“Just tell me.”
She turned to face him and blurted, “Mitchell Denton came in today.”
With a stoic expression, he asked, “Was he there for Olivia?”
Remi gulped. “No.”
“Tell me everything,” he said, in a calm voice which his zen-like reaction unnerved her. Remi went on to explain what had happened and purposely stressed that he didn’t rattle her and threatened to shoot him. That little nugget garnered a smile from Liam, but it quickly faded. “Wonder what the hell that piece of shit is up to,” he uttered, his composure wavering.
Remi laughed. “He’s just a letch.”
Liam asked if Denton had left a message for him, but Remi replied he hadn’t. She could tell he was deep in thought and wished she’d kept her mouth shut. Denton didn’t hurt her and had nothing important to say, Liam truly didn’t need to know, and she kicked herself for telling him. Then again, she thought, she had a sneaky suspicion that Denton wanted her to tell Liam. “I think he likes to push your buttons,” she said. Liam agreed. “And use you to accomplish that.”
Remi smiled because Denton wouldn’t be able to touch a nerve if Liam didn’t care about her. He didn’t say another word for about five minutes then out of nowhere he declared, “Tomorrow, I’m going to visit my grandmother, and I’d like you to come with me.”
“Really?” she asked, somewhat stunned.
“Do you want to?”
Remi didn’t have to think twice before replying a resounding, “Yes.”
He had changed the subject, which may or may not have been a good thing. Though she was unsure how to take that, she honestly didn’t want to talk about Denton anyway, so she was grateful for the shift in conversation. He suggested they go to Peking Delight for dinner. “Sounds good,” she said, thankful again that he didn’t let her news ruin his somewhat good mood. The restaurant was right around the corner, and Liam had no trouble finding a nearby parking garage, but the short trek would not be a fun one being that the temperature dipped beneath freezing with a wind chill hanging in the single digits. “Ugh, I can’t wait for Spring,” she moaned, walking with her arm tightly weaved through Liam’s. He heard what she had just said but pretended as if he didn’t. Though Spring wasn’t too far off, for Liam, it didn’t matter. He knew the odds of actually enjoying it would be slim to none. Before they entered the establishment, Remi stopped him and asked if he was still thinking about Denton. He replied no as he held the door opened. He was clearly hiding something, Remi knew it but she had two options, she could call him out on it and sabotage their dinner and the rest of the evening, or she could just enjoy herself and deal with it later. For Remi, it was a no-brainer.
Once they sat down and looked at the menu, they were just about to order when a tall, striking blonde slinked by their table. The woman immediately did a double take then rudely interrupted them. “Liam?” she questioned, focusing on his face. Remi eyed the mystery lady up and down, her curiosity at an all time high. Liam’s quizzical expression showed he wasn’t quite sure if he knew the woman or not. “It’s me, Mandy,” she said, shocked that he couldn’t recall. He uttered her name then after about twenty seconds put two and two together. “That night at the Grille,” he said. Her bright red-stained lips smiled widely at his recognition. “That was some night,” she purred, purposely ignoring Remi while she spoke. Liam suddenly looked as if he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Mandy deliberately stepped towards him and bent over slightly. “You never called me, I was disappointed,” she said, pouting. He just grinned but didn’t give any reason as to why he never made that call. She then turned to Remi and assumed she was the cause. Liam introduced the two women to each other, though the fake smiles from both could be seen a mile away. “Well, it was nice seeing you again,” she said, purposely skimming her hand across Liam’s shoulder. “You, too,” he said as she sauntered away. Liam foolishly watched her go, and the second he turned back around, with a raised eyebrow and skeptical expression, Remi inquired, “Mandy?”
“I met her one night back in December,” he said smirking then quickly added, “I was drunk.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation,” she said, dipping a crunchy noodle into a bowl of duck sauce. “To be honest, I was in a total haze that night,” he said. “I remember being in a cab and going to her place but I never got out; I just went home.”
All of a sudden, a light bulb went off in Remi’s head. “I remember that night!”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I arrived home the same time you were stumbling out of that cab,” she said. “You were wasted and had red lipstick smeared on your white collar.”
Liam smiled at Remi’s astute observation and vivid recollection. “She’s very pretty, I can’t believe you opted to go home instead of hooking up with her,” said Remi who was a little surprised. He laughed, “Yeah, well one night stands aren’t my thing.”
“Uh-huh,” she said cynically. “Okay, I did meet her at a time when I kind of had other things on my mind,” he said, trying to rationalize it. Remi remarked, “Just a few I’d say.”
He laughed, but his expression changed to one of seriousness. “That night, I completely lost my focus, which wasn’t good.”
Remi looked confused, so Liam elaborated. “Between the diamonds and worrying about you, putting myself in a vulnerable position was beyond stupid.”
Every time Liam mentioned her in the context of protecting and being concerned, especially during the earlier part of their highly unconventional relationship, it never failed to bring a smile to her face. After a waiter had taken their orders, which consisted of them sharing sweet and sour chicken and hot and spicy shrimp, Remi spotted a few colorful, Happy Valentine’s Day cardboard cutouts strewn along the walls. “I forgot tomorrow is Valentine’s Day,” she said. “Me too,” said Liam, immediately thinking that he needed to pick up something for his grandmother. Unbeknownst to Remi, he already had that sapphire charm for her bracelet and though technically he hadn’t made any plans on giving it to her, tomorrow would be as good as any, he thought. He also figured, his days were more than likely numbered, so there was no point withholding it. He’d rather see her wearing it than not. Remi noticed that Liam suddenly appeared distracted but then she purposely caught his attention, by brandishing the sweetest smile she could muster. “What’s up?” he curiously asked. She shrugged. “I don’t know; maybe you just make me smile.”
“Well, that’s one I haven’t heard before.”
His left hand was resting on top of the tablecloth, so Remi reached over and casually placed her hand on top of his. “That’s because you weren’t with someone who appreciates you the way I do.”
Once again, Liam found himself in unfamiliar territory. Sure, he had always had women gush over him and stroke his ego but without one ounce of sincerity behind any of it. He glanced down at her hand, and for a split second, his mind consumed with wanting just to grab hold of Remi and run away with her. The sudden arrival of the food snapped him back to reality, though Remi couldn’t help but wonder why he was staring at her hand so conspicuously. She thought, to get five minutes inside the mind of Liam Matthews would be a treat.
They were both starving and began digging in right away. It turned out to be a rather pleasant meal. Liam had performed a masterful acting job as if nothing had been bothering him and though deep down Remi knew he was putting up a front for her benefit, she had no energy or desire to fight him on it. Thirty minutes later, when they had finished, the waiter brought over the check along with two fortune cookies. Liam pulled out his wallet while Remi grabbed a cookie. She immediately cracked it open and read the message. “Every day is a new day, but tomorrow is never promised,” she read aloud. She then ripped the tiny paper into pieces and tossed it onto the table. “Just a stupid factory printed message anyway,” she murmured, obviously upset at its pessimistic contents. Liam handed the waiter the money for the bill along with a generous tip. The gracious waiter thanked h
im then told the couple to have a nice evening. Remi glanced at the unopened cookie on the table before following Liam to the door. “Why didn’t you read your fortune?” she asked, pulling on her coat. “Because you’re right, they’re just printed up in a factory,” he replied unfeelingly, as he slipped his arm around her waist. She instinctively nestled into his side and said, “I know, but it could have been something happy or at least funny.”
Liam gave her a gentle squeeze, and a soft kiss on her cheek. The second the warmth of his lips skimmed her skin she forgot all about the stupid fortune. On the drive home, Liam ended up talking on the phone with Simon, so Remi just played games on her phone. Liam’s conversation lasted the entire ride, into the building, on the elevator, and into his apartment. He motioned for Remi to come into his place, but once inside she debated on whether to stay or not. With his phone in one hand and a pencil in another, he began jotting down notes in a tiny blank section of a design he had left sprawled out on his kitchen table. She didn’t understand a word of what Liam was saying but could tell it was something important that required his immediate attention. So much so, that when he peeked up and looked her way, she waved that she was just going to leave. He moved towards her, preventing that from happening. “Simon, I’ll call you right back,” he said, as his eyes never left hers. “Don’t go,” he then said. “It’s okay; I understand you have work to do.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you have to go,” he said, leaning over to press his lips to hers. He then suggested that she could just hang out there. Unable to resist him, especially when he played the kiss card—Remi caved. She told him she had laundry to do and that she’d be back in a little while. Liam waited a few minutes to call Simon back, that way he could think about his meeting in the morning, with Detective Weston. One of the reasons he had set up the meeting the way he did was so he couldn’t back out himself. There was no doubt in his mind that Weston wasn’t going to be there, the only thing Liam couldn’t be sure of, was if Weston would go it alone. It was a huge gamble one Liam hoped he wouldn’t screw up. He thought if Special Agent DeGrazerio tagged along, he was as good as arrested. All the more pressure to at least get that one particular design finished. He had promised Simon he could handle the project, but unfortunately, he hadn’t contemplated the conundrum better known as the DNA debacle.
After changing into a pair of light gray leggings and navy blue t-shirt, Remi filled the plastic basket with the pile of dirty clothes that had accumulated before and during the Miami trip then ventured down to the laundry room. Liam had been working for close to thirty-five minutes when he glanced at his phone, noticing the time. He immediately wondered where Remi was, she hadn’t been gone that long, but even though he needed to work, he liked having her around. No sooner had he thought that Remi arrived. “Hey,” she said, casually breezing through the door. He had the tiniest smirk on his face, worrying for no reason. “You look guilty,” she commented, slipping on her pink fuzzy slippers. He laughed. “Yeah, well, that could be applied to many things.”
She chuckled as she stood near the table and gawked at the drawing. Liam sneakily curled his arm around her body and pulled her down onto his lap. Now sitting between him and the design, she complimented him on how talented he was. “Thanks,” he whispered, resting the bottom of his chin on the tip of her shoulder. “I wish I could do something like this,” she said, touching one of his fancy drafting pencils. “You can,” he said, shifting a little while placing a pencil into her right hand then clasping his fingers over hers. He then carefully glided her hand over a tiny section, allowing the pencil to draw a quarter-inch line. Remi giggled, which in turn made Liam smile. Something so minuscule summed up just how far they’d come. “This is fun,” she said, as he allowed her to draw another, that time without his assistance. “Mm-hmm,” he mumbled in agreement. “You smell good,” he then said, as the familiar scent of strawberry shampoo wafted over him. She continued moving the pencil with precision thoroughly enjoying the moment, as was Liam, who relaxed his cheek in the nook of her neck. With so many thoughts that kept plaguing his mind, at that particular instance just having her there, on his lap, made him wish things could have been so different. Never one to fantasize, just as he had at the restaurant earlier, he was once again tempted by the idea of running away. He closed his eyes briefly as he subconsciously tightened his arms around her, and released a sigh of contentment. “I’m distracting you,” she whispered. “It’s a good kind of distraction,” he murmured, brushing his lips lightly against the exposed skin of her neck. She turned her head and body, so she was sitting sidesaddle. Then with her index finger, she traced the edge of his jawline and leaned in to kiss him. “I better let you get back to work,” she said. He grinned as he playfully nibbled her lower lip while moving his hands along her thighs. “You sure?” he asked, feeling her body react under his touch. “No, I’m not sure, but I know you need to get this done,” she said, shockingly being the voice of reason. He dropped his head in defeat. “Of all times, you pick now to be rational.”
She hopped off his lap, bent over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll be back; I have to go check the clothes.”
He watched her grab his gray hoodie off the chair, slip it over her head then leave. Remi was right, he did have work to finish, but he couldn’t help dwell on the fact their time was running out. The once cold-hearted soul, who never needed anybody in his life, needed her—both physically and emotionally. Liam knew he only had a couple of days left, if even that, he wondered. “Fuck!” he uttered angrily while picking up the pencil Remi had just been holding. He rolled it between his fingers for a minute, contemplating on what exactly was the point of him finishing the project. He had to ask himself, what reputable company would want a design done by a criminal? Simon was going to be beyond livid, and it was probably going to make Braddock and Associates look real bad, so Liam was starting to wonder if he should just flat out resign before it all went to hell. As he continued to twiddle with the pencil, he got an idea, one that would be good for all involved.
When Remi came back up, Liam was so engaged in work, she just left him be and curled up on the couch. It gave her the perfect opportunity to observe him working, especially while he was in a zone. Completely focused, as his fingers delicately held the pencil almost as if it were a scalpel and he was a surgeon performing surgery. Remi had never really watched him design before, she’d been around while he did it, but studying him now was mesmerizing. And at the same time—depressing as hell. For someone so passionate about his work, the willingness to throw it all away for the thrill of stealing felt hollow. Liam hadn’t noticed that Remi’s eyes were watching his every movement. She alternated her fixation, by watching his hand slide the pencil across the paper then admire his relaxed yet concentrated expression. She didn’t need television to occupy her time Liam was more than enough. In fact, it made her think back to their conversation at the restaurant in Miami when he stated that she wouldn’t have liked him very much had they met before the heist. Remi thought, if she had gotten to do this, and get to make love with him, and have the protection of a man who would always put his life on the line for her, what was there not to like—or love. He could talk up all of his negative traits, all his indiscretions, and what a bastard to women he used to be, but to her, those things didn’t exist. All of a sudden, he stopped to stretch his arms over his head and yawn. She had lost track of time and needed to retrieve the clothes from the dryer. He just happened to glance over at her, as she hopped off the couch and announced that she was going back down to the laundry room. Without the television on, and no visible book, magazine or even her phone nearby, he wondered what she had been doing for the last hour. Completely oblivious of the adoration she had been bestowing upon him from afar. While Remi was gone, he grabbed a bottled water from the fridge then walked around for a few minutes. When she returned, lugging a basket filled with clean clothes, Liam offered to help fold them. She appreciated that but knew he had to work to do a
nd didn’t want to take him away from that. “I don’t mind,” he said then added, “I needed a break anyway.”
As they folded, she innocently said, “I would have washed yours, too.”
A look of shock appeared on his face. “What?” she questioned. He smiled almost boyishly and timid, which was something rare for him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been with a woman who offered to wash my clothes.”
“You’re kidding?”
He lowered his head in embarrassment, another unusual act. “All the women I had ever dated were all about themselves and what I could do for them, not vice verse.”
Remi’s heart sunk as her eyes began to tear up. He picked up the clean Cornell t-shirt to fold, and said, “I’m not used to someone wanting to take care of me.”
He handed her the neatly folded shirt, which made her smile because it was once his, and after she had set it aside, she leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. Once again the urge to divulge how she truly felt about him, overwhelmed her. However, as their lips met again, Remi repressed all spoken declarations of love. Keep it a secret, she thought. “You better get back to work,” she sung underneath the smooching. He grudgingly dropped his forehead to her shoulder while she placed her hand on the back of his neck. As Remi’s fingers began to massage his strained neck muscles, he murmured, “Now this feels nice.”
UNMASKED: Sequel to Behind the Mask Page 32