Beneath the Surface
Chapter 8
Vince looked up when Claire came down the stairs. She looked at him briefly then looked away quickly. She continued into the kitchen to find Leon was the only one left in the house, besides Vince.
"They all went out. Said something about checking out the area." Leon explained.
Claire nodded. "Well Daisy agreed. She's coming over for dinner tonight."
Claire said.
Leon looked slightly nervous, "I better go get some clothes. I don't have anything good enough here." He said, and then rushed out the kitchen door.
Claire had to laugh. He was like a kid. You would think he's never met a girl before.
Claire looked around the kitchen and realized she needed to some more grocery shopping. She grabbed a pad and prepared a list.
~~~~
Vince could hear cabinet doors open and close. Sometimes the fridge door would open and the freezer.
He scowled.
What the hell is she doing making all that fucking noise for? I'm trying to watch TV damn it!
He thought glaring in the direction of the kitchen.
~~~
When Claire was finished with her list she went into the living room.
"Hey I'm going grocery shopping. Do you need anything?" she asked him softly. Not really expecting him to say anything.
Damn it! She is feeding us. Someone should go with her. Vince thought.
Claire's mind protested, when she saw the look in his eyes.
No way! There is no way I'm going to sit in a car with his no talking ass!
She thought venomously. "It's okay. You don't have to come with me. I'll be back in a couple of hours." She said stiffly, and then headed out the front door.
She was warming her car up when the passenger door swung open and Vince sat down next to her. She started to comment, but he stopped her.
"Don't. I've heard enough from you. Just drive." He stated, and then turned to look out his window.
Claire looked at him shocked.
Oh my god! He SPOKE. That's it; I've died and gone to hell. I'm doomed to spend eternity stuck driving in a car with Vince.
She thought wildly, and almost said it out loud. Instead she said, "Excuse me? Were you speaking to me? You do remember who I am right? The girl you spent eight hours in a car with and didn't say a word. I'm Brian's SISTER."
Vince rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. She couldn't see him thou.
"Yeah I didn't forget. Now drive," he said firmly.
She started to speak again, but he gave her his 'look' so she decided against it.
She shrugged. If he wanted to go then it was fine with her.
He better not complain or I swear he'll really hate me, AND not just because I'm Brian's sister.
~ ~ ~ ~
It took Claire a little over two hours to get everything she thought she would need. Vince helped her bring everything into the kitchen. Then mumbled something about his arm hurting and he was going to go lay down.
She didn't understand what he meant, but didn't question him. She watched him leave, and then sighed when he was finally out of the kitchen
He definitely had a chip on his shoulder. Claire knew it was because of Brian and what happened. She understood why he hated her. It might make her upset because he never got the chance to get to know her first, but she couldn't blame him.
All right stop thinking about it. It's not like you can make him like you.
She had just finished putting away the groceries when the doorbell rang. She frowned; it was too early to be Daisy. Then she just figured it was probably one of the 'team.'
Mental note, get them all spare keys to the house.
She thought as she headed over to the door. It never occurred to her to check to see who it was first. It never occurred to her it wouldn't be anyone but one of the 'team.' She smiled as she opened the door, but it disappeared as soon as she saw who it was. "What the hell do you want?"
~~~
Vince sat on the bed in what was designated as Leon's room. He didn't really want to lie down he just wanted to get away from HER. She confused him to no end. He's into Mia. He always has been. But then Brian comes along and deep down Vince knows Mia is in love with Brian even if he didn't want to admit it.
When Claire's around he forgets about Mia. All he can think about is, HER. Claire. Her lips and what they would taste like. What would it be like to have her legs wrapped around his body.
Vince closed his eyes tightly and growled in frustration at not being able to control his thoughts.
Stop it! She's Brian's sister. That fool fucked up the team. Leave it alone.
He thought.
Mia will leave him. She can't be with him forever.
His head jerked up when he heard Claire yelling downstairs. He shot off the bed and headed for the sound of her frightened voice. He was just in time to yank her back before a guy could slap Claire across the face. He shoved her behind him and glared at the guy.
"Get the fuck out!" He snapped, barely able to keep his temper in check.
"Mind your own fucking business!" The man yelled back.
That pissed Vince off. Vince shoved the guy back, almost out the door. "This is my business! You go anywhere near her again and I'll kill you!" Vince yelled back. The guy looked angry, but Vince didn't care. Damned if he ever let a girl get hit.
"This is between me and her." The guy said trying to get around Vince to Claire.
This time Vince punched him, giving him a bloody nose. "Leave! You touch her again and you're dead!" Vince snapped, angry the guy had nerve to defy him.
The guy looked at Claire, disgusted. "Is this who you've been fucking, you little slut? I knew your whole virgin routine was a lie." He shouted at her.
Vince saw red. He hit the guy again and kept swinging.
I'll kill him! Stupid fucking bastard!
"Don't you ever come near her again!" Vince roared, while still punching the guy's face in. He didn't stop until he felt someone pulling at him. He turned and saw HER.
"Vince stop. Please stop, that's enough." She begged.
Vince dropped his fists and shoved the guy out the door, slamming it shut. He turned and faced Claire. She looked so confused. "You aight? He didn't hurt you did he?" He asked gruffly.
She looked at him and shook her head no.
Vince frowned, "what's wrong?"
"I don't understand." She said, softly.
"Sometimes to feel like a man a guy thinks he needs to hit to-" She cut him off.
"No I mean you. Why did you do that? Don't you hate me?" She asked.
Vince looked at her. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to explain his actions. It was just natural. If it had been Mia or Letty he would have done the same.
Well maybe not Letty. He amended.
She could take care of herself. Vince didn't know how to answer her. He did know he didn't want anything bad to happen to her. That doesn't really mean anything.
"Never mind. I don't really want to know." She said, when it was obvious he didn't want to answer her question.
Vince looked up when Claire came down the stairs. She looked at him briefly then looked away quickly. She continued into the kitchen to find Leon was the only one left in the house, besides Vince.
"They all went out. Said something about checking out the area." Leon explained.
Claire nodded. "Well Daisy agreed. She's coming over for dinner tonight."
Claire said.
Leon looked slightly nervous, "I better go get some clothes. I don't have anything good enough here." He said, and then rushed out the kitchen door.
Claire had to laugh. He was like a kid. You would think he's never met a girl before.
Claire looked around the kitchen and realized she needed to some more grocery shopping. She grabbed a pad and prepared a list.
~~~~
Vince could hear cabinet doors open and close. Sometimes the fridge door would open and the freezer.
He scowled.
What the hell is she doing making all that fucking noise for? I'm trying to watch TV damn it!
He thought glaring in the direction of the kitchen.
~~~
When Claire was finished with her list she went into the living room.
"Hey I'm going grocery shopping. Do you need anything?" she asked him softly. Not really expecting him to say anything.
Damn it! She is feeding us. Someone should go with her. Vince thought.
Claire's mind protested, when she saw the look in his eyes.
No way! There is no way I'm going to sit in a car with his no talking ass!
She thought venomously. "It's okay. You don't have to come with me. I'll be back in a couple of hours." She said stiffly, and then headed out the front door.
She was warming her car up when the passenger door swung open and Vince sat down next to her. She started to comment, but he stopped her.
"Don't. I've heard enough from you. Just drive." He stated, and then turned to look out his window.
Claire looked at him shocked.
Oh my god! He SPOKE. That's it; I've died and gone to hell. I'm doomed to spend eternity stuck driving in a car with Vince.
She thought wildly, and almost said it out loud. Instead she said, "Excuse me? Were you speaking to me? You do remember who I am right? The girl you spent eight hours in a car with and didn't say a word. I'm Brian's SISTER."
Vince rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. She couldn't see him thou.
"Yeah I didn't forget. Now drive," he said firmly.
She started to speak again, but he gave her his 'look' so she decided against it.
She shrugged. If he wanted to go then it was fine with her.
He better not complain or I swear he'll really hate me, AND not just because I'm Brian's sister.
~ ~ ~ ~
It took Claire a little over two hours to get everything she thought she would need. Vince helped her bring everything into the kitchen. Then mumbled something about his arm hurting and he was going to go lay down.
She didn't understand what he meant, but didn't question him. She watched him leave, and then sighed when he was finally out of the kitchen
He definitely had a chip on his shoulder. Claire knew it was because of Brian and what happened. She understood why he hated her. It might make her upset because he never got the chance to get to know her first, but she couldn't blame him.
All right stop thinking about it. It's not like you can make him like you.
She had just finished putting away the groceries when the doorbell rang. She frowned; it was too early to be Daisy. Then she just figured it was probably one of the 'team.'
Mental note, get them all spare keys to the house.
She thought as she headed over to the door. It never occurred to her to check to see who it was first. It never occurred to her it wouldn't be anyone but one of the 'team.' She smiled as she opened the door, but it disappeared as soon as she saw who it was. "What the hell do you want?"
~~~
Vince sat on the bed in what was designated as Leon's room. He didn't really want to lie down he just wanted to get away from HER. She confused him to no end. He's into Mia. He always has been. But then Brian comes along and deep down Vince knows Mia is in love with Brian even if he didn't want to admit it.
When Claire's around he forgets about Mia. All he can think about is, HER. Claire. Her lips and what they would taste like. What would it be like to have her legs wrapped around his body.
Vince closed his eyes tightly and growled in frustration at not being able to control his thoughts.
Stop it! She's Brian's sister. That fool fucked up the team. Leave it alone.
He thought.
Mia will leave him. She can't be with him forever.
His head jerked up when he heard Claire yelling downstairs. He shot off the bed and headed for the sound of her frightened voice. He was just in time to yank her back before a guy could slap Claire across the face. He shoved her behind him and glared at the guy.
"Get the fuck out!" He snapped, barely able to keep his temper in check.
"Mind your own fucking business!" The man yelled back.
That pissed Vince off. Vince shoved the guy back, almost out the door. "This is my business! You go anywhere near her again and I'll kill you!" Vince yelled back. The guy looked angry, but Vince didn't care. Damned if he ever let a girl get hit.
"This is between me and her." The guy said trying to get around Vince to Claire.
This time Vince punched him, giving him a bloody nose. "Leave! You touch her again and you're dead!" Vince snapped, angry the guy had nerve to defy him.
The guy looked at Claire, disgusted. "Is this who you've been fucking, you little slut? I knew your whole virgin routine was a lie." He shouted at her.
Vince saw red. He hit the guy again and kept swinging.
I'll kill him! Stupid fucking bastard!
"Don't you ever come near her again!" Vince roared, while still punching the guy's face in. He didn't stop until he felt someone pulling at him. He turned and saw HER.
"Vince stop. Please stop, that's enough." She begged.
Vince dropped his fists and shoved the guy out the door, slamming it shut. He turned and faced Claire. She looked so confused. "You aight? He didn't hurt you did he?" He asked gruffly.
She looked at him and shook her head no.
Vince frowned, "what's wrong?"
"I don't understand." She said, softly.
"Sometimes to feel like a man a guy thinks he needs to hit to-" She cut him off.
"No I mean you. Why did you do that? Don't you hate me?" She asked.
Vince looked at her. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to explain his actions. It was just natural. If it had been Mia or Letty he would have done the same.
Well maybe not Letty. He amended.
She could take care of herself. Vince didn't know how to answer her. He did know he didn't want anything bad to happen to her. That doesn't really mean anything.
"Never mind. I don't really want to know." She said, when it was obvious he didn't want to answer her question.