"Kitten, we'll find him. I promise you that. I'll search every corner of the earth if I have to. I know how much Yellows means to you," Eddie murmured gently. "I'm certain he's out there, frantic to find you. He's probably combing the city right now, consumed with worry. He doesn't even realize I'm here, in the country. So, for now, it's crucial you keep that between us, okay? If he reaches out to you let him know you're safe and in hiding with your Dad."
Eddie had already decided that if Yellows did contact him, he would inform him of Richard's betrayal but not the fact that Kitten was with him. He would also bring up his uncertainty about Dwayne's loyalty to Kitten.
"Do you really think there's a chance he's still alive?" her voice cracked as she uttered the words as she pulled away from him to look into his eyes.
"I see the ring on your finger, and that means he's committed to you. There's no way he's not coming back to you, Kitten," Eddie tried to reassure her, though the fear still lingered in her eyes. "My team is already out there looking for him. We'll find him soon," he promised.
He disliked deceiving her, but he also disliked seeing her worry so much over him that it affected her sleep and possibly her health. He had heard her throwing up earlier that evening, but he hesitated to intervene, not wanting to intrude and potentially embarrass her.
Kitten took a deep breath, then exhaled, a small smile curving her lips as she wiped the remaining tears from her face.
"Thank you, Eddie...for everything," she said sincerely.
"No problem, that's what friends are for," Eddie replied warmly as his arms gently dropped to his side. "Has your Dad contacted you yet?"
"Not yet, but hopefully he will reach out to me soon. I know he wants me to leave the country, but I can't do it without knowing that Yellows is safe."
"Don't worry. We'll find Yellows soon, and you and Jazzy can leave the country. Did your father tell you which country to go to?" Eddie asked.
"No, but as I dug through the bag, I found an empty postcard from Marseille, France, so maybe that's some sort of clue."
Eddie had discreetly slipped the postcard into Kitten's belongings while she was asleep. He aimed to send her subtle, suggestive messages until she began piecing together the truth about her father's past.
"Hopefully your dad will contact you soon, and he can provide more direction regarding why he wants you to stay there and with whom," Eddie remarked. "When he does, please refrain from mentioning your location and me. As far as Alejandro is concerned, I'm out of the country. If your father's tongue slips and Alejandro discovers otherwise, it spells trouble for both of us."
Kitten nodded thoughtfully, and the room settled into a comfortable silence for a few seconds before she flashed him a genuine smile.
"I still can't believe I'm here…in the same room as the infamous computer wizard, Eddie." She tapped her chin and continued, "But you don't look like the typical tech guy."
Eddie grinned as he leaned against his desk, his hand tucked casually in his pants pockets. "And what does the typical tech guy look like?"
"Well, you know, skinny, bad acne, and glasses. But here you are tall, handsome, got a great physique, and no acne or glasses in sight."
Eddie had inherited his mother's brown, wavy hair, but his father's green eyes. Growing up, he had always been a chunky kid, but as he matured, he recognized the importance of looking the part to earn respect in his circle.
Eddie laughed. "Would you feel more confident if I threw on a pair of glasses?"
Kitten chuckled. "No, I'd take this version of you any day of the week, because this version has always been there when I needed him."
"And that will never change," he winked at her.
"So why computers? Why hacking? What's your story?" she asked, looking at him intently.
"I grew up in a boarding school, and we rarely had the chance to see the outside world. With the school computers always locked, I learned how to bypass the security. After that, I got addicted to accessing sites and computers that were encrypted. My grandfather always said, 'Why do something for free when you could get paid for it?' Let's just say the boys at the boarding school paid a hefty price to log into those adult sites."
Most of his story held truth, albeit with certain details fabricated to shape the perception he wanted Kitten to have of him.
Kitten laughed, "I'm sure they did, after all boys will be boys." Then, she raised an eyebrow. "So you grew up with your grandfather and not your parents?"
"My mother passed away when I was just six months old, and, well, Dad, he left me with my grandfather and started a new family and never looked back," Eddie shrugged.
Kitten went silent, a distant look in her eyes. "I left my daughter when she was just two years old, though my circumstances were different. I've always known where she was. I didn't reached out to her when I returned to Los Angeles, even though she's a few hours away. I was afraid Alejandro would find her and hurt her. Maybe, he had his reasons."
"For abandoning his six-month-old son?" Eddie scoffed.
"For years, I was angry with my father wondering what I had done for him to abandon Mom and I, but when I saw him in that warehouse holding Jasmine, all I wanted was to be his little girl again. Perhaps, you should reach out to him and reconcile. Here it from the horse's mouth as to why he left. Family is important, and life is too hard and unpredictable to not have the support of your loved ones."
Not wanting to indulge in the topic any more, he gave Kitten the response she wanted to hear.
"Perhaps I will," Eddie replied.
No excuse from his father would remove the hurt and betrayal of abandonment he felt. Reconciliation was the last thing on his mind.
"Eddie, there's one more thing I need from you," Kitten said, approaching him and handing him a piece of paper. "This is my aunt's address. I haven't heard from her in years, the one who kept my baby girl. I'd really love to see them both but I refuse to visit out of fear that they'll get entangled in my mess. So for now I'll just settle on knowing they're both doing well. Can you do that for me?"
"Of course, it's not a problem," Eddie assured her.
"Thank you so much," she said, hugging him tightly, trying to hold back a sob. When she pulled away, a few tears had escaped. "Let me go back to Jasmine, and you can return to whatever you were doing before I came in."
With one final nod, she exited his office, closing the door behind her.
Eddie had long been monitoring Kitten's daughter, Kiara, and her Aunt Charlotte, but he wasn't about to disclose that to her. He tucked the piece of paper she had given him into his desk drawer when his phone rang.
"This better be important," Eddie barked into the phone.
"Sir, Charlotte's funeral is in two days. Should we pick up the girl right after?"
Bringing Kiara to Los Angeles would give Alejandro another pawn in his game to draw McKenzie out of hiding. He couldn't have that.
"No. Keep a close eye on her. Don't let any harm come to her."
"Yes, boss," came the response from the other end.
"And one more thing, find Yellows, and as soon as you do contact me. We may have a traitor on our hands."