Beneath the Surface
Chapter 9
Vince watched her leave. He sat down on the couch and glared at the wall.
Fuck! Leave it alone. Don't go fuckin with shit. I don't need this.
He thought. He just wanted to keep her at a distance. Vince turned and looked in the direction of the kitchen.
Where the fuck is the team? I'm sick and tired of being stuck with HER all the damn time.
He thought viciously.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire sat in the kitchen. Five bucks says he ignores me all day.
She smiled at her little joke. She stood and went about preparing dinner for the team.
"Hey, smells good in here," Leon said as he entered the kitchen.
Claire jumped, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
He smiled at her.
"Hey, Leon. How did your shopping go?" She asked. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Good. I got a couple of things," he replied.
Claire nodded, "that's good." She went back to her cooking.
Leon frowned at her back. "Hey, do you know what's up with V?" He asked.
Claire's eyes widened, but she didn't turn around. "No, why? Is there something wrong?" She asked innocently.
"I don't know. There's something off though. I can tell. Like when I knocked. I swear I almost ran in the other direction when I saw the look on his face. He was pissed." Leon said.
Claire shrugged and turned to look at him. "I don't know. Did you ask him?" She asked.
Leon looked at her like she was crazy, "Hell no! You didn't see his face. There is no way I'm askin him anything." Leon said confidently.
"He doesn't seem any different to me." She said then turned away.
Leon frowned at her again. "I don't get that either. Did something happen between the two of you when you drove him here?" Leon asked.
Claire froze, "why would you think that?" She asked.
"For one, I know V's quiet, but never this quiet. Two, you turn your back when you lie. Three because I know V. There's no way he ignored someone as fine as you. So this leaves me with the conclusion that something happened and that's why he's like this." Leon said matter-of-factly.
Claire turned around to deny everything Leon said, but she couldn't. It was the truth and she knew it. She opened her mouth then shut it. She looked at Leon, then down at the floor. She felt Leon lift her chin until she was looking at him.
"It's okay. What happened, Claire?" He asked gently.
Claire sighed, "nothing really. I just said I was sorry for what Brian did to your family because I knew it still bothered him. I asked if that's why he wasn't talking to me." She explained.
Leon's eyes widened.
"Yeah that's pretty much the reaction I got." She said slightly amused.
Leon sighed, "V doesn't like talking to anyone unless it's with the team. He doesn't trust very easily," Leon tried to explain.
Claire scowled in aggravation, "He doesn't need to trust me with his life. I'm just trying to be a friend and help you all out. The least he could do is have the decency to talk to me." She said, somewhat angry.
Leon lowered his head slightly in agreement. "Yeah I know. I'm sorry he's like this. It's just the way he is. If you want I can ask Dom to talk to him," he offered.
Claire shook her head, "no it's all right. I don't want him to hate me even more because he's being forced to speak to me. If he doesn't want to talk to me then that's fine with me." She said.
Leon looked at her oddly, "he doesn't hate you Claire."
Claire rolled her eyes at him. "Please, I know when someone hates me. You're his friend so you're defending him, but I know the truth. Trust me. He hates me." She said wryly, and then went back to her dinner preparations.
Leon stared at her back, but said nothing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dinner was almost the same as it always was with the team. Daisy came over and she and Leon hit it off great. They spent most of the time talking to each other to the point where they were ignoring everyone else. Claire was happy for Daisy and Leon. Happy they could see something in each other.
Claire didn't say much throughout dinner. She watched everyone else. Brian had showed Mia around the area. Dom and Letty had spent the day checking out the garages in the area. Claire turned and saw Vince just sitting and scowling at his plate. She frowned slightly, confused as to what Vince would be mad about now. She hasn't spoken to him for most of the day.
"This was great Claire. Thank you." Dom told her as they finished eating.
Claire smiled at the big man, "Your welcome." She stood and started to clear plates.
"Aren't you going to tell them?"
Claire looked at Vince in shock. He was talking at the dinner table. She looked at him trying to figure out what he meant. Her eyes widened. Oh he meant that.
Brian looked at Vince then at Claire. "What's he talkin about Claire? Tell us what?"
Claire looked at Brian and shook her head no. She turned and looked back at Vince. Pleading with her eyes for him not to say anything. She didn't want them to know.
Vince looked at her defiantly, "Tell them. Or I will." He said determinedly.
Brian looked at Claire again. This time his face demanded to know what she was keeping from him.
She sighed, "fine." She said, angry because she didn't want them all to know. She wanted to tell Brian alone. She didn't want them all to know. It was embarrassing. She told them what happened with Sam.
For the first time Vince heard what happened before he came downstairs. He was angry to learn the guy slapped her once before he got to her in time. He was glad he beat the shit of him.
"You don't go anywhere by yourself. One of us will drive you to work and pick you up. No arguments Claire. I mean it. Until we make sure this guy won't go near you again." Brian told her firmly. He was angry, because he hadn't been there to help her.
"Good looking out V." Dom said.
"Normally I would argue but I know you're right. I honestly didn't know he was like that. We've never fought before." She explained.
Daisy looked at Claire. She was angry as well, because Claire never called her to tell her.
"Dai, I'm sorry. I was just so surprised it happened. Then I just wanted to forget about it. Besides nothing bad happened. I'm all right." Claire said trying to calm Daisy down because she knew Daisy was mad.
Daisy glared at her. "Nothing bad happened now, but what if he hadn't been here? What would you have done then? You should have told me. You should have called the police on him. Claire what if he tries to hurt you again?" She asked.
Claire rolled her eyes. As much as she loved Daisy she did tend to over react. "Dai, he was here. Nothing happened. There was no need to call the police. Vince beat the crap out of him. I doubt he'll be comin anywhere near me again." She told her friend.
Daisy frowned, then smiled.
"What?" Claire asked confused at her friend's sudden happiness.
"Carlos is gonna be pissed because you didn't call him and tell him what happened." Daisy said giggling slightly, because she knew her brother was going to be mad at Claire. He never liked Sam to begin with.
The team looked between Claire and Daisy confused.
Claire groaned, "Please don't tell him Daisy. You know how he gets. I'll tell him later I promise." Claire begged her.
"Promise on what?"
"I promise on everything I own and love I'll tell him." Claire said as she rolled her eyes.
Daisy grinned, satisfied. "Good, warn me so I'm not around when you do."
Claire sighed loudly, "I'm going to clean up now." She said then took the dirty dishes into the kitchen.
Vince watched her go. Who's Carlos?
He thought as he scowled.
~ ~ ~ ~
Vince watched her leave. He sat down on the couch and glared at the wall.
Fuck! Leave it alone. Don't go fuckin with shit. I don't need this.
He thought. He just wanted to keep her at a distance. Vince turned and looked in the direction of the kitchen.
Where the fuck is the team? I'm sick and tired of being stuck with HER all the damn time.
He thought viciously.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Claire sat in the kitchen. Five bucks says he ignores me all day.
She smiled at her little joke. She stood and went about preparing dinner for the team.
"Hey, smells good in here," Leon said as he entered the kitchen.
Claire jumped, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
He smiled at her.
"Hey, Leon. How did your shopping go?" She asked. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Good. I got a couple of things," he replied.
Claire nodded, "that's good." She went back to her cooking.
Leon frowned at her back. "Hey, do you know what's up with V?" He asked.
Claire's eyes widened, but she didn't turn around. "No, why? Is there something wrong?" She asked innocently.
"I don't know. There's something off though. I can tell. Like when I knocked. I swear I almost ran in the other direction when I saw the look on his face. He was pissed." Leon said.
Claire shrugged and turned to look at him. "I don't know. Did you ask him?" She asked.
Leon looked at her like she was crazy, "Hell no! You didn't see his face. There is no way I'm askin him anything." Leon said confidently.
"He doesn't seem any different to me." She said then turned away.
Leon frowned at her again. "I don't get that either. Did something happen between the two of you when you drove him here?" Leon asked.
Claire froze, "why would you think that?" She asked.
"For one, I know V's quiet, but never this quiet. Two, you turn your back when you lie. Three because I know V. There's no way he ignored someone as fine as you. So this leaves me with the conclusion that something happened and that's why he's like this." Leon said matter-of-factly.
Claire turned around to deny everything Leon said, but she couldn't. It was the truth and she knew it. She opened her mouth then shut it. She looked at Leon, then down at the floor. She felt Leon lift her chin until she was looking at him.
"It's okay. What happened, Claire?" He asked gently.
Claire sighed, "nothing really. I just said I was sorry for what Brian did to your family because I knew it still bothered him. I asked if that's why he wasn't talking to me." She explained.
Leon's eyes widened.
"Yeah that's pretty much the reaction I got." She said slightly amused.
Leon sighed, "V doesn't like talking to anyone unless it's with the team. He doesn't trust very easily," Leon tried to explain.
Claire scowled in aggravation, "He doesn't need to trust me with his life. I'm just trying to be a friend and help you all out. The least he could do is have the decency to talk to me." She said, somewhat angry.
Leon lowered his head slightly in agreement. "Yeah I know. I'm sorry he's like this. It's just the way he is. If you want I can ask Dom to talk to him," he offered.
Claire shook her head, "no it's all right. I don't want him to hate me even more because he's being forced to speak to me. If he doesn't want to talk to me then that's fine with me." She said.
Leon looked at her oddly, "he doesn't hate you Claire."
Claire rolled her eyes at him. "Please, I know when someone hates me. You're his friend so you're defending him, but I know the truth. Trust me. He hates me." She said wryly, and then went back to her dinner preparations.
Leon stared at her back, but said nothing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dinner was almost the same as it always was with the team. Daisy came over and she and Leon hit it off great. They spent most of the time talking to each other to the point where they were ignoring everyone else. Claire was happy for Daisy and Leon. Happy they could see something in each other.
Claire didn't say much throughout dinner. She watched everyone else. Brian had showed Mia around the area. Dom and Letty had spent the day checking out the garages in the area. Claire turned and saw Vince just sitting and scowling at his plate. She frowned slightly, confused as to what Vince would be mad about now. She hasn't spoken to him for most of the day.
"This was great Claire. Thank you." Dom told her as they finished eating.
Claire smiled at the big man, "Your welcome." She stood and started to clear plates.
"Aren't you going to tell them?"
Claire looked at Vince in shock. He was talking at the dinner table. She looked at him trying to figure out what he meant. Her eyes widened. Oh he meant that.
Brian looked at Vince then at Claire. "What's he talkin about Claire? Tell us what?"
Claire looked at Brian and shook her head no. She turned and looked back at Vince. Pleading with her eyes for him not to say anything. She didn't want them to know.
Vince looked at her defiantly, "Tell them. Or I will." He said determinedly.
Brian looked at Claire again. This time his face demanded to know what she was keeping from him.
She sighed, "fine." She said, angry because she didn't want them all to know. She wanted to tell Brian alone. She didn't want them all to know. It was embarrassing. She told them what happened with Sam.
For the first time Vince heard what happened before he came downstairs. He was angry to learn the guy slapped her once before he got to her in time. He was glad he beat the shit of him.
"You don't go anywhere by yourself. One of us will drive you to work and pick you up. No arguments Claire. I mean it. Until we make sure this guy won't go near you again." Brian told her firmly. He was angry, because he hadn't been there to help her.
"Good looking out V." Dom said.
"Normally I would argue but I know you're right. I honestly didn't know he was like that. We've never fought before." She explained.
Daisy looked at Claire. She was angry as well, because Claire never called her to tell her.
"Dai, I'm sorry. I was just so surprised it happened. Then I just wanted to forget about it. Besides nothing bad happened. I'm all right." Claire said trying to calm Daisy down because she knew Daisy was mad.
Daisy glared at her. "Nothing bad happened now, but what if he hadn't been here? What would you have done then? You should have told me. You should have called the police on him. Claire what if he tries to hurt you again?" She asked.
Claire rolled her eyes. As much as she loved Daisy she did tend to over react. "Dai, he was here. Nothing happened. There was no need to call the police. Vince beat the crap out of him. I doubt he'll be comin anywhere near me again." She told her friend.
Daisy frowned, then smiled.
"What?" Claire asked confused at her friend's sudden happiness.
"Carlos is gonna be pissed because you didn't call him and tell him what happened." Daisy said giggling slightly, because she knew her brother was going to be mad at Claire. He never liked Sam to begin with.
The team looked between Claire and Daisy confused.
Claire groaned, "Please don't tell him Daisy. You know how he gets. I'll tell him later I promise." Claire begged her.
"Promise on what?"
"I promise on everything I own and love I'll tell him." Claire said as she rolled her eyes.
Daisy grinned, satisfied. "Good, warn me so I'm not around when you do."
Claire sighed loudly, "I'm going to clean up now." She said then took the dirty dishes into the kitchen.
Vince watched her go. Who's Carlos?
He thought as he scowled.
~ ~ ~ ~