The Boy Who Has No Redemption (Soulless Book 8)

by Victoria Quinn

  Derek shook her hand then turned to me. “Baby?”

  I was so stunned by their interaction that I hesitated before I came over. Derek told me he’d made up with Kevin, but I couldn’t believe it even when it stared at me in the face. I’d watched Derek knock this guy out with a single shot and make him hit the concrete.

  Derek’s arm moved around me. “Kevin, this is Emerson…my fiancée.”

  Kevin smiled before he extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.” After he shook my hand, he gestured to the woman beside him. “This is my fiancée, Beatrice.”

  Beatrice shook my hand. “Thank you for allowing us to celebrate with you. I hope that we can be good friends.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure we will,” I said.

  Derek continued to stand there with Kevin, like he didn’t know what to say, but he seemed happy he was there. “Can I get you guys a drink?”

  “Sure,” Kevin said. “We’ll both take a beer.”

  Derek left to retrieve the drinks.

  Everyone continued to stare at them, even Ryan and Camille.

  I turned back to Kevin. “When are you guys getting married?”

  “September,” Kevin answered. “When it cools off a bit.” He kept his eyes on Derek as he walked away, like he was afraid he wouldn’t come back.

  “I’m really glad that you two worked it out.” I blurted out the words, trying to comfort Kevin when he looked visibly remorseful. “Good friends are hard to find…and good things are worth fighting for.”

  He shifted his gaze back to me, gratitude moving into his eyes. “Well said, Emerson.”

  After Derek returned with the drinks, he was sidelined by Dex and Daisy. “Uh, hello?” Dex said. “Your favorite person is here.” He raised his hands in the air. “I only came to see Emerson, but you should still be excited to see me, asshole.” They exchanged hugs and moved into a conversation.

  Deacon and Cleo came over to see Kevin.

  I felt awkward being there for their first interaction, but I felt like it would be more awkward if I just walked away.

  Deacon walked up to Kevin and opened his arms. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Yeah,” Kevin said quietly. “Been a really long time…”

  Deacon would have every reason to hate Kevin for what he did to Derek, but he embraced him with a hug. “We’re happy you’re here. We need to make up for all that time we lost.”

  Kevin relaxed in his hold, like he was hugging his father. “Yeah, that sounds great. I used to come up here in the summer with you guys all the time. It’s really nice to be back.”

  Cleo hugged him next. “We’ll need to get together every summer out here. We’ll have barbecues, go fishing, and have some salmon burgers…”

  Kevin chuckled at her joke. “I actually miss those, believe it or not.”

  They greeted Beatrice, and then Deacon turned to me. “Life has been really good to us. Cleo is doing well, our family is healthy, and we have a new daughter and granddaughter.” His hand moved to my back. “Now we have our adopted son back…and life is good.”

  We spent the day on the back patio, making burgers, drinking beer, and spending time together. Lizzie opened all of her presents, and she was showered with love by people who just loved her for no reason.

  I was grateful I’d found a man who could give that to her.

  It’d just been the four of us so long, and I didn’t have many friends because I was so busy working and taking care of a baby that we didn’t stay in touch. Derek filled that void for me, giving me everything I was missing.

  The fire was roaring, so Derek roasted the marshmallows and handed them to Lizzie so she could build the s’mores and hand them out to people. Instead of a traditional cake, she wanted to make s’mores, which seemed to touch Derek.

  I sat beside Derek and watched him roast the marshmallows on the stick.

  Lizzie came back and got the next batch ready, two pieces of chocolate on the graham crackers. “You think I’ll fit in there?”

  “Of course.”

  “Yeah?” she asked. “I’m just afraid that they won’t like me.”

  “Why wouldn’t they like you?” he asked.

  “I don’t know…they’re all super rich and super smart, and I’m basically Jenny from the block.”

  Derek chuckled as he turned the marshmallow in the fire. “Everyone likes Jenny from the block, so you’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it. You’ll make good friends there. They take lots of field trips, so you’ll get to do stuff with your classmates. One year, we took a trip to Japan over the summer.”

  “Wow, that’s cool.”

  “You’ll love it. I promise. And ninety-five percent of the class attends Ivy League colleges.”

  “That’s pretty cool. I could be a part of the ninety-five percent.”

  “You will.” He pulled the marshmallows from the fire and handed them off. “That’s the last of them.”

  Lizzie built the s’mores and handed two of them to us. “Here you go. I’m going to give these to Kevin and Beatrice.” She left the chair and crossed the patio to give them to the final two people who didn’t have a dessert.

  Derek looked at the fire for a while, a slight smile on his lips.

  I stared at his handsome face and saw a whole new man. I’d never forget the first time I saw him in the lobby of his building, devastatingly handsome but ice-fucking-cold. Now, he was more beautiful because his heart was bigger, his soul was repaired, and he was the man I fought so hard to keep. He was happy, kind, peaceful. I could see our lives unfold in front of my eyes, the decades destroying our youth but solidifying our love. I couldn’t wait for every single year to pass.

  When he noticed my stare, he turned to look at me. “Baby?”

  My eyes softened at the nickname. “You look happy.”

  “Yeah?” He relaxed against the chair and reached for my hand underneath my blanket, grasping it tightly as he stared at me, the fire illuminating his face. “Because I am happy. I’m happy that I found you—and you put me back together.”

  Epilogue I

  Derek

  I sat on the couch in front of the TV, helpless, completely powerless, at the mercy of people I had no control over. My stomach was all over the place, made of pure acid, and my breathing was uneven, sometimes deep, sometimes not happening at all.

  The rocket was hooked to the dock, the initial phase of the boosters on, the countdown in the corner.

  The Commodore.

  I’d done five tests over the last year, and every single one of them was a success after I made my changes. Once every box on the checklist was completed, I handed it over to NASA. Now I was at home and on the couch, tremors in my hand because I couldn’t keep my composure, not even in front of my family.

  “The Commodore is ready for launch. Ten…nine…eight…”

  I sat with my arms on my thighs, my hands on my knees, my heart racing at the speed of light.

  Emerson was beside me, watching the screen.

  Lizzie was on the other side, quiet.

  My parents were on the other couch, not saying a word.

  “Seven…six…five…”

  Jesus fucking Christ, this was torture. If this rocket exploded…that would be the end of the road for me. I couldn’t live through something like that again. I couldn’t show up to class with two catastrophic launches.

  “Four…three…two.”

  Just breathe in, breathe out.

  I was invited to the control room, but I knew that would make me feel worse, watching everyone work without actual control over what they did. All I would be able to do was stand there and hope for the best.

  I’d rather be at home with my family, especially if it went haywire.

  “One.”

  The thrusters ignited, a storm of flames, the vibration of the ship visible. The docks came apart and pulled away, leaving the Commodore on its own to launch. It started to move slowly, the fuel raising the tons of weight toward the sky.
<
br />   “We have lift-off.”

  My eyes were on the screen, watching the Commodore break away from the ground and rise toward the sky. My breathing was deep and even now, afraid to blink and miss a moment.

  Lizzie reached for my hand and grabbed it.

  My fingers interlocked with hers, and I squeezed her hand.

  Emerson grabbed my other hand and did the same thing.

  Together, we watched the rocket leave the earth, launch past the clouds, become a distant dot on the camera.

  And make it.

  Epilogue II

  Derek

  I walked down the hallway with Emerson, both of us carrying the things I would need for my demonstration. We passed doors with little windows at the top of each one, showing classrooms full of students with an instructor at the front. The tile was checkered black and white, and there were glass displays showing trophies for the school.

  I stopped when I recognized one.

  Emerson came to my side and peered inside. “Oh my god, is that you?”

  I smiled. “Yep. I won the International Science Fair that year. I’m surprised they still have it up.”

  “Probably because you’re famous, Derek.” She nudged me in the side playfully before she continued to walk, wearing a long-sleeved sweater dress and heels, her figure incredible, especially with that noticeable bump in the front.

  I stared at her ass before I turned to catch up. “I’m nervous.”

  “How is that possible?” She stopped in front of Lizzie’s classroom and turned to me. “This is what you do, Derek. You teach.”

  “Yeah, but it’s career day, and…I don’t want to mess up and embarrass Lizzie.”

  Emerson’s looked at me with soft eyes, like nothing I could ever do would embarrass either of them. “She wouldn’t have asked you if she didn’t want you here. She’s very proud of you—as am I.”

  My wife loved me no matter what, believed in me when I forgot to believe in myself, and through the best and worst, she was still there. She worked by my side every single day, carried my baby, and pushed me to keep writing even when I doubted myself.

  Her hand went to mine, her fingers resting over my wedding ring. “Just pretend you’re in your classroom. You’ll be fine.”

  I nodded. “Alright.”

  She smiled then turned to the door and opened it.

  The classroom was full of teenagers, fifteen-year-olds. Mrs. Lemon leaned against her desk and gave me a gentle smile as the previous parent finished up their presentation. The mother wore a gray suit and discussed her private practice as a litigator in the city, discussing some of her cases and why upholding the law was so important.

  I stood near the wall with Emerson and patiently waited our turn.

  When I turned to look at Lizzie, she was in the third row, and as we made eye contact, she smiled and gave a wave.

  I smiled back, a little less nervous.

  The lawyer finished her presentation, the students clapped, and then she excused herself from the classroom.

  Emerson and I placed our things on the counter so we could set up. I pulled out my model rocket and set it in the center.

  “Okay, everyone,” Mrs. Lemon said. “Our next presentation is from Derek Hamilton—”

  “That’s my dad!” Lizzie raised her hand proudly.

  I stilled at her announcement, stilled at her smile, stilled at the way she beamed with pride and looked at her friends.

  It was one of the best moments of my life.

  Emerson rubbed my arm gently to bring me back to the moment, a smile on her lips. “You got this, honey.” She stepped away from the table so I could get started.

  Mrs. Lemon turned to Lizzie. “Would you care to give an introduction to the rest of the class?”

  “Sure,” Lizzie said. “My dad is an engineer who builds all sorts of things, like prosthetics, electric wheelchairs, cars, and even makes rovers with NASA. But the coolest thing he does is build rockets…because he’s a rocket scientist!”

  The class all reacted, whispering to one another in excitement.

  I didn’t think I’d be able to give this presentation at this point, not when Lizzie made my stomach turn to liquid and I felt the emotion creep into my chest and then everywhere else. I remembered the first time she’d called me Dad. It was a Saturday morning, and she came out of her room with her homework to ask for help. She just called me Dad and didn’t think twice about it…and that was what she’d called me ever since.

  “Thank you, Lizzie.” Mrs. Lemon turned back to me. “Take it away, Dr. Hamilton.”

  Epilogue III

  Derek

  Lizzie finished writing on the whiteboard with the marker, working out her calculations, and once she was done, she clicked the pen cap back into place and set it on the ledge at the bottom of the board. She stepped back, arms crossed, and stared at it.

  I carefully read through it a couple times, my arms crossed over my chest, my fingers cupping my chin.

  Lizzie turned to me, her eyebrow raised.

  “I think it’s good. I think if we make a couple changes, this could work.”

  She came back to me, her brown hair in a high ponytail. “I was looking over everything last night because I couldn’t sleep, and I realized if we remove the current thruster and replace it with a pulse, it would make it lighter and also more durable.” She opened her bag and pulled out her sketches.

  I came to her side and looked over her notes. “Liz, this is good…really good.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled up at me. “I learned from the best.”

  My hand went to her back, and I gave her a gentle pat.

  The door opened, and Emerson walked inside. “I got lunch.”

  “Oh, thank god.” Lizzie raised her hands in the air. “I’m starving.”

  She smiled and set everything on the table. “You’re always starving.”

  Jerome and Pierre moved to grab the sandwiches. “This is my favorite part of the day,” Jerome said before he took a bite. “Other than seeing your beautiful face, of course.” He winked at Emerson.

  Emerson smiled. “Thank you, Jerome.”

  Lizzie joined them and grabbed her sandwich and chips. “You guys want to see my new design?”

  “Yeah, let’s take a look.” Pierre took a bite before he followed her to the table to take a look at what she’d just shown me. Jerome joined them, reading through everything.

  I walked over and gave Emerson a kiss. “Thanks for lunch.”

  “No problem. It’s my favorite part of the day—seeing you.”

  I smiled and gave her ass a squeeze. “Thanks, baby.” I grabbed a sandwich and a bag of chips and placed them on the plate.

  Emerson watched Lizzie work with Pierre and Jerome, wearing a hoodie and jeans with Converse on her feet. “She fits in with you guys pretty well.”

  “Yeah,” I said proudly. “She does.”

  “I never thought she would grow up to be an engineer…working for Derek Hamilton.”

  I looked down at her, seeing my wife of ten years, the mother of all my children, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. “I did.”

  She smiled up at me, her eyes soft just like they were every day. “You think the boys will be too?”

  “Who knows? But I have no doubt they’ll do great things—whatever they are.”

  Lizzie stopped talking to the guys and tried to get my attention. “Dad? Come take a look at this. Pierre just made a good point…”

  I never got tired of hearing her call me that. I felt like I was there the day she was born, like I’d dropped her off at school on her first day of kindergarten. I felt like she’d always been there, always been in my heart. “I gotta go. Looks like I’m needed.”

  Emerson kissed my cheek before she grabbed my ass. “I know you are. You’re always needed—by all of us.”

  Also by Victoria Quinn

  As the world's most renowned heart surgeon, I accomplished every dream I had. I did my humanitar
ian work in South Africa, conducted ground-breaking research with my clinic, and made a difference every single day. The best part? The way my father looked at me...like he'd never been more proud.

  But when my patience dies on the table, I lose everything.

  And I mean EVERYTHING.

  My wife left me.

  I lost my practice.

  And worst of all...I lost myself.

  I'll never be able to reclaim everything I lost, nor do I want to.

  Until I meet Sicily...and she refuses to accept no for an answer.

  Order Now

  Sneak Peek of The Doctor Who Has No Ambition

  Dex

  Before a procedure, I always met with the family. We talked about our options, our expectations, and I spent my time assuring the patient of a couple of things. One, that I was the best heart surgeon in the country, not to mention the world, and they were in good hands—literally. Two, without the procedure, they would die anyway.

  I cared about my patients more than I should. That was my weakness, and I tried to be more pragmatic about my feelings. Instead of being a nameless and faceless person on the table, they were someone I cared about…like family. But it created anxiety and fear, put me in an emotional state when I needed to be resilient, so I tried not to care so much.

  But this time was different.

  Because the person I loved most in this world had everything to lose.

  Catherine sat across from me at the table in the hospital cafeteria, wearing a red flannel shirt with black jeans and boots, her brown hair messy because she kept touching it anxiously. Her chin rested against her closed knuckles, her diamond ring glittering under the fluorescent lights, and a thin film of moisture would come and go in her eyes. “Dex, I’m scared…” She lifted her chin and looked at me, not her usually composed self. She wasn’t the strong woman I’d fallen in love with, but seeing her like this made me love her more. “This is my dad…”

  My plate of food hadn’t been touched, and I sat in my blue scrubs, my pager on my hip, the sound of quiet conversations around me from the nurses and doctors on their breaks. My voice came out as a whisper, trying to console her as much as possible. “I know.”