The Man Who Has No Heart (Soulless Book 2)

by Victoria Quinn

Cleo smiled. “The best—definitely.”

  I ate my food, wishing my mother wouldn’t interrogate her.

  “Are you seeing anybody?” Mom asked, getting inappropriate again.

  I glared at her. “Stop trying to set me up with every woman who has working ovaries.”

  “Honey, I’m not trying to set you up.” She turned back to her food. “You’re the one who brought her…”

  Ten

  Cleo

  I didn’t mind his mother’s intrusive questions.

  If she straight up asked me how I felt about her son, I would probably tell her the truth.

  With my emotions so raw, I didn’t think I could lie about it.

  Deacon didn’t bring it up to me or address it at all. He acted like it never happened.

  A few days went by before he texted me. I need a favor.

  Sure. What can I do? It was the middle of the week now, and I hadn’t seen him or Derek. I assumed Deacon dropped off Derek with his mom on the way to work, that they were having dinner together every night and watching TV afterward. Deacon was the one I’d met initially, liked initially, but now I had a strong attachment to his son. So, when I missed Deacon, I missed Derek too.

  I’m in the lab today. Could you bring him lunch?

  Sure. Pizza? I made a joke over text and he probably wouldn’t get it, but I did it anyway.

  LOL.

  Did Deacon just write LOL?

  Get him a vegetarian sandwich with hummus, cheese, cucumbers, and lettuce. I don’t want him to eat deli meat.

  I didn’t ask why. Alright.

  And milk, grapes, and some carrot sticks.

  You got it.

  Thanks.

  I’m guessing he’s at your office?

  Yes. Couldn’t leave him with my mom any longer. Every time I pick him up, he’s eaten nothing but cakes and cookies all day.

  LOL.

  Can’t ask Tucker to watch him. He’ll be worse.

  We’d never had this long of a conversation over text before. He usually just said what he wanted, and that was it. My message box only contained very few messages from him in the months that I’d known him. I don’t know about that. Tucker seems like a good uncle.

  He didn’t say anything.

  I’ll get this to him by noon.

  After I checked in with his assistant, I entered his office.

  Derek was sitting on the floor of the seating area, on top of the rug in front of the coffee table. There were parts all over, like he was trying to build something. He turned to look at me. “Cleo?” He got to his feet at the sight of me.

  “Your dad asked me to bring you lunch.”

  His smile dropped. “It’s gonna be lettuce or something, isn’t it?”

  I chuckled. “No. Looks pretty good, actually.” I put everything on the edge of the table, pulling out the sandwich on whole wheat, the fruit, and the carrot sticks. Then I set down the milk.

  He lifted the piece of bread and looked inside. “Ew, what is that?”

  “Hummus.”

  He gave me a blank stare, looking just like his father.

  “Beans.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Dad is annoying…”

  “He just wants you to be strong and healthy.”

  “Grandma lets me eat whatever I want.”

  “Yeah, but she just wants you to like her. Your father cares about you so much that he’ll do the best thing for you, even if you don’t like him.”

  Derek was quiet as he hung on to those words, like he was really thinking about what I’d just said. He put the sandwich back together and took a bite.

  I smiled. “Attaboy.” I sat on the floor beside him, tucking my heels underneath my ass. “Whatcha working on?”

  “I’m building a remote-control car.”

  “Building it?” I asked in surprise.

  He nodded. “Dad got me all the parts and told me to put it together. But he won’t help me.”

  “He wants you to learn on your own.”

  He grabbed a wire and inserted it into a box. “You want to help me?”

  “I gotta be honest, Derek. I’m not smart enough…”

  “Dad says anyone can do anything, no matter how smart they are.”

  I smiled. “He says that because he has a big heart.”

  He took bites of his food and kept working.

  I decided to stick around since he probably felt neglected in this office all alone. “What do you think of Daddy’s office?”

  “It’s big.”

  “Did he show you around?”

  He nodded. “Took me to his lab and showed me what he’s working on.”

  “Your dad is really making a difference in the world. I’m sure you will too. What do you want to do when you grow up?”

  He shrugged. “I really like space, but I don’t think I’d want to be an astronaut.”

  “Why?”

  He kept fidgeting with his pieces. “Wouldn’t want to be away from my dad that long…”

  My heart ached at his words because they were so sweet.

  “I hate being away from him now. How would I feel on a different planet?”

  “True.”

  “And Dad said I can do everything, not anything. So, I want to do a couple things.”

  “Got anything in mind?”

  After he secured the wire on the battery, he worked on the next piece. “Sometimes I think about being a doctor like him…since he saves lives.”

  “It’s a very important job.”

  “But then I like animals, so sometimes I want to be a veterinarian.”

  “Also a great job.”

  He put his stuff down and took another bite of his sandwich. He turned to me, watching me as he chewed, wearing the same expression his father had. He stared for a long time, like he was completely comfortable with me. “Are you my dad’s girlfriend?”

  I felt my cheeks blush at the question. “Uh…no. We’re just friends.”

  “But you love him.”

  Now I stilled, my heart stopping at the observation of a five-year-old. “Well…I love you too. I love a lot of people.”

  “But you love him like Romeo and Juliet.” He kept eating, like he wasn’t making me incredibly uncomfortable.

  I couldn’t afford to have him say this to his mother—or worse, to Deacon. “I guess I have a crush…”

  “Yeah, I can tell,” he said with a laugh.

  “But could you keep it a secret?” I whispered. “And not tell him?”

  He considered the question for a moment before he nodded. “Okay.”

  Hopefully, he would keep his word, and if he didn’t, Deacon wouldn’t take it seriously.

  “But why don’t you want him to know?”

  “It’s complicated…”

  “Why is it complicated?” he asked. “’Cause I think he loves you too.”

  I took a deep breath when I heard what he said, hoping his observation of his father was as correct as the observation he’d made of me. “It’s hard to explain…grown-ups are just weird sometimes.”

  He finished his sandwich and wiped his fingers on his napkin. “Yeah, Mom and Dad are weird.”

  “I know it must have been hard when they split up.”

  He opened the plastic bag of grapes and dug his fingers inside. “I could tell Dad was really sad. And he’s a lot happier now, so I’m okay with it.”

  Now I wondered if Derek was gifted but had inherited a type of intelligence that Deacon lacked—social intelligence. He accurately read his surroundings, people’s emotions, people’s behaviors. That was something Deacon would never have, no matter how hard he tried. “Just because your parents aren’t together doesn’t mean they love you any less.”

  “I know,” he whispered. “I just wish I got to see my dad more.”

  “Yeah…”

  When he’d finished his grapes, he went back to his model.

  “Well…” I grabbed the glass containers and returned them to the bag so I could
have them washed. “I should get going.”

  “You’re leaving?” He looked up, clearly saddened by my departure.

  “Yeah, I have to go back to work.” I had to make deliveries and take care of my other clients.

  “Oh…okay.” He turned back to his model.

  When I glanced at the clock on the wall, I realized it was only one in the afternoon. Deacon would probably be in the lab until five. That meant Derek would sit there alone. “Actually, I’ll stay.”

  “Yeah?” He looked up again, this time smiling. “Great. We can do this together. I also brought my coloring book and crayons.”

  “Perfect,” I said with a smile. “We’ll have lots to do. But I have no idea how to help you with this.”

  “I can show you.” Derek gave me instructions from then on, telling me which wires to grab, which copper pieces to attach, like a professor teaching a class. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing—with no experience.

  I couldn’t believe a five-year-old was smarter than me.

  But this was Deacon’s son, so I could believe it.

  Deacon walked in the door, in jeans and a t-shirt. “Hey, little man. Sorry I—” He stopped talking when he saw me on the ground with his son, still working on the model, the coloring book and crayons on the other side of the coffee table. “Didn’t know you were still here.”

  I stayed on the ground. “Derek was letting me help build his model.”

  He looked over his shoulder at his father. “I think we almost got it, Dad.”

  He came to the seating area and sat on the couch, propping his chin on his closed knuckles. He looked tired, like he’d been focused in the lab for hours without taking a break. He watched us, taking in the model before looking at me. “Yeah, you’ve made a lot of progress. But I told you that you couldn’t have help.”

  I chuckled. “Oh, trust me, I was no help. Derek told me what to do.”

  Pride moved into his eyes.

  “We also colored.” Derek grabbed his book and opened it. “We did the ocean pages. She did one side, and I did the other. Isn’t that cool?”

  Deacon looked at it, seeing our two different styles on either side of the invisible line. “That is cool, Derek. Very creative.” He handed it back. “Pack up your things so we can get going. Leave your model here. You can work on it tomorrow.”

  “Alright.” Derek grabbed his coloring book and supplies before he carried them to his backpack near the desk.

  Deacon stared at me. “You didn’t have to stay with him all day.”

  “I didn’t mind.” Derek was impossible to deny because he was so adorable. And he had a piece of my heart that I could never get back. “We had a good time.”

  Deacon stared at me like he didn’t believe me, his eyebrows slightly raised. “Well…thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Dad?” Derek came back to the table. “Can Cleo watch me tomorrow?”

  My eyes widened at the question.

  Deacon turned to him. “What?”

  “Can you drop me off at Cleo’s tomorrow?” Derek asked again. “We have fun together.”

  Deacon seemed slightly embarrassed at the question. “Son, Cleo has a job just like I do. She can’t watch you all day.”

  I wanted to offer, but I really had too much on my plate already. Now I had to make up for today, make up for all the time I’d lost playing with this little boy.

  Derek sighed in annoyance.

  “I wish, Derek,” I said, touched by his disappointment. “But your father’s right. I have too much stuff to take care of.”

  “Couldn’t you take me with you?” Derek asked.

  Deacon started to get angry. “Derek.” His tone was deep, an unusual sound he hardly ever made.

  Derek understood he was about to be disciplined and turned quiet.

  Deacon rose to his feet. “You ready to go, Derek?”

  He nodded.

  Deacon turned to me. “Can I give you a ride?”

  We were going to the same place, so I didn’t see the harm. “Sure.” I got to my feet, careful to keep my skirt down so I wouldn’t flash him or Derek. I picked up the bag of containers to drop off to the kitchen.

  Deacon grabbed his laptop off the desk and slid it into his satchel before he grabbed his other belongings. His monitor was turned off and locked before he joined Derek and me by the double doors. “Alright. Let’s go.”

  Eleven

  Deacon

  I took the day off so we could get an early start on the weekend.

  Derek had his breakfast then got ready while I sat at the dining table and did some work on my laptop. The bags were packed and ready to go. I just needed to wait until Derek was dressed and had his shoes on.

  Cleo texted me. Car is here. Are your bags ready?

  Yes.

  I’ll send Matt up. I also packed a lunch if Derek gets hungry on the drive.

  I could barely get Derek to sit still and eat. He’d rather be running around or working on something. Thanks.

  You guys have a good weekend. See you when you get back.

  I stared at the screen blankly, confused by her message. It took me a few seconds to respond. I was under the impression you were joining us.

  Did you ask me to join you?

  I had a powerful memory, and no, I couldn’t recall the moment when I asked her. No.

  Then why would I think I’m coming along?

  Because I was used to her reading my mind, knowing exactly what I wanted without my having to say it. Derek and I had plenty of quality time at home after I got off work. We had dinner, watched movies, worked on different projects. Would you join us, then? She would have to go home and pack, which would slow us down, but that was okay. Losing one hour wouldn’t make a difference.

  I’m sorry, Deacon. I have to work today. I also have to attend a dinner for one of my clients.

  Sometimes I forgot I wasn’t her only client. She made me feel like I was the only one. Could you drive up in the morning?

  There were no dots, like she was just staring at her screen.

  I continued to look at my phone, waiting for something to happen.

  Then the dots appeared, along with her answer. Sure.

  I released the breath I was holding, like any answer other than yes would kill me. I’ll have my driver bring you so you can drive back with us on Sunday.

  Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow.

  Derek and I sat in the back seat of the SUV, leaving the cityscape and hitting the countryside. The second we left the tunnel, it didn’t feel like New York anymore. The more miles we covered, the cleaner the air became, the fewer cars appeared on the road.

  Derek looked out the window. “Cleo isn’t coming?”

  I turned to him. “Tomorrow.”

  Excitement replaced his dismay. “Does she know how to fish?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I can teach her. Does she know how to read the stars?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’ll teach her that too.” He looked back out the window.

  I didn’t invite Tucker or my mother because they could be suffocating at times. While I loved them, I wasn’t completely comfortable with them, not the way I was with Cleo. She was the only person I could be around and truly be myself. Derek used to be the only one, but now I had someone else.

  Derek turned back to me. “I wouldn’t mind if Cleo was my stepmom.”

  My gaze was out the window, and it took me a few seconds to understand what he’d said, to turn my head back to him, my eyes narrowed. “What did you just say?”

  “What?” he asked innocently. “I know you and Mom aren’t going to get back together…not that I want you to anyway.”

  I thought that was every child’s dream, to see his parents back together. “You don’t?”

  He shook his head. “You weren’t happy with Mom, not the way you are with Cleo.”

  I continued to stare at my son, like a deer caught
in the headlights.

  “I know you love her, Dad.”

  “Derek.” Now he was taking it too far.

  “What?”

  “Don’t say that—especially not in front of her.”

  “Why?” he asked blankly. “I thought love was the best thing in the world. Why be embarrassed about it?”

  “I’m not embarrassed about it—”

  “I love Cleo.”

  “And I’m glad that you do. But you can’t say that stuff around people.”

  He stared at me for a long time, my own visage mirrored back at me. “I think that’s your problem, Dad. Because you’re supposed to say that stuff.”

  After we unpacked our bags, we spent the afternoon on the lake, staying underneath the tarp I’d rigged over the boat so we wouldn’t be sitting in the direct sun for hours.

  “Why do I have to sit here if I have sunscreen on?” Derek asked as he held his fishing pole.

  “Because sunscreen isn’t enough.”

  “But the sun is pretty.”

  “Yes, but it’s fire. You wouldn’t stand too close to fire, right?”

  He looked up, seeing the circle of light slightly through the tarp. “But it’s so far away.”

  “Light can travel endlessly. It’s traveling millions of miles and hitting your skin directly. They’re called rays, and they mess up the DNA in your skin, decompose the strands, and that causes your skin to deteriorate, looked leathery and aged.”

  When Derek didn’t talk, that was when he was really listening.

  “It causes skin cancer.”

  “That’s what killed Grandpa?”

  “Cancer, yes. Different kind.”

  He looked across the lake, his mind thinking.

  “That’s why you need to wear sunscreen and stay out of the sun as much as you can—especially when I’m not around to encourage you.”

  “Mom never has me put on sunscreen…”

  I knew she loved our son, but she was a shitty parent. “Don’t rely on her to do it for you. Take care of yourself, Derek.”

  He nodded and reeled in his line a little bit. “There’s no fish today.”

  “Might be too hot. Could be at the bottom of the lake.”