UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask

by Heather Carnassale

  “What are they up to?” questioned DeGrazerio. Weston shrugged and replied, “Maybe they’re just getting away for a few days.”

  The agent scoffed, always believing when it came to Liam Matthews there was an underlying subtext. He asked how the investigator knew they were staying at the house. “I got a buddy who does surveillance work down there, and I had him do a little digging when I found out where those two went.”

  Weston complimented the man’s quickness in obtaining that information. DeGrazerio told the man to keep them posted if anything else came about then he looked at the big board, zeroing in photos of Liam and Remi. “They must be closer than we originally thought,” he said, tapping his finger on both of the pictures. “I mean Matthews just got back from traveling all over, and if he isn’t running from us unless it’s work related, he still took Catalano along for what reason exactly?”

  Weston argued, “Maybe the two are just boyfriend and girlfriend.”

  DeGrazerio couldn’t dispute that because he honestly didn’t know. Weston added, “Think about it, the two of them are down in Miami, as if they didn’t have a care in the world.”

  “Your point?”

  “My point is, maybe we’re reading this all wrong.”

  DeGrazerio shook his head while still focused on their photos. “I’m leaning towards Stockholm Syndrome,” he said. Weston felt that Remi’s loyalty to him ran much deeper than that. The agent studied the two photos then declared, “Right now, all I know is that Matthews’ ass better be back here in Philly on Thursday, because if it’s not then I know he’s running and this little excursion is not what it seems.”

  Liam and Remi had stopped at a local bakery to get coffee and breakfast sandwiches before driving to a nearby mall. The entire time they ate, she refrained from asking about his meeting with Denton, though she was curious as hell. She figured he’d tell her in his own time. When they arrived at the mall, the first store they hit was Bed, Bath and Beyond, and immediately checked out the bedding section. As they ventured down one of the aisles, she asked Liam what colors he had in mind to which he responded by telling her to choose. “That’s silly; it’s your house,” she said. “It needs a woman’s touch,” he countered. She couldn’t argue with that, not that he didn’t have good taste, it was just he kept things so clinical, his apartment, his office, and even the house to some extent needed some life pumped into it. “Okay, since the room is a neutral color with a dark oak hardwood floor, how about maroon?” she suggested while feeling some of the sample fabrics. He told her to choose whatever she wanted and that the price didn’t matter. It took her close to a half an hour to make a decision, so in the meantime, Liam had gone over to the kitchen department to pick up a coffee maker and other items he needed. When Remi found him, he asked her what kind of pots and pans she preferred. Again, she didn’t quite understand his need for her opinion but appreciated that he wanted it all the same. She made a couple of suggestions then asked if he planned on cooking. “Not sure, but every kitchen should have a good set,” he said. She agreed while showing him the bedding that she chose, to which got his stamp of approval. They then went on to purchase other things, such as utensils, silverware, dishes, and candles. After Liam paid, they loaded up the car then walked around the mall for a while, going in and out of various stores. Not once did Liam think about the investigation, Denton or the DNA shit. Shopping with Remi managed to keep those things in the back of his mind.

  Their next stop was a grocery store to buy coffee, eggs, bread, and snacks. It was almost one o’clock when they returned to the house, and once Remi loaded the sheets into the washer, and Liam put the groceries away, he invited her to take a walk on the beach. Of course, she said yes.

  The two left their shoes on the terrace then stepped onto the warm sand. There weren’t many people around it was as if she and Liam had it all to themselves. Since they’d been in Miami, Liam acted differently, not so reserved, but more playful and fun. Walking with him, watching him dig his toes into the sand and toss shells into the ocean, it was a whole other side of Liam that she had secretly hoped existed and delighted that it did. They talked about random things, keeping things on a positive level then the conversation shifted towards Chris. “How many jobs has he done with you?” she asked then whispered, “Illegal that is.”

  “Let me think,” he said. “I’d say about eight of them.”

  “What did he do with all the money he got from them?” she asked.

  Liam laughed. “Spent it!”

  “I take it he’s not as smart with it as you are.”

  “Well, my situation was different, I came from money plus I already had a decent salary that I lived off of, whereas he’s never really found anything he was particularly great at or loved doing.”

  He continued, “I didn’t need to do the illegal stuff for money, it was just an added perk, Chris on the other hand, didn’t have the same option.”

  The way he spoke about Chris and the money, she could tell Liam really looked out for him and had thought how fortunate Chris was to have a friend like Liam in his life, and now she felt just as lucky. Liam kept talking, which pleased Remi very much. “Even though Chris busting his ankle happened at a horrible time, a part of me is glad he ended up not being involved in that heist,” he said. Remi just listened while relishing the fact he was divulging things he hadn’t before. “Chris was better off,” he said.

  “Yeah, he could have died.”

  “And if he didn’t, he’d be in the same mess as me,” said Liam. Unsure, how to take that, Remi asked, “Meaning dealing with the whole investigation and me?”

  “You think, I have to deal with you?” he asked, extending out his arm to stop her from walking. She just shrugged so Liam assured, “I didn’t mean that to sound as if I’m stuck dealing with you, believe me, I wouldn’t have asked you to come down here if I felt that way.”

  She boldly asked, “Why am I here?”

  Liam sighed as stared at the waves rolling in. “I told you, I wanted to show you the house.”

  “And to make sure I was protected,” she added, sounding somewhat agitated. He smirked. “Well, I always want that, but I thought getting away for a couple days would be nice for you.”

  “I appreciate that, but you still could have come by yourself,” she said.

  Liam smiled and said, “There are two other reasons I brought you along.”

  Moving directly in front of him, she tugged at his shirt while playfully teasing, “I’m all ears.”

  “Reason one, I wanted the company.”

  She looked up at him again and joked, “You could have brought Chris.”

  “Want me to take you back to Philly and bring him down instead?” he asked, with one eyebrow raised. “No,” she mumbled as a sudden burst of a cool ocean breeze bombarded them, making Remi wish she had brought a hoodie with her. “And reason two?” she asked. “I knew you were worried that I might run, and the last thing I wanted was for you to think I was taking off again and not coming back,” he explained, which completely took her by surprise. “You didn’t want me to worry?” she questioned, folding her arms, as tiny goosebumps appeared on her skin. Liam noticed her shiver and without saying a word, he moved deliberately behind her then began rubbing his hands up and down both her arms, attempting to warm her up. He then answered her question. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

  Taken aback by his answer and by his current action, she just smiled at how wonderful both made her feel. For most of the trip thus far, he had been able to push all negative things aside, but he knew he owed Remi the details about Denton. Especially since it affected her as well, she deserved to know. “Any warmer?” he asked. When she replied that she was still lightly chilled, Liam wrapped his arms around her entire body, completely encasing her. “Better?” he questioned. “Mm-hmm,” she murmured, as she instantly felt the heat emitting from his body up against hers. While they stood there, enveloped together, Liam decided it was as good a time as any t
o tell her. So out of nowhere, he blurted, “My meeting with Denton also included Charles.”

  Her reaction was immediate. “What!”

  “I was shocked to see him too, but apparently he and Denton are still working together.”

  Skeptical of them still being in cahoots, Remi asked, “You don’t have the diamonds anymore, what did they want with you?”

  Liam hesitated, honestly not wanting to tell her too much, but he felt obligated to keep her informed to some degree. “They want me to do another job.”

  Remi tensed up under his arms as she whispered, “A heist?”

  Liam didn’t answer. Instead, he squeezed her gently, an effort to reassure her. “You told them no, right?” she asked, turning her head slightly, with her cheek touching his shirt. He sighed. “It’s not that simple.”

  “I know you told me before that you didn’t want to stop that way of life, but I thought you were trying to stay out of trouble, especially now with the police investigating you.”

  “I’m not going to lie, a part of me misses it,” he said. “But that’s not what I want to do right now.”

  “Okay, so why is turning them down not simple?”

  He sighed again, and Remi immediately surmised, “Unless they threatened me.”

  Liam dropped his forehead against the back of her head, resting it for a moment. Remi pushed for the answer. “Is that the reason?”

  “Yes,” he replied bluntly. “But not physically.”

  “You’ve lost me,” she said, bewilderment oozing from her voice. Liam spun her around so she could face him, but his hands remained gently gripping her arms. He then explained, “They threatened to turn you into the police for lying about me.”

  “What, that I knew you were one of the gunmen?”

  “Yes, along with aiding and abetting a known fugitive.”

  She was about to speak, but Liam cut her off. “And about knowing I had the diamonds the whole time.”

  Remi cried out, “Should have never forced you to plant those diamonds on Tom.”

  Liam was quick to refute, “You didn’t make me do anything; I could have told you no and held onto them.”

  “But,” she said before he interrupted again. “Remi, we’ve already had this discussion, I don’t blame you,” he affirmed. “You had nothing to do with that heist except being a casualty, my keeping the diamonds was all my doing, and giving them up was my choice as well.”

  She shook her head, not agreeing with him. He looked her square in the eye and assured, “Don’t worry, it will be okay.”

  She produced a weak smile, to which Liam told her that she could do better than that. “I know when it’s fake.”

  Considering he had much more to lose, she found it baffling that he was the one comforting her. Her smile widened as he abruptly and predictably changed the subject. “Should we go out for dinner or order in?” he asked then added, “I have a bunch of menus back at the house if you prefer staying in; we could go out tomorrow night.”

  With a wide-eyed innocent gaze, she couldn’t believe he was talking about food after divulging such an ominous dilemma. He gave her a minute to think it over then suggested they head back to the house where she could decide. The trek back was quick but quiet. Neither spoke, as it was evident their conversation had put a kink in the trip. When they walked inside, Remi darted for the laundry room to stick the sheets into the dryer and put the comforter into the washer. Liam appreciated the help but hadn’t expected her to do labor while there. “I could have done that,” he said. Helping with the laundry was the least she could do, Remi thought as she just shrugged him off. “Your choice of dinner,” he reminded. “Hmm,” she muttered while looking at the stack of menus piled up on the counter. He made a few recommendations, but the two agreed on just appetizers and then tomorrow evening going out somewhere nice to get something more substantial. The time was close to 5:30 so they delayed ordering for a while. Liam decided to work a little before calling for the food, while Remi flipped through a newspaper as she waited for the sheets to dry. Once they were ready and the comforter was in the dryer, Remi went upstairs to put the sheets on the bed. She smoothed them meticulously, making sure they were taut. But she kept yawning. Therefore, by the time she had finished, the appeal of the new and cleanliness of the bedding, was irresistible. A quick nap before dinner, she thought as she crawled on top of the bed, careful not to mess it up.

  Liam had been working non-stop for an hour, only halting long enough to call the restaurant to place an order, when he realized he hadn’t seen Remi. Knowing the food would be there soon, he called out to her. When there was no response, he sent a text, and that’s when he heard a phone beep, in the distance. The sound came from the upstairs guest room, and that’s where he found Remi curled up in a ball, sleeping peacefully. As she looked very comfortable, he thought a nap wasn’t a bad idea, but the delivery person was en route. Therefore slumber wasn’t in the cards for him. Instead, he went downstairs, retrieved the comforter from the dryer then carried it up to the guest room, where he laid it over Remi. When the soft, warm fabric skimmed her bare arms, she stirred a little, but her eyes remained closed. Liam watched her sleep for a moment. Hating the fact that he continuously brought grief to her life. It was one fucked up thing after another, he thought. But even with all that loomed, he was glad she came down there with him. Just then, the doorbell rang. Liam hurried to the front door, hoping the loud noise wouldn’t wake her up. He brought in two large bags of food and set them on the table. He figured he’d wait for Remi and work in the meantime.

  Her eyes fluttered opened, at first unsure where she was. It took her a minute to realize she had napped on the guest room’s bed. Shit, she thought, she had messed up the neatly made bed but didn’t remember having gotten the comforter from the dryer. As she got off the bed and began fixing the giant blanket, she deduced Liam had been the sneaky culprit. She just shook her head smiling while adding it to the numerous noble gestures he continued to bestow to her. And speaking of Liam, she wondered what he was up to, so she rushed down the stairs to find him. On her quest, she noticed the bags from the restaurant sitting on the table, but they appeared to be untouched. “He didn’t eat?” she questioned aloud while peeking inside one of them. “No, I was waiting for you,” he said, entering the kitchen from the terrace. She smiled, recalling a few minutes earlier about his gestures. “That was very sweet of you,” she remarked as he began opening the bags and removing the various containers. He played the compliment off by asking if there was anything she wanted heated up in the oven or microwave. She shook her head no and went about grabbing a couple of clean plates from the cabinet. He told her that he’d been sitting outside by the fire pit working on his laptop and suggested they eat out there. She agreed and followed him to where the glow and warmth from the fire made for a cozy atmosphere. Remi chose a comfortable spot on the cushioned wicker couch to sit while Liam went back inside to get a bottle of wine. When he returned, he asked, “Want a glass?”

  “Sure,” she replied then chuckled at all the greasy food they began ingesting. “It’s all so good,” she commented, nibbling on spring rolls and mozzarella sticks. Appearing quite content and relaxed, Liam informed, “Tomorrow night, I’m taking you to an Italian restaurant, I checked out when I was here a couple of weeks ago.”

  Liam’s gentleman card had emerged again, and Remi couldn’t resist calling him out on it. “I’m onto you,” she announced. He had been taking in a huge gulp of wine so he nearly choked when she spewed that. “Excuse me,” he said, clearing his throat to rid the excess drink that had lingered. She threw up her hands and shouted, “All of this, the trip, the wining and dining, the holding my hand on the plane, keeping me warm, keeping me safe!”

  Completely dumbfounded, Liam just looked at her in awe. “What is it, do you feel indebted to me for not turning you in or is it just guilt?” she asked.

  “Neither,” he replied, calmly. He then shockingly admitted, “I can’t explain
it; there’s just something about you that makes me want to take care of you.”

  She wasn’t sure if she should be offended, because he saw her as some helpless sap, or flattered because it was obvious she was special to him. No need to debate it though as Liam’s next declaration leaned towards the latter scenario. “I’d do anything for you.”

  It was her turn to be flabbergasted, as he had a knack for surprise admissions. “Anything?” she questioned while wearing an impish grin. He nodded tentatively, wondering if he had just stepped in front of a firing squad. “If that’s true, will you do me a favor?” she asked while pouring more wine into both of their glasses. He waited with bated breath as she handed him his glass. She then clinked hers against his as if they had just toasted to something and then made her request. “Will you take us out of the vault?”

  He immediately groaned as he conspicuously set the glass down on the table. Not exactly the response she had been seeking, but he didn’t flat out say no either. Persistent as always, Remi set her glass aside as well and decided play on that broken down façade and pouted just a little. “Please.”

  He tilted his head over the back of the couch and forfeited. “Okay, you win.”

  “Really?” she asked, giddily beaming while he looked up at the clear nighttime sky. He nodded, which prompted her to reach over excitedly, and throw her arms around his neck. She then whispered sweetly, in his ear, “Thank you.”

  He instantly smiled as her lips accidentally skimmed the lobe of his ear. In his mind, the always present thought of Remi being his undoing confidently declared victory. Liam could no longer deny what was right in front of him. Especially when she continued embracing him tightly, Liam’s reliable willpower was nowhere to be found, and possibly for the first time in his life—he didn’t care. As waves pounded the shoreline and heat from the fire warmed them up, Remi recoiled, knowing that getting too physical was forbidden, immediately recalling their night in the kitchen when things went a little too far. However, Liam stopped her from moving by placing his hands on her face. With his thumbs caressing her skin he gazed longingly into her eyes then tenderly pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was different than the prior ones they had shared. There was no teasing, no manipulation, this time it was as if Liam needed it to happen. Or more so—needed her. His lips were even softer if that was even possible, she thought. She smiled underneath the kiss, as his tongue parted her lips with extreme precision seeking a way to fully taste the woman he had denied himself for weeks. Remi’s mind swirled, as he passionately kissed her, savoring the moment, just in case déjà vu kicked in. No worries though, Liam had no intention of stopping this time. As he vacated her lips and sampled the smooth skin of her neck, he breathlessly asked, “Want to go inside?”