The Boy Who Has No Hope (Soulless #6) - Victoria Quinn Page 0,4

too much.” She put her purse on the floor between her legs. “I mean, I’m happy that I spend so much time with them, but sometimes it’s just a lot.”

My parents always gave me space, even though they wanted to see me more often. I’d been busy this past year and hadn’t made family time a priority. It made me realize I should…because they wouldn’t always be around.

“My parents live in the same building as I do.”

I wanted to be closer to my parents, but not that close.

She must have read my reaction because she laughed. “Yeah, I see them too much. They actually used to live with me until I started to work with you.”

“Why?”

“It’s a long story, but my parents basically needed help, and I’m an only child, so…”

I didn’t know what to say.

“But once my salary increased, I was able to get them their own apartment. Some might say it’s a waste of money, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever spent money on.” She chuckled, making a bad situation good even though that had to be incredibly frustrating.

“That’s really selfless of you to take care of your parents like that.”

She shrugged. “I disagree. They did everything they could to give me a good life, and now, it’s my turn to help them. And they still do a lot for me, so it’s not like they don’t pull their own weight. But yeah, really happy they have their own place…”

“How long did you live with them?”

She considered the question as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. “About four years.”

Jesus.

“Yeah…it was rough. But you know, that’s what families do. They stick it out—thick and thin.”

Now I understood why she was such a patient person, because she was used to taking care of other people instead of herself. She knew how to handle me because it wasn’t her first time putting someone’s needs before her own. “I’m glad that you have your own space now. Must have been exhausting putting up with me all day and then taking care of someone else when you got home.”

She looked out the window for a while, a soft smile on her lips. “I love working for you, Derek.” She turned back to me. “I wouldn’t put in these long hours if I didn’t love what I do. I never thought I could leave publishing and be happy, but this is even more fulfilling.”

Two

Emerson

I worked in his corporate office for most of the day, organizing his paperwork. The majority of the stuff up here wasn’t related to his work at the other compound. It was material pertaining to the business, so it seemed even more important. At least I could read it and understand what it was, so it was easier for me to organize.

I had a couple filing cabinets put in place, but I decided to scan these documents into his computer, organizing them in digital folders so if he wanted to go back and look at something that happened years into the past, it would be easy for him to find. He could even access the server from his laptop at home if he wasn’t in the office. Doing everything remotely, with firewalls, seemed to be the best option for him, since he never wanted to enter this office.

When it was lunchtime, Ronnie took me somewhere to grab food. I always got lunch for him and myself too, as Derek insisted. I thought it was a good way to make Ronnie feel appreciated, since Derek wasn’t much of a talker.

When I returned to Kelvin Industries, I drove the golf cart to the lab building and walked inside.

Pierre spotted me. “Yes, she’s here.”

“I was about to eat this electron displacer,” Jerome said.

I smiled and carried everything to the table. “It’s interesting that you’re so hungry when you guys used to skip lunch altogether…”

“Now we have something to look forward to.” Pierre winked as he grabbed his food.

I looked past both of them to Derek, who was on the other side of the lab, his arms crossed over his chest in that sexy way, where his elbow rested on his other arm so his fingers could brush across his lips as he remained deep in thought. It always showed how hard and tight his body was, how he was just muscle with some skin on top. He must have shaved that morning because his jaw was nothing but smooth, the hard lines of his jawbone noticeable, but he still looked handsome