Deadly Silence (complete) Chapter 60

What had Vivian done that tipped Samuel off enough to ask that question?

She reviewed the conversation they’d had so far and couldn’t figure out where she’d slipped up, which meant he was probably reading her body language — just like she did to others.

Not good.

Vivian knew answering would only lead to more questions, more prying into a past she wouldn’t talk about, but did she have a choice? Even if she deflected the question she knew Samuel well enough now that he’d circle back to it eventually.

Not that she hadn’t expected tough questions when Samuel got home. After her call that morning and then Gilbert’s after school, it would be out of character if he *hadn’t* demanded answers of some kind. What had caught her off balance was how he’d begun the discussion; by apologizing and taking the blame.

Vivian had been all but certain the event in the car had nothing to do with Samuel and to hear him unilaterally blame himself had been unexpected and raised a lot of questions she wasn’t sure she wanted the answers to.

Were the rumours about his dealings with the less-than-legal crowd true? Was he actually some big criminal boss?

Did that bother her?

“Vivian?” He prodded after a minute had passed without receiving an answer, drawing her out of her thoughts.

Should she give him the truth? Would it cause issues down the road? What could he get from her answering the question? “…yes…” she finally muttered, not meeting his eye.

Samuel let out a breath, his arms falling to his side. “Okay.”

“What now?” Vivian asked after a few seconds. Would he lock her up to keep her safe? Demand she stay home?

“What do you mean?”

Shrugging her shoulders, she wasn’t sure how to put her thoughts into words.

As he watched his daughter, Samuel seemed to understand what she wasn’t saying and let out a sigh. “I’m not going to put you in a cage for your own protection, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Vivian glanced up at him through her eyelashes, wondering how many conditions would come with the freedom he was allowing her to keep.

“Until Mr Morris has recovered you’ll have a new driver — bodyguard, sorry — and follow the same rules as before. I’m sure you understand how important they are now?”

It’d been easy to follow the house rules, but he was right; Vivian had a much better understanding of the reason why he wanted to be able to track her phone, why he wanted to know where she was and with whom. Overprotective? Maybe a little, but when there’s a chance you’ll get shot at in a mall parking lot, or picked up by detectives who talk you out of contacting your parent… Yeah, she definitely had a better understanding as to the importance of following the rules.

But… why wasn’t he asked her about the fact she’d been shot at before? Did he not want to know? Did he not care?

Vivian wanted to ask him about it, but at the same time didn’t want to be asked for more details.

“I also want you to get your driver’s license.”

This made her head shoot up to stare at him again, eyes wide. “Why?”

“Would today have gone differently if you’d had your license?”

He had a point. If Vivian had so much as taken the written test it was possible she’d have at least know how to start the car. “I don’t want to drive ever again,” she told him.

“Unfortunately, that’s not an options,” he explained with a shake of his head. “You need to get your full license now, before your fear of driving settles in to stay. As mean as this sounds, when something like this happens you need to face it sooner rather than later.”

Vivian pursed her lips tightly, not wanting to admit he was right when she *really* didn’t want to sit behind the wheel ever again. She would gladly walk everywhere if it meant never needing to drive. Hell, they had motorized scooters and bicycles nowadays and she had no qualms about using those either. Anything felt safer than putting her behind the wheel of a few thousand pounds of steel and death moving at a high speed.

“For now you can rest, but next week you’ll be taking the written test, so get some studying in before then.”

Next week?! He wasn’t kidding about sooner rather than later. “But…”

Samuel shook his head again. “No buts. This is happening, Vivian.”

Again she pursed her lips. There was no changing his mind on the matter, and she couldn’t really argue her position either since he wasn’t wrong. Since when had she found herself so thoroughly cornered?

“Now that that’s settled, tell me about what happened this morning with your phone?”

Unable to stop herself in time, Vivian grimaced. Of course he didn’t let something like her being shot at then take part in a high speed chase distract him from the death of her phone.

“It got wet and died,” she explained in a low voice, averting her gaze.

“Mmhmm. Then why did you need your spare uniform?”

Vivian winced, hoping Gilbert hadn’t tattled on how she’d still been in her gym clothes or carrying a damp school bag. “It also got wet,” she supplied after a pause.

“And how did that happen?”

What was she supposed to say? Someone decided her things needed to take a shower? “Beats me,” she finally settled on as the best answer. It was true, after all. She had no idea who’d done it or why.

“Vivian.” His voice held a warning as Samuel spoke her name but she wasn’t about to crumble under pressure.

“It’s the truth,” she told him, finally meeting his gaze again. “I don’t know how it happened.”

Samuel let out a heavy sigh this time, his shoulders sagging a little. “Alright, alright. I get it. You want to deal with it yourself.”

Watching him suspiciously, Vivian didn’t say anything. Her father wasn’t an idiot and even with her run-around answer he had to know what it meant. Was he actually going to let her deal with it herself? Or would he do the bodyguard thing again and sneak… something in to deal with it without her knowing?

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation, causing Samuel to frown. “Come in.”

The door opened and Sebastian walked in. His gaze locked onto Vivian and he gave her a small smile and a nod before focussing on their father. “I have the files you asked for.”

“Alright. Vivian go get some rest. I’ll order something for dinner — does Thai sound good?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” she nodded as she got to her feet. Stealing a glance at Samuel, wondering why his questions had been so few, Vivian decided it was best to just accept it and leave.

It was better to let sleeping lions lie.