With Melanie at Justin’s apartment, Remi had the place to herself, so she settled on the couch, with a bowl of microwaved popcorn and the TV remote. Attempting not to stress about Liam meeting with Mitchell, she scrolled through the cable guide, hoping to find a good movie to watch. Of course, she kept checking her phone for the time and seeing if Liam had texted, but he hadn’t. She wanted to call him but promised she would stay out of it. She was worried sick about him. Forcing herself to think of something else, the only other thing that had continuously remained in her thoughts was the memory of her and Liam in his kitchen—kissing. Never in her life had she wanted to be with someone so intensely, the way she wanted to with Liam. All the guys who have come and gone in her life, none held a candle to him. He had them beat in every facet. Even not being warm and fuzzy, he had shown his softer side to her on a few occasions. Especially last night, she got to experience a side of him she never had before. The fact he pulled back only made her want him even more. Liam had been monopolizing her thoughts so much that she couldn’t even concentrate on the television guide, which was just as well because the man she couldn’t stop thinking about was now knocking at her door. She leaped from the couch and had barely opened it when she asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he replied, unconvincingly, as he entered. He looked mentally beaten, so Remi felt she needed to tread carefully. “Is Melanie here?” he asked, scanning the living room. Remi shook her head no. With that, Liam sat down on the couch and covered his head with his hands. “Do you want to talk about it?” she questioned, sitting down beside him. He removed his coat, leaned back then just looked at her. “I have no desire to talk right now.”
She understood. “I’m just so tired,” he murmured while tilting his body to the side, to the point of where he was partially lying down. A wry smile appeared on his face as he recalled, “Last time I laid here, I was a bloody mess.”
“I remember,” she said, getting up and grabbing a blanket off the love seat. “Here,” she said, placing it on top of him. He thanked her while lying down the whole way. She quickly hopped down the hall to retrieve a pillow. When she returned, she slid it underneath his head. “You’re too good for me,” he mumbled, but she wasn’t sure she heard correctly. “What did you say?”
“I said you’re too good to me.”
She smiled fully convinced he had uttered a Freudian slip. “Is it okay I sleep here?” he asked politely. “Of course it is,” she replied tucking the blanket around him, loving the role reversal. She hoped he’d ask her to join him, but all he said was, “We’ll talk tomorrow,” then closed his eyes. She locked the door, turned off all the lights and television then was about to head to her room, but stopped to look at him. The thought of sleeping in the other room while he was right there would be torture. So, in a bold move, Remi carefully laid down on the couch alongside him, however, because he was lying completely on his back, her body was hanging off the edge. She suddenly felt stupid for even trying to sleep with him again when it was painfully obvious had he wanted her to, he would have suggested it. She sighed, feeling like a fool, she then whispered, “You’re pathetic.”
“Who is?” he asked in a hushed tone. Between being startled that he wasn’t completely asleep and humiliated, Remi tried ignoring him and began sitting up. “Where are you going?” he asked reaching his hand out to stop her. But just as she was about to explain her actions, Liam turned on his side and moved, giving her ample room to join him. As soon as she lied back down, he unexpectedly fixed the blanket, so it was now covering her as well then draped his arm securely around her. They were officially spooning, which Remi added to her list of Liam’s sweeter moments. As she nestled in, he tightened his hold. And for the second time, she slept with Liam.
Both ended up having a restful sleep, in spite of the weighing mount of issues troubling them, which was a testament to their comforting effect on one another. Because as Remi opened her eyes, the first thing she thought of was that Liam chose to come to her instead of going to his place. And though he didn’t want to talk about the meeting, without coming out and actually admitting it, he needed her. She smiled just thinking about that and at the fact that Liam’s arm was still firmly wrapped around her body. The idea of having to move from that position truly sucked, but the time was 6:30, and they both had to get up for work. She grudingly touched his hand lightly, which instantly woke him up. He quickly removed his arm and stretched it. “Thanks for letting me crash here,” he said. “Oh please, I practically live at your place,” she said, sitting up and looking down at him. Though he half-smiled, he all of a sudden produced a serious expression, and she knew things weren’t good. As he sat up to join her, he didn’t tell her what happened with Denton. Instead, he broke the news that he was going to take a couple of days and head back down to Miami.
“You’re running away?” she asked, her voice cracking. “No, I’m not running, I just need to get away from everything here,” he said. As Remi’s heart began to sink, a look of bemusement crossed her face. Liam attempted to explain that he needed to clear his head and regroup. “Didn’t you already do that when you were away for a month?” she argued, unable to hide being upset. “Well, things have changed and not for the better,” he replied, but unfortunately he made it all sound so bleak. “When are you going?” she inquired. “Hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest, depending on flight times.”
She didn’t know how to respond because to her it seemed like he couldn’t get out of Philly fast enough. And when he swiftly climbed off the couch and just stared out the sliding glass door, it made her feel like it was her he wanted to get away from as well. Needing to get ready for work along with feeling sick over him leaving again, she thought it best to remove herself from the conversation by announcing she was going to take a shower. However, before she vacated, Liam turned around and asked, “Do you think you can get off for a couple of days?”
That question stopped Remi cold in her tracks. “I don’t know, maybe.”
“You want to come with me?”
Those words were pure magic to her ears. “Sure, I’ll talk to Olivia,” she said, praying her boss wouldn’t have a problem with it.
He offered to give her a ride to work, but she knew he had a lot to do, so she declined. He told her to be careful, and that he’d talk to her later.
DeGrazerio entered the police station, cursing at the top of his lungs. “What’s wrong?” asked Weston. “The judge delayed the warrant for a couple more days because he’s still mulling over the evidence,” he replied. “Such bullshit.”
Weston nodded.
“Got any info on KilKinney?” the agent asked, hoping for something positive.
“Not much, he’s kind of a loner,” he said. “Product of divorce, two siblings that he doesn’t appear to communicate with, works odd jobs, currently bartending, bad with money as he doesn’t seem ever to have any.”
The detective continued, “Been friends with Matthews since they were kids, but I did find out something that I wasn’t privy to earlier.”
The agent listened.
“Right before Schaffer’s death, according to KilKinney’s significant other Nina, he went missing for a day then turned up after Tom’s death with a busted arm and no memory of what happened.”
DeGrazerio uttered, “Hmm, interesting.”
Weston recapped, “We know that KilKinney had been ruled out as one of the five gunmen because he had a broken ankle at the time of the heist.”
The agent interjected, “Okay, so he didn’t physically participate in the heist but his connection to Matthews and the strange disappearance before Tom’s death, points to him possibly having some sort of role in this.”
Weston shrugged, unsure of what to think of at this juncture. DeGrazerio strolled back and forth along the big board, studying the photos then suddenly an idea popped into his head. “Let’s bring on a private investigator and see what Matthews is up to.”
Liam had just fini
shed purchasing online two round trip airline tickets from Philadelphia to Miami when Mary announced that he had a visitor. Before he had the chance to ask who it was, Penny tapped on the office door. “May I come in?”
All the usual defenses went up, as he remained seated, and snidely remarked, “If you must.”
She waltzed in, and just like everyone else seemed to do, took notice of his lack of décor. “What are you doing here?” he asked, unable to hide the displeasure of her presence. She smirked while staring at a design that was on top of the drafting table. “I haven’t seen you since you were in the hospital and wanted to see how you were doing.
“Uh-huh,” he mumbled.
“How’s the stomach wound?” she asked. “Healed, “ he replied sharply. “How’s your friend, Remi?” she inquired, desperately trying to make small talk. Though growing agitated, he still surprisingly answered, “She’s fine.”
However, that’s all he said. “I enjoyed meeting her the day she came to my office seeking a donation,” said Penny, who had a million questions to ask and all she wanted was to have a conversation with her only son, but his resistance was strong, and refused to budge. She stepped closer to the desk, looking him over. “Are you okay?” she questioned, worried about him even if he didn’t believe it. “I’m fine,” he answered curtly. “You look tired,” she pointed out. He wanted to laugh at the nerve of her saying that, but deep down he knew she was right. “Aren’t you guys usually in St. Croix this time of year?” he asked swiftly changing the subject. Knowing him better than he thought she did, she figured he was deflecting, but just having him speak to her in a less than snarky tone was worth it, no matter what they were discussing. “Yes, we are heading there tomorrow, but only going for a few days,” she replied. Liam nodded, which was more acknowledgment than she had expected. In fact, it surprised her that he even remembered that they traveled there every February. Just then, Mary popped her head in the doorway to ask if she could get Penny anything to drink. “She’s leaving,” declared Liam, before his mother could reply herself. He then abruptly stood up as Penny walked towards him and reached her hand up to his face. He flinched when her hand neared his cheek, so she stopped short of actually touching him. “I know this doesn’t mean much to you,” she said, “but please be careful.”
He didn’t respond or utter a single word, but for Penny, the fact he hadn’t kicked her out as soon as she arrived, was a promising sign.
Olivia had been out all morning, forcing Remi to wait to talk to her. So, the moment she arrived back at the office, Remi approached her. “I know I haven’t been here that long, and you have already been so generous,” Remi opened with, blatantly beating around the bush. An astute Olivia interrupted, “Just tell me.”
“Would it be okay if I took a few days off?”
“When?”
“Tomorrow and Wednesday, maybe Thursday,” she said. “I’m not entirely sure.”
“Is everything okay?” asked Olivia.
“Oh yeah, everything’s fine, I was just invited to go down to Miami for a mini-vacation,” she said, embellishing just a tad. Olivia glanced at her computer screen and smiled. “Well, you are in luck, I have to fly to Chicago tomorrow until Thursday, so things might be a little slow around here anyway.”
“You’re okay if I take off then?”
Olivia nodded and told her to have a good time. Remi thanked her then instantly texted Liam:
I can go – Remi
He immediately texted back:
Good, our flight is at 7:40 tonight - Liam
Remi looked at his text for a couple of minutes and was delighted that he used “our flight” cause he wasn’t going without her and that spoke volumes. He could have easily just gone alone. She sighed with thoughts of spending a couple of days with Liam, and Liam only. Him asking was still kind of shocking. Then it dawned on her; the most likely reason for his invitation was to protect her, as always. Not that it was a bad thing. She had grown accustomed to his overprotectiveness. And even if that was the only reason, she wasn’t going to let it dampen the trip. She was too excited to allow that to happen. She also got anxious about not having enough time to pack after work. Luckily the airport wasn’t too far from the apartment, but still, by the time she would get home, gather her things then head out, she’d be pushing it. So, she decided to leave a little earlier just to be safe. To compensate, she’d try to double the amount of tasks before she left.
Liam met with Simon to give him a progress report and to explain that he would continue working while down in Miami. Simon had no doubts that Liam would come through for him. Therefore, had no problem giving Liam free rein to do whatever he chose to do. Having the rest of the afternoon to pack and pick up things for the trip, he called Remi to see if there was anything she needed. Her reply was more time, to which he laughed but since he couldn’t give her that, he did, however, offer to give her a lift home at four o’ clock. He then made a few stops at various stores along with a quick check in on Marlene to make sure she was all right. She had been lunching with a group of friends. Therefore, his brief appearance was just long enough for her to show him off. He did whisper to her that he was going to Miami for a few days and that Remi was going with him. She didn’t prod. Instead, she told him to have fun and prayed he had a safe trip.
While he sat in his truck, waiting for Remi, he thought about seeing his mom earlier in the day and how he had neglected to mention it to his grandmother. One thing Liam excelled at was shoving anything having to do with his parents out of his head. But his mother’s impromptu visit struck a chord. It was out of character for her to just show up. Her doing that at the hospital was to make sure he didn’t need legal representation or more so to make sure the family name wasn’t tainted. Either way, it was odd. He watched Remi, wearing a huge smile on her face, exit the building. Witnessing her elation forced him to crack a smile himself. As soon as she climbed into the truck, she told him to get moving that she had some serious packing to do. “Yes, Ma’am,” he said, laughing. She started rambling about only having been to Disney World but never seeing any other parts of Florida; she was talking a mile a minute. Liam told her to take a breath. She giggled while stating, “I’m just a little excited.”
“I can tell.”
“Can I ask you a question, though?”
He nodded.
“Did you invite me because you wanted me to go or was it because of the whole Denton following me thing?” she asked, side-eyeing him while he drove. He glanced over and replied, “Both.”
“That seems to be your go to answer these days,” she said. He smiled then said, “I also want to show you the house.”
That’s all she needed to hear to quiet those pesky insecurities that constantly chirped inside her head. The moment he pulled into an empty spot, Remi had her fingers on the handle and her foot practically out the door. Again, Liam found her excitement endearing; he had no idea that a simple trip to Miami would bring her that much joy. She apologized for not waiting for him, but as she rushed inside, she yelled that she’d be ready as soon as possible. After barreling through the apartment door, she immediately hightailed it to her bedroom and started packing. “Whoa, what’s going on?” asked Melanie who popped her head out of the bathroom. Remi stood on a stool while removing a medium-sized piece of luggage from the top of the closet. “I’m going to Miami for a couple of days.”
“Wow, that’s cool,” said Melanie. “For work?”
“No, with Liam,” she replied while yanking clothes off hangers and pulling items from the drawers. With a humongous grin on her face, Melanie hopped onto the bed and asked, “How did this come about?”
Remi speedily maneuvered around the room, grabbing all the necessities. “He needed to get away for a few days and invited me to come along,” she said then added, “It’s no biggie.”
“You two have kissed, slept together minus sex and have been spending lots of time together and he asked you to go away with him and yet it’s no b
ig deal,” she said, definitely not convinced. Remi frowned. “I think Liam and I are just good friends, nothing more.”
Melanie picked up the music box and read aloud, “For my sweet mistake, no regrets, Liam.”
She then looked at Remi and stated, “Actions speak louder than words.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” countered Remi.
Melanie handed her the box then whispered, “You deserve a little happiness.”
It was a curious statement. Not that she doubted Melanie’s genuine goodwill for her she just wasn’t exactly sure what Melanie was hinting at but didn’t have time to dwell. Instead, she set the box down and got back to packing. A half-hour later, she called Liam to let him know that she was ready anytime he was. Five minutes later, he was in her apartment, hurling her overnight bag over his shoulder. Melanie hugged Remi then told them both to have a good time. “You take good care of my girl,” she warned Liam, who just grinned as they headed out. “I Googled the temperature in Miami, I hope I brought the right type of clothes,” she said. As Liam started the engine, he told her if not; there were plenty of stores for them to go shopping. She smiled, at how sweet his demeanor was. They were only on I-95 South heading towards Philadelphia International Airport, and already Liam was a hundred times more relaxed than usual. Maybe he was right, she thought. Getting away from all that was bogging him down was a good thing. And since she’s tagging along, he didn’t lump her into the negative category. However, she had also been friend-zoned, which should make her happy to some degree, considering he had a nagging tendency of still seeing her as his former hostage.
After they had parked in the long-term garage and checked in their luggage, they began trekking through airport. Remi carried her knapsack while Liam only had his laptop case. “We have to get through the TSA checkpoint at Terminal B,” he said. Remi just nodded, then as they approached security she asked, “No gun, right?”
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 23