This is a bonus chapter in Kyle's P.O.V and it takes place a couple of days before he meets Emily for the first time.

Kyle

"I know exactly why you want this case."

I looked up from the text I was composing to Linda (or was her name Christina?) explaining why we couldn't see each other anymore.

"Do enlighten me mother."

"You're running away. Like you always do," she said accusingly, folding her arms over her chest.

"What exactly is it that you think I'm running away from?"

"Committing. Settling down. I see the way you go through women." She narrowed her eyes at me challenging me to deny it.

"It's part of my job mother. I can't help it if I appeal to the target market." I shrugged and looked back to my text. This was my least favorite part of this job, tying up loose ends. It would be so much easier if I could just tell them I only got close to them because of an undercover op but that would definitely cost me my job- and no woman was worth that.

"Lord where did I go wrong?" Mother sighed. I glanced back up at her. She was looking up, hands over her face in a praying gesture. If I had a nickel for every time she said that.

Resisting the urge to laugh, I stood and went round the study desk to where she was standing. I put her hands down gently and gave her my most charming smile.

"You are a wonderful mother. But this is the way I have to be; the flirty, friendly guy. I can't afford to be the nice guy. I can't have a serious relationship or have serious feelings for any girl because it will compromise my job. I work undercover and I have to get close to people, usually women, to get the job done. I wouldn't be able to do that if I committed to another woman. How would she feel knowing I'm off somewhere cozying up to some other woman? I really don't want to put anyone through that especially not someone I'd be claiming to love. Do you understand mother?"

She stared at me silently for a moment then she sighed again and nodded.

"I should have made you pursue singing. Maybe you'd be my very own Bieber- minus the hair." She ruffled my short brown hair and I made a face at her.

"When do you leave?"

"In an hour. Dad's going to brief me before I go."

"Off to break another poor girl's heart," she tutted.

"No. I'm saving her from that murderous monster Michael," I argued.

"Just be careful, okay. And try..."

"To just be a friend and still get the job done." I cut off the speech she always gives me before I leave for a job. "I know mother and honestly I do try but sometimes the job calls for more. People tend to share their secrets with people who are more than just a friend. And what can I say, the chicks dig me." I winked at her and she slapped my arm.

"Stop talking before you send me to an early grave," she said. I laughed and hugged her.

"Goodbye mother. I don't know when this will wrap up but until then take care of yourself okay." I gave her a kiss on the forehead and left the study to seek out the rest of my family.

Lana was the first member I found by her usual spot doing her usual thing. At least one of us had followed in mum's footsteps and pursued a career in singing. I watched her as she sat at the piano, eyes closed, singing Adele's "Someone like you."

My blood boiled, she only ever sang that when a particular someone broke her heart. Looks like I'll be breaking a few body parts myself before I leave San Ped and it wasn't going to be figurative.

I walked silently over to her and leaned on the piano as she sang the closing verse. She blinked in surprise when she opened her eyes and found me standing next to her.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes.

"Long enough," I said. "What did he do this time?"

"Who? Nothing. No one did anything," she stammered, protecting the creep as usual.

"Right and you're belting out Someone like you just because it's a Friday."

"You're just jealous that I'm a better singer than you," she teased.

There's my sassy 20 year old sister.

She moved to one side of the piano bench making room for me. I sat with her and we played random tunes in collaboration.

"Jay cancelled his day out with Kiki. Again." She finally spoke up over the sound of the light music we were playing. 

Kiara is Lana's 4 year old daughter. She had her when she was sixteen and after everyone had gotten over the shock of her re-enactment of The Sweet Life of the American Teenager, we accepted the new member of our family and everyone loves the little monkey to bits. 

Jayden is Kiki's father. When Lana discovered she was pregnant he refused to have anything to do with her until Kiki was 3 and he came back with a sob story about wanting to be with his family. In spite of our protests, Lana took him back but the guy hasn't done a single thing right since he waltzed back into their lives. He always cancels any plans he makes to spend time with Lana and Kiki and he forgets important things like their birthdays more often than can be considered forgivable.

"I've said this before and I'll say it again. You don't need to put yourself through this. Dump the guy, you're honestly better off without him."

She blew out a breath and ran her hand over the keys in reckless abandon. "I want Kiki to at least have a chance at a normal family."

"Nothing about this is normal. You had a kid when you were practically still a kid yourself with someone who behaves even more like a child than Kiki who's an actual child."

"But..."

"No Lana. This is just hurting you and Kiki and I can't stand it. Cut your losses and move on. There is someone out there who will treat you way better than this," I argued.

"No one will ever want a girl with a child. I'm just another statistic," she said sadly.

I threw my arm over her shoulder and hugged her to me.

"That's not true. You're beautiful and strong and there's a man out there who's going to see that and love you for it and never take you for granted. You just have to get rid of that dead weight Jayden."

She smiled gratefully up at me through her tears. "You leaving?"

I nodded. "Will you be okay without me?"

"I'll manage," she said. I gave her a final hug and stood.

"Where's our little monkey?" I asked her.

"Making you a goodbye present in the play room." She turned back to the piano and started playing a Mozart piece.

"Lana?"

"Yeah?" She turned back to face me.

"We may not be normal but we make a pretty decent family for Kiki," I told her. She smiled and blew me a kiss then went back to playing.

I found Kiki sitting on the floor, tongue sticking out as she focused all her attention on whatever she was working on. I knocked on the open door and her head snapped up, blue eyes widening when she saw it was me. She picked up the paper she'd been working on and hid it behind her.

"What've you got there monkey?" I asked her as I entered the room and sat on the floor opposite her.

"It's for you," she beamed up at me.

I gave her a big smile of my own. "Really? Can I see it?"

She shook her head. "It's not finished."

"Oh." I pretended to look very sad. "But I'm leaving now and I really want to take your present with me."

"Close your eyes then I can finish it and give it to you," she said.

"Okay." I smiled again and closed my eyes.

"No peeking Uncle Kyle. Promise."

"I promise."

After a few minutes she happily announced that she was done. She placed the large sheet in my lap then told me to open my eyes. She'd drawn a huge array of flowers, all so colorful.

"Do you like it?" She asked climbing into my lap.

"I love it monkey. Thank you." I kissed the top of her head and she wrapped her little arms around me.

"Mummy says you're going far away." 

I nodded. "I need to go catch a bad man who ran away to a far away place."

"Will you have any friends there?"

"Well I plan to make some friends," I answered her, smiling at how concerned she was that I would be lonely.

"Share the flowers with your friends," she commanded me.

"Yes ma'am," I laughed. I stood carrying her up with me and she squealed when I pretended to let her fall.

"I love you monkey. Take care of your mum for me, okay?"

She saluted me and gave me a kiss on the cheek before I set her back on the ground. I left the playroom, drawing in hand and went to my brother's room. Eric was the youngest of the three of us at 15 and also the quietest. To be honest, talking to him was difficult because he barely said a word. Except with Kiki but then the little thing was practically super girl and she could probably make a wall talk if she wanted to. Eric always had his nose stuck in a book or earphones plugged in. Maybe it was a way to avoid conversation?"

A barely audible "Come in" sounded from the room when I knocked and I walked in to find Eric lying on his bed with a book over his face.

"Hie Eric."

"Hey." He didn't move an inch or take the book off his face. I shook my head, scanned the room and picked up a tennis ball that was near the door and threw it at him.

"Ow. What the hell?" He sat up, rubbing his arm where the ball had hit him.

"Much better. Maybe now I can remember what you look like," I rolled my eyes.

"Har har," he said dryly.

"I just came to say goodbye. I'm going to Pinehive for a case," I told him. He looked surprised when I mentioned how far I was going but he just nodded in response.

"Take care of yourself," I said to him.

"You too."

***

"Will you at least look at the file this time around?"

"Sure Dad." I made a show of staring at the closed file before tossing it over to the backseat of my car. He gave me his hardest glare but let up once he saw that I wasn't flinching.

"It's boss to you, young man," he said sternly.

"Sure. Sure."

"Make sure you keep the girl safe. We don't want her to be collateral damage. She's reported him for harassment but nothing has been done about it. Her name is Emily Troth and she's a realtor..."

I put my hand up, stopping him in his tracks.

"You know the drill Dad, I learn about the mission targets on my own. If you tell me all that,it will be very hard to be convincing to her when I try to get to know her."

"Okay son. Good luck then. Go catch that bastard."

He clapped a hand on my shoulder and watched as I drove away to my new fake life.

***

So I was going to write one bonus chapter but then Kyle insisted on sharing everything and one chapter won't even be enough. I didn't want to make the chapter too long so I stopped here. I'll post part two of the bonus chapter soon.

P.S  Kittens_Reads you're welcome lol.