The Man Who Has No Love (Soulless 3)

He pulled the papers close to him and examined all of them, as if he could check the authenticity of every signature.

“At the end of the day, your residents want Cleo to make their lives easier. They don’t care what she does in her private time. They don’t care about her individual relationship with each client and what that relationship entails. They want the best person running their lives—and that’s Cleo.”

He lifted his gaze and looked at me, visibly annoyed that I’d twisted his arm like this. “Alright, Dr. Hamilton…you win.”

Sixteen

Cleo

I was already a thin person, but the past month had made me lose additional pounds that I needed to keep. But the depression masked my appetite, so my clothes fit a little loose, even though I hardly left the house.

I’d given up on the job hunt.

It was time for me to move back to Washington.

Deacon clearly wasn’t going to take me back, so there was nothing here for me anyway.

My phone rang, and Mr. Kline’s name was on the screen.

I had to stare at it for a few seconds before my brain accepted the truth that my eyes witnessed. I hadn’t expected to hear from him again. But then my hope deflated when I realized he probably needed help with something, maybe Matt and Ana had lost something, and he was just desperate enough to call me.

I’d help him. Not because I owed him anything and not because I was obligated.

I just cared about my old clients.

I answered. “Hey, Mr. Kline. Is there something you needed?” I didn’t want to have a long conversation about it. It would make me cry again, when I finally made it several days without needing to have a breakdown. Hearing about the details of day-to-day operations would only make me miss the job to which I’d given my blood, sweat, and tears.

“You can have your old job back, Cleo.” He came right out and was blunt about it.

But I couldn’t accept that answer without explanation. “What? What do you mean?”

“It means what it means. If you’re interested, the job is yours. I’m not sure if you’ve found another job or even want to come back, but we’d love to have you if you still want us.”

I sat up on the couch, unable to believe what I’d just heard. “You couldn’t find someone else?”

“No. We promoted Matt and hired someone to replace him.”

“Then I don’t understand?” Why did he have such a change of heart? Did one of my clients demand for me to be reinstated? Was the place falling apart without me, and they realized how much they needed me?

“You can thank your friend Deacon Hamilton. He collected signatures from all the residents in the building, threatening to sell their residences and move out if I didn’t hire you back. And he demanded changes to the terms of your contract too, so your personal relationship would no longer be a violation of your contract. But no more married residents, Cleo. It’s still inappropriate.”

I sat motionless on the couch, at a complete loss of words. Deacon did that for me? He was responsible for all of this? Why didn’t he call? Why didn’t he text? It was a stupid thing to ask, but I just couldn’t think clearly. “How does he know you?” The clients didn’t even who the owner was, and we were prohibited from sharing his identity if anyone asked. Deacon seemed to be the only person who had a personal relationship with him.

“A few years ago, my wife was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer…” He immediately turned emotional as he recounted the story. “And he saved her life.”

I took the subway into Manhattan because cab fare would cost a fortune I didn’t have, and I made my way to the Trinity Building and the elevator. I rode it to his floor and walked up to his door. I had to knock because I didn’t have a key anymore.

And I waited.

His footsteps were audible.

Then there was a long pause.

It took him a while to open the door. When he did, he immediately walked away, moving farther into his living room with just his sweatpants low on his hips.

I welcomed myself inside and shut the door behind me.

He kept his back to me, like he didn’t want to look at me.

I’d expected him to hold me and kiss me, but that affection wasn’t there.

He was just as cold as ever.

“Deacon?” Why would he go to all that trouble if he didn’t want me? Why would he bend over backward to help me if he still didn’t love me?

He eventually turned around and looked at me, his dark eyes still cold, still unforgiving.

I hadn’t seen him in so long. His features were different, more rugged. His body was in the same pristine shape, but he had a darkness to him, a constant anger carved into his countenance. Now I didn’t know what to say since this hadn’t gone as I’d imagined. “Mr. Kline called me an hour ago and gave me my job back…because of you.”