away, leaving Remi with a serious case of the heebie-jeebies but she also felt empowered by holding her own against him. Of course, the fact her brand new Glock was right there in her purse didn’t hurt. Which made her think that after work was a perfect time to hit up the shooting range before venturing to the bridal shop for a final fitting.
At an Irish bar in Center City, Charles sipped a dirty martini while waiting for Mitchell. Having spent the last few weeks laying low, he decided it was time to resurface, and a meeting with his former employer was first on his agenda. “Good to see you,” Denton said somewhat sarcastically as he took a seat. Charles just grinned knowing full well Denton wasn’t pleased with how things turned out, especially as he ripped into him for recruiting Liam. “He had the skills and smarts, and up until that heist, he was the best of the crew,” Charles defended while Denton smirked. “Your so-called best managed to allow that bitch to screw with his judgment and in turn fuck up the job!”
“We all made mistakes with that job—including you,” Charles countered. Just then a waiter brought over a scotch and water, handed it to Denton then walked away. He gulped the entire drink then slammed the glass down. “Do you know that bitch is now working for my ex-wife?”
Charles nodded while popping an olive from his drink into his mouth. “She knew Liam had the diamonds but never said a word and then she comes out smelling like a rose,” exclaimed Mitchell.
Charles just groaned. “What do you want to do about it?”
“I want that bitch and Liam to suffer!”
Charles humored the obvious vengeful man. “And how do you intend on that happening?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’m sure we can figure something out.”
“We?”
Denton nodded but Charles was quick to point out, “She’s been all over the news, can’t exactly go after her with so many people knowing who she is.”
He then added, “Which is why Liam left, cause he knew no one would touch her.”
Denton laughed, “I think enough time has passed that she isn’t as relevant as she once was.”
Charles couldn’t disagree with that.
“Olivia is holding her annual charity fundraiser next Friday, and I’m sure Remi will be working it, which would be the perfect time for you to reconnect with her, especially since Liam is no longer in the picture,” said Denton.
“Threatening her won’t work, she won’t think twice about ratting us out.”
Denton balked, “If we go down, Liam goes down with us, so I doubt she will be so quick to run to the cops.”
He motioned for another drink then leaned in close to Charles, careful not to speak too loudly. “Besides, we aren’t going to threaten her,” he said. Charles was perplexed, so Denton elaborated. “When it comes to Liam, she is deaf, dumb, and blind, we’re going to use her to get to him.”
“Could be dangerous,” stated Charles. “Look what happened to Tom.”
“He got killed cause he was a stupid ass who was jaded by his intense hatred for Liam; he simply fucked up,” Denton spouted then reiterated. “Liam went above and beyond to protect that girl; I have no doubt he’d do it again, proving she’s definitely his weakness.”
“But he did leave Philadelphia,” Charles pointed out. “It’s possible he doesn’t care as much as you think he does.”
Denton thought about it for a second. “Or he just wants us to think that.”
Charles couldn’t deny that logic, but though he believed Liam’s actions at the bank were foolish, Liam himself was no fool. In fact, he still held out hope that someday Liam would work with him again. In spite of Denton’s opinion, when it came to pulling a heist, there was no one else he wanted or needed more. Even after the botched Bank of Philadelphia job, he surmised Liam’s sudden change of heart, was due to a temporary lapse in judgment.
“Are you on board?”
Charles finished his drink then uttered, “Yes.”
Remi placed protective earmuffs on her head, loaded the magazine into the gun and aimed it at the paper target. A regular at the range, she had made a few new friends there, mostly older gentlemen, who enjoyed having a cute, young lady around. There were a couple of women as well, one, in particular, was a fifty-six-year-old, formerly abused housewife named Lorraine, who was in the process of getting divorced. She hailed from Houston, Texas but moved up north to escape the hell she’d been living in, and though she has a restraining order against her estranged husband she was still extremely fearful of him. Lorraine was there almost daily, working on her shooting accuracy. Remi admired her strength and tenacity. Lorraine stepped into the slot beside Remi, so she briefly removed the earmuffs and asked how she was doing. “I’m doing pretty good today,” she replied winking as she brandished her favorite .38 Revolver. “How are things with you, darlin’?” she asked with a slight southern drawl. Remi smiled but then replied with an unconvincing, “Things are fine.”
Lorraine instantly sensed something was off. “You sure about that?”
Remi sighed then smiled again. “Yeah, I’m sure. Just have a lot on my mind.”
“Well, get busy, nothing clears the head more than firing off a few rounds,” she said, giving her an encouraging nod. “Amen,” declared Remi as she placed the earmuffs back over her head and began shooting. However, after a couple of shots, she paused for a moment as Mitchell Denton invaded her thoughts. She couldn’t believe that twisted pervert actually hit on her. The disgustingness of it prompted her to unleash the entire magazine, which in turn released all residual tension. Something Remi obviously needed. When the two women finished, they exited together. Outside, Lorraine asked, “You need a ride home?”
“Thanks, but I already called an Uber,” replied Remi. “I’ve got to head back into the city.”
“I’ll wait with you,” she said.
“I appreciate that, but you don’t have to.”
With a lighter in one hand and a Marlboro in the other, Lorraine sat down on the curb and lit the cigarette. “I don’t smoke in the car anyway, so this gives me a few minutes to enjoy it.”
Remi grinned while thanking her for the company. Lorraine took a drag then questioned, “Have you heard from that guy?”
Remi sighed. “Not as much as I’d like.”
Lorraine shook her head. “I’m convinced they’re all douchebags.”
Remi laughed but regardless of how angry she was, Liam was far from a D-bag, at least in her eyes. Not sure everyone else would agree with that assessment. “I thought my husband was the most wonderful man on this earth until he continually beat the shit out of me,” she said, inhaling the smoke then slowly releasing it. “Ever think you will be able to trust another man?” Remi cautiously asked. “I honestly don’t know,” she replied. “But I haven’t given up hope.”
All she could think was how awful it must have been for Lorraine to be that fearful of a man she was married to and loved. And to possibly never being able to trust a man again, was beyond sad. Just then the Uber arrived, but before Remi climbed inside, Lorraine imparted some unsolicited advice. “Life’s too short to wait around for some guy who isn’t here.”
And right on cue, Remi began to plead her case, “I told you that it’s not like that with Liam and me.”
Lorraine smiled as she motherly placed her hand on Remi’s cheek, “You’ve got to work on that denial, cause you aren’t very convincing.”
Remi appreciated her bluntness, but again didn’t quite understand why everyone assumed she was in denial. While the car drove away, sh
e thought that maybe it was time to buy her own vehicle. Though she didn’t mind the train, having something to drive whenever she wanted would be much more convenient. With the now generous salary Olivia gifted her, other than paying Melanie half the rent, and buying a few things here and there, she planned on just allowing her bank account to grow. She would soon have enough for a decent down payment, which was something to ponder. She was about to Google car dealers when she realized Olivia had left a voice message. Remi, I’m so sorry about Mitchell today. He had no right harassing you like that, and I should have had his ass thrown out. Anyway, please accept my apology. Remi felt blessed to be working for Olivia, but also felt guilty for withholding the truth. Olivia most certainly deserved to know that her hunch about Mitchell was a hundred percent correct, but implicating him would seal Liam’s fate as well. Thinking back to their brief conversation, Mitchell probably guessed she was bluffing. She released an exaggerated sigh cause once again Liam had entered her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried to keep him out. And of course, this brought her right back to the two text messages. Wondering if there was some underlying clue, she read them over—a few times. And something she didn’t catch earlier was the fact the second text came about a minute after the first. Giving a distinct feeling that something compelled him to send the second one. Maybe guilt, she thought. She then snickered cause believing Liam would feel guilty over a text would be preposterous. Just then a group text from Abby came through:
Sorry for the late notice, have to reschedule the fitting - Abby
Remi told the driver to nix going into the city and head towards Penn’s Landing instead. Once home, she didn’t even bother to find out if Justin was there, she decided to stay at Liam’s. His apartment was where she wanted to be or more like needed to be. And since she had broken the forbidden seal on entering his bedroom, she headed right for it the second she stepped inside his place. His bed was incredibly comfortable; she thought while sitting on the edge of it, just grinning because Liam certainly didn’t deprive himself of the better things in life. “Must be nice,” she whispered as she allowed herself to fall back onto the bed. She then nestled into the pillow and pulled the top sheet over her body. The humming sound of a cargo ship chugging its way down the river lulled her into a relaxing state, but it didn’t take long before she was reading those texts—again. As she lay there, she mindlessly began typing to Liam:
I miss you
Within a second, she erased it, resisting the urge to communicate with him. Let alone admit she missed him. Which wasn’t a lie, she just didn’t want him to know. To avoid another moment of weakness, she tapped the Netflix app and searched for a movie to watch instead.
CHAPTER 5
It was Saturday, and Remi was happy that she didn’t have to work. A much needed day off she thought. She had just finished eating a bowl of Rice Krispies when her phone beeped. It was a group text from Abby, checking to see if she and Melanie could hook up in the afternoon for their final dress fitting. She replied that it was fine then ventured into the bedroom to retrieve a few of her things. However, instead of leaving, she stopped in front of the closet and once again, opened the doors to take peek. On the inside floor, she spotted seven pairs of dress shoes, two of which were still in the boxes. Bending down to get a better look, she noticed they were all size 14. She smirked. Learning something so inane seemed awfully poignant. Wanting to know more about him, was beyond frustrating, as he made it almost impossible for that to happen. So, getting a glimpse of some of his personal items, though technically snooping, felt right.
She then turned her focus to the dresser. Figuring she was already in spying mode might as well keep it going, at least that’s what she convinced herself as she opened the top drawer. It was empty as was the second and third, but the last one contained a few t-shirts, two plain white and one black with a red and white Cornell University logo printed on it. She removed it then shut the drawer. “He won’t mind,” she uttered, as she took off her tee and slipped his over her head. It was big, but since Liam preferred a tighter fit, it wasn’t too bad. Wearing it gave her a strange sense of comfort, which was apropos considering everything in his apartment had that effect on her. A soft sigh escaped her lips, as she hugged her arms around the shirt. “I think I’m going to borrow this for a while,” she said aloud, snickering.
Liam had spent all morning packing and getting ready to check out of the hotel. Though, he had stopped long enough to look over a design he had been working on during his trip. He wasn’t even sure he was going to present it to Simon if he did choose to go back to Braddock and Associates. Then again, Liam felt it was one of his best. As he studied it, admiring the creation, he got a phone call from Chris, who just wanted to see what his best friend was up to. Liam explained about the packing and beach house. “Is this a permanent thing?” asked Chris, surprised at the news.
“Right now, it’s just an investment.”
Chris didn’t respond, which instantly made Liam apprehensive and his immediate reaction was to ask, “Is Remi okay?”
Chris just laughed counting the mere seconds it took for him to ask about her. “She’s fine.”
He could hear the relief in Liam’s voice. “Then this is just a casual call?”
“Yeah,” said Chris. “I was just wondering how long you were planning on staying in Miami.”
“Probably only a few more days then I think I’m heading to Philly.”
Chris quickly declared, “Well, I know one person who will be happy to hear that.”
Liam sighed sounding mildly frustrated, but his words said something else. “Don’t tell Remi about me possibly coming back, just in case something delays me; I don’t want to be further down on her shit list.”
Chris kept his thoughts to himself. Because Liam just admitted, without actually verbalizing it, that he was sensitive to her feelings. “Okay, I won’t say anything.”
After they had hung up, Liam slipped the drawing back into its protective case and called down to the front desk for a bellhop. He then double-checked the suite to make sure he had everything packed and that he hadn’t forgotten anything. Hotel life had worn thin, and he was more than ready to spend a few days in his own place. If nothing else, just to clear his head.
At the bridal shop, after Remi carefully slipped on her long navy blue strapless lace dress, the shop employee inspected the fit, checking the alterations. “This dress looks perfect on you,” the woman commented. “And the color accentuates your eyes.”
Remi thanked her for the compliment then waited for Melanie and matron of honor, Abby’s sister Sophia to finish putting on their dresses. Once all the young women were together, tears suddenly began to trickle down Abby’s cheeks, prompting Remi to ask her what was the matter. Abby grabbed a tissue then replied, “I just wish Jenna was here with us.”
Remi instinctively wrapped her arms around her and said, “I do too.”
Melanie soon joined in, and all three had a good cry. Until Sophia, broke the somber mood, “You all know she wouldn’t want you commiserating over her and besides she’s here in spirit.”
Remi nodded, deep down hoping that was true. Staring in the mirror, Remi couldn’t help but think how she too might not have been there, if it hadn’t been for Liam. Then she thought, what if it had been Jenna locked inside of the vault, instead of her? Life was certainly a bunch of what ifs. Abby noticed Remi’s zombie-like state and whispered to Melanie, “What’s up with her?”
“She’s missing Liam.”
“That sucks that he’s still gone,” remarked Abby. Having no idea what Liam and Remi’s true connection was, she just assumed the two had finally hooked up after Tom’s shooting. “Andy has a couple of real cute co-workers coming to the wedding; maybe one will catch Remi’s eye.”
Melanie quietly remarked, “Doubt it.”
Abby was disappointed to hear that, but it was finally time for her to try on the wedding gown, Melanie and Remi both grew teary-eyed seeing just how lo
vely she looked. With thick curly black hair and piercing blue eyes, Abby was absolutely stunning. “You look amazing,” Remi said, beaming. Genuinely happy for her dear friend, Remi felt honored to be a part of the wedding. At the end of the fitting, the three friends decided to grab something to eat and drink at a new waterfront restaurant that had just opened up on the bank of the Delaware River. Once there, Abby and Melanie perused the menu while Remi gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching a Navy tanker glide its way along the river. Seeing it was just another reminder of what she was missing or more like whom. “Are you ever going to fill me in on what really happened between you and Liam?” asked a perceptive Abby. Remi sheepishly laughed, “Nothing happened, we’re just friends.”
Melanie playfully interjected, “Welcome to my world, that’s Remi’s stock answer.”
The levity was refreshing and greatly needed. The three kept the fun going by ordering a 2009 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. After the waiter brought it over and poured each a glass, Abby made a toast. “To my two best friends, love you guys!”
“We love you too,” said Remi. They then clinked their glasses. As Remi sipped, she remarked, “Oooh, that’s good.”
An hour later, they had polished off a second bottle and were all feeling slightly tipsy. “Last time I got drunk, Liam took me home,” blurted Remi.
Melanie chimed, “And didn’t try anything.”
Remi laughed then, as usual, defended him. “Cause he’s a gentleman.”
Abby and Melanie exchanged curious glances.
“I saw that!” Remi blasted. “You guys just don’t know him like I do.”
Abby leaned in closer. “Then enlighten me.”
She wasn’t that drunk to blab about Liam’s secret life, but took the opportunity to disclose the softer side of him. “He looks out for others, especially his grandmother.”
Abby smiled “Aww, that’s sweet.”
Dancing her fingertip along the top of the wine glass, Remi grinned. “He’d do anything for her.”
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 6