Charles nodded.
I continued comparing the blueprints, but the whole Mitchell and lack of trust thing bothered me. “If you don’t trust him, how do you know he’s not going to screw us over?”
A slight chuckle emerged from Charles. “Guess we will find out, won’t we?”
After recalling that specific discussion, Liam was confident that Charles still didn’t trust Denton. And that just pissed him off even more as he all of a sudden forcefully grabbed hold of Charles’ jacket. “Why bring Remi into this?” he asked through gritted teeth. “Because we needed your help and knew you wouldn’t do it without having some leverage against you,” Charles replied, trying to get out from under Liam’s strong hold. “Your idea or Denton’s?” he asked, keeping a firm grip on Charles, who chose not to answer. “You almost killed her at the bank and would have left her for dead, and then you threatened her again afterward, and she still didn’t turn you in,” reminded Liam. “And yet here you are threatening to blow the whistle on her.”
Liam strengthened his hold and the more he thought about it, the idea of just ripping Charles to shreds for what he did do to Remi, beckoned. “It was Denton’s idea not mine!” admitted Charles, desperate to save his own skin. With that, Liam released him. “Denton blames her for everything, and when he found out that Olivia hired her, that just sent him over the edge.”
Fury pulsed through Liam’s veins. “You’re mad at the wrong person,” said Charles. “I just want to do another heist with you, Denton wants revenge.”
Liam sighed. “Why is Denton having me and Remi followed?”
Charles looked perplexed and his reply shockingly honest. “He’s not as far as I know.”
“You sure?”
“Denton is too cheap to pay anybody to do that, in fact, he had me tail Remi the night of Olivia’s fundraiser,” he said. Liam got his confirmation that it wasn’t Denton, therefore knew it had to be the feds. “Let’s go,” demanded Liam, opening up the passenger side of the car. Charles got in the driver’s seat and began to drive away. “When is the job supposed to happen?” asked Liam.
“Wednesday at 1:30 A.M.”
“Doesn’t leave much time for planning.”
“This is just a smash and grab, in and out,” said Charles, clearly thinking it would be a cakewalk.
Liam scoffed. “The reason why we bypassed this specific jeweler before was that it harbored a sophisticated alarm system, even if we just smash our way in, cops would be there in seconds flat.”
Charles glanced over and deadpanned, “Then we better be quick.”
As they drove and Charles further explained the job details, Liam only half-listened. Instead, his mind was everywhere but there in the car. However, he nodded every once in a while to make Charles think he was paying attention.
“Don’t worry, he says,” uttered Remi, frantically walking about Liam’s living room. The thought of him doing another job with Charles made her physically sick. Though she completely trusted Liam’s judgment, she worried that he hadn’t thought it all the way through. Of course, she had no idea what he was really up to, and though she hated the fact that he was purposely keeping her in the dark, she understood his reasons. When she got tired of pacing, she sat down on the couch, to where she spotted the manila folder still lying on the coffee table. Yes, she told herself, she had snooped in his things before, but inside that folder contained the details of the job and if he had wanted her to see them, he would have shown her, she thought. With her elbows perched on her knees, she just gawked at it. After about five minutes, she picked it up and placed it on her lap. All the while still telling herself not to open it. “Come on Remi, he knows you’re a snooper, he’ll understand,” she said, in an attempt to convince herself that it was allowed. “Maybe if I just read a little,” she said, her fingertips fiddling with the clasp. But as she was just about to give in, she couldn’t go through with it. For some reason, this situation felt different than when she followed Liam to the warehouse the night of the incident involving Tom. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t respected Liam’s wishes back then, well, in a way she hadn’t, but Tom might have killed Liam had she not shown up. However, the cops wouldn’t have that damn red bag if it weren’t for her. “Ugh,” she muttered. She grudgingly set the folder back down on the table then got comfortable on the couch. In an attempt to deflect her attention, she flipped through the television channels, hoping to find something to watch to kill time until Liam got back. However, none of that was needed. Exhaustion kicked in soon enough, and Remi lasted about twenty minutes before conking out.
When the two men arrived back at the apartment building, Charles informed that he would be in touch sometime the next day. Liam rushed inside and couldn’t get upstairs fast enough. So many things were swirling through his mind, he needed to focus for a moment. As soon as he barreled through the door, he immediately saw that Remi was asleep on the couch. He kneeled down next to her and just watched. Though he would have enjoyed rekindling what they had started two hours earlier, he was relieved that he’d have some time to gather up the newfound information he had just obtained. Liam covered her with the blanket then kissed her forehead. As he moved away from her, he noticed the folder and his immediate thought was, did Remi look inside of it? He had been in such a rush to get out of there; he had forgotten to move it. He certainly wouldn’t have blamed her to sneak a peek, but he wanted her kept out of all planning and details, at least as much as he could. Remi would be relentless, he knew that, but protecting her from what was about to come was the one, if not the only reason his plan had to work. He took the folder over to the kitchen table and removed the contents. He began reading the first part, which was just a summary: Market Street Jewelers - point of entry – back window. Alarm contacts on all windows but heavily concentrated on the front and back. Time before police arrive – under two minutes.
Liam read aloud, “Under two minutes.”
Leaving little room for error, Liam ran his hands over his head, suddenly feeling unsure about going through with the robbery. It was a definite means to an end, but he had to ask himself, at what cost? Liam’s mind was beyond overwrought with many scenarios that could go wrong. He read the rest, which was five pages long. A job that detailed needed more than just a few days to prepare, all the more reason to worry. He glanced at Remi, who was still sleeping. In that instance, he recalled back, to mid-December, when he first encountered her by the elevator. Not necessarily seeking some higher purpose, even Liam had to admit, the odds of he and Remi living in the same building were highly improbable. Coincidence, maybe, but looking back, he was beginning to believe his sole reason in life was to protect her. That split-second decision he made at the bank changed everything about him and surprised himself in the process.
The bold moves of saving Remi and keeping the diamonds proved one thing that he had no problem going against orders or authority. Which led him to the authority part, Charles swore Denton wasn’t having him followed, which oddly, he believed him. So, if the feds and police had him watched, then someone might have just witnessed his recent interaction with Charles. But the man had numerous aliases, and always drove rentals cars, thought Liam. He was in the United States illegally, insuing there wasn’t any record of him, and if someone had spotted them earlier, it was dark on the docks and doubted anyone would have gotten a clear visual. The more he thought about it, the less Liam worried. He took down the painting to access the safe, removed the list from inside then scratched off the things he’d taken care of, thus far:
Give DNA sample
Accept the job with Charles/Denton and get details
Tie up loose ends
Make sure Grandmom is taking care of
Finish project for Simon
Meet with Weston – privately
He then texted Victor to see if they could meet up sometime tomorrow and as he typed he uttered quietly, “Tie up loose ends.”
Once Liam put everything away, and checked the door lock
s, he adjusted the blanket covering Remi. Not wanting to interrupt her slumber, the bed would be his choice for the night, and since it was close to midnight, he wasted no time crawling into it. As he laid on the one side, he glanced at the empty spot on the other, and it bothered him. He’d gotten used to her being there, whether it was the bed or couch. It had only been a few times, but her lack of presence was glaring. Whether it was because of her absence, or everything else bogging him down, sleep would evade him, regardless of how exhausted he was.
CHAPTER 18
Remi opened her eyes, not first realizing she had slept all night on the couch. It was 6:30, but no sign of a bright, morning sun, instead, it was replaced by a dreary, thick-clouded sky, fitting for the mood. While she heard the shower water running, she noticed the manila folder was no longer on the table, nor was it anywhere in sight. There was that curious side of her that regretted not peeking when she had the chance because there was a nagging feeling that Liam was going to do something stupid. Just then, he exited the bathroom to find Remi waiting for him in the hallway. “Good morning,” she said, observing beads of water dripping off his freshly scrubbed skin. “Hey,” he said, smiling while heading into the bedroom. “What did Charles want?” she asked, following him. Liam slipped on a pair of boxers then replied, “This is where I don’t answer you.”
With her arms tightly folded, she abruptly stormed out into the hall. Giving Liam the cold shoulder wasn’t a problem for her as she was clearly pissed off. “Remi,” he called out. She stopped, but the scowl on her face showed displeasure. “Did you look at the contents of that folder?” he questioned. Remi thought, what nerve but then saw his concerned expression and decided not to be a bitch. She shook her head no but then admitted that she had wanted to.
Liam figured she would have been majorly tempted.
“I get you keeping me in the dark for my own good, but I still wish you would let me help you,” she said, walking back into the bedroom. “Keeping you safe and out of all of this is helping me,” he said, trying to get through to her.
“If you say so.”
He pulled her into his arms and while embracing her, he said, “I’m going to drop you at work, then I have some errands to run and do some work myself.”
Remi nodded as her head dropped against his bare chest. “I’ll pick you up when you’re done then I’ll treat you to dinner,” he said, his hand cradling her head. “Sounds good,” she said, pulling herself away, as she needed to go next door to get dressed.
Once she was gone, he checked his phone. Victor had texted him back with a message that they could meet at ten. Things were falling into place; he just wasn’t sure he was ready for that to happen.
Remi fixed a cup of coffee then needing a few minutes to gather her thoughts; she carried the hot cup out onto the balcony, where the gray clouds hovered, like a gloomy blanket of doom. The cold, biting air made her wish even more that they were back in Miami. Though it wasn’t just the freezing temps that had her wanting to go back there. Liam’s refusal to disclose the details of his talk with Charles bothered her, a lot. She respected his decision not to tell her anything, but it sucked all the same. A knock at the door signaled Liam’s presence, so she rushed inside to grab her things. Neither spoke until they got outside to his truck. “Why so quiet?” he asked while opening the passenger side door. “What’s the point, you aren’t going to tell me anything anyway,” she replied sharply. Once Liam got inside, his annoyance came to the forefront. “Why do we keep having this same conversation over and over?”
“Because you’re purposely shutting me out, which stinks.”
“It will all make sense,” he said, reaching his hand over to hold hers. “Trust me,” he pleaded with slight distress in his tone. While looking at his hand, she whispered, “I’m just worried.”
Liam had no words of placation for her, as he was fresh out. He didn’t want her to worry, but he’d asked her to trust him numerous times, it was up to her if she could do that. Needless to say, the short drive felt longer than usual as the conversation came to a standstill. However, Liam kept his hand locked with Remi’s the entire ride. When they reached her workplace, she went to get out, but he stopped her. “I’ll see you later,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. He then told her to text him when she was finished and he’d come get her.
Two hours later, Remi was sitting at her desk when a familiar yet detestable person approached her desk. “Good morning, Miss Catalano.”
“Can I help you, Mr. Denton?” she asked with a snippy undertone.
“Now that’s a loaded question,” he said, with an evil grin. If he had a long mustache, Remi pictured him twirling the ends with his fingers. She silently laughed, because Mitchell Denton was scum, but his bark was worse than his bite. Or so it appeared. “Olivia isn’t here,” she informed, attempting to ignore him.
“I’m not here for her.”
Being a Saturday, there was only a skeleton crew on hand; it was Remi and a couple of other employees, so she had to play it cool, knowing there wasn’t much help nearby. She pretended to be reading something on the computer, but Denton wormed his way around her desk, making his presence known. However, Remi wasn’t having any of it. She opened up her purse, slyly slipped her hand inside, and curled her fingers around the gun. “Don’t move any closer!” she warned, her hand still hidden in the purse. “Or what?” he asked, purposely leaning into her.
“I’ll scream.”
He whispered, “Go ahead, I’ll just tell everyone all about your boyfriend.”
“How about I just shoot you instead,” she said nonchalantly. Denton thought she was lying even when he spotted her hand inside the purse. “I think you’re bluffing.”
With a slight confident smirk, Remi reminded him about Tom. “I wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger then, and I’m not afraid now.”
“Oooh, you are a feisty one,” he snarked. Remi remained stone-faced, keeping her composure. He took a step closer and whispered, “You know what you need?”
She rolled her eyes, not wanting to know the answer, unfortunately for her, Denton supplied one anyway. “You need a real man.”
Remi laughed then looked him square in the eye. “You’re delusional.”
“No, that would be you, sweetheart, if you think you and Liam are going to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.”
His words stung and sadly, rang true. In her heart, that’s exactly what Remi wanted to happen, but her head said otherwise. Of course, she wasn’t going to give Denton the satisfaction of knowing he had hit a nerve. “I have work to do,” she said, trying to get him to leave. “Maybe I’ll just hang out here for a while,” he said with a grating smarm. Remi desperately wanted to call security but had a feeling that’s what he wanted her to do. It would have given him the opportunity to make Remi squirm in regards to Liam’s role in the heist and her role afterward. He’d think nothing of spouting loudly about Liam, so she had to play it smart and play him. In a somewhat coy voice, Remi asked, “Mr. Denton, is there a specific reason why you are here?”
He just grinned like a Cheshire cat but didn’t reply. “I really have a lot of work to do,” she said, removing her hand from the purse, purposefully showing him that she was no longer holding the gun. “I’ll go,” he suddenly announced then whispered, “But if you ever get tired of that dullard Liam, call me.”
He placed a white with black embossed lettering business card onto her desk. “Anytime,” he said before exiting. Remi watched him leave then picked it up. She poked the sharp corner of the card against her fingertip but without thinking slid it along the top, slicing her finger in the process. “Ouch,” she groaned as the card fell from her hand and onto the desk. A tiny amount of blood began to trickle out as Remi searched for a Bandaid. Denton and a paper cut, how apropos, she thought.
Seated at a round table in Victor’s office, Liam handed the attorney a piece of paper and requested, “I need you to set a few things up for me.”
“Yes and then I want a separate account opened up for the house in Miami, specifically for property taxes, cable, phone, water, utilities and unforeseen issues.”
Victor just nodded as he continued to look over the paper.
“I also want to transfer ownership of that house,” he said then paused for a moment. “Can you do that for me?”
He nodded as he called his secretary to gather up the appropriate forms. While they waited, he asked Liam if he wanted to tell him the reason for all of this. Of course, he declined to go into any detail, other than that he needed to prepare for the near future. Victor again offered his legal services if Liam was in trouble. Within minutes, the secretary brought in a stack of papers and Victor said, “All right, you have some filling out to do.”
“Can I take these with me and get them back to you?”
Victor told him yes then asked if he was familiar with a Quitclaim Deed. Liam replied that he was, but Victor explained a little more about it so that Liam knew exactly what was involved. He then told his client to call if he had any questions and with numerous forms in tow, Liam drove to work. Once there, he checked the changes that Simon had wanted done on the designs then he sprawled out all the forms onto his desk and began the tedious task of entering all the required information. “Quitclaim Deed,” he uttered as he picked up a black pen. In the section marked Grantor, he wrote, Warren Liam Matthews, III.
Using his given name always produced a condescending chuckle from Liam. Of course, not in regards to his late grandfather but solely because of his father. Just then Simon popped his head inside the doorway. “Hey, I didn’t expect you to be here on a Saturday,” he said. Liam greeted him then explained he wanted to get working on the changes. Simon gave a thumbs-up but told the young man not to work too hard. Liam responded with a nod as he looked over the house’s deed information and ended up calling Victor to get a few things clarified. While on the phone, Liam received a text message from Remi that stated he could pick her up at any time. While she waited for him to arrive, she debated on whether to tell him about Denton’s impromptu confrontation. She knew he would probably go ballistic, and since she handled herself just fine, there was no need to burden him with it. In the meantime, she sent Olivia an email with some of the website ideas she had brainstormed. She then packed up and sat down in the lobby. As soon as the truck pulled up out front, she bolted out the door and practically sprinted towards the vehicle. “Hi,” she said, climbing into the passenger side. “How was work?” he asked. She shrugged which aroused suspicion in Liam. “Did something happen?” he inquired as if he could read her mind. She shook her head no, but he didn’t believe her. “Remi?” he questioned, placing his hand protectively on her shoulder. “Okay, I’m gonna tell you something but promise you aren’t going to go postal,” she said then reiterated, “Promise.”
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 31