Clicking the pause button, Alexei hands Kazimir his phone back.
Leaning against the countertop, the law student puts his head in hands for a few seconds.
"I've always had a suspicion it was Brent, but I didn't want it to be true. I understand you'll never be able to feel the same, but he was a close family friend of ours. Supported me wanting to become a lawyer when all father would do was try talking me out of it and get angry when I refused. Now, I understand it all."
Kazimir sadly smiles.
"I'd like to thank you for lending me your gun. It felt nice to finally get my revenge back on that sick bastard, even after he killed himself."
"You're quite welcome." Alexei replies, leaning from off of the counter.
Kazimir watches as the law student takes some biscuits from the oven, placing it on the countertop.
Alexei smiles, taking a gravy dish from his right, pouring the gravy onto the biscuits.
"Mr. Cizetto, I'd like to thank you for being my right-hand man. Care for a biscuit?"
--- Sunday; 8:25 A.M. ---
Khristina sleepily yawns, her feet trudging into the small apartment's living room as she gives Kazimir one of her daily morning hugs.
"Good morning, Khristina. Did you have any interesting dreams?"
The small girl smiles and nods, spinning around.
"I kissed a frog and it turned into Amir and then we ate ice cream while playing online princess dress-up games!"
He laughs as Khristina runs off to wash up for the day.
Kazimir turns back to the TV and smiles. Behind the news reporter were two blurred out bodies, but the young man could easily recognize them.
Roger Brookstone and the once missing police officer, Ian Felker.
"Should've known Alexei found Amir's killer out first." he says to himself, getting up from the sofa.
He walks into the kitchen and washes his hands, before making Khristina breakfast.
"Mr. Kazimir, can I ask you something?" Khristina asks, jumping up in her chair as the young man slides a plate of toast and bacon in front of her.
"Sure. What is it?"
"Since you're handsome like Amir, are you a prince from another country?" Khristina asks, taking a bite from her toast.
Kazimir softly chuckles, pouring the young girl a glass of orange juice.
"Well, first I'd like to thank you for the compliment. However, I'm just a regular townsman struggling with work day by day."
The small girl shakes her head.
"Mr. Kazimir, don't worry. You're still a prince in my eyes."
The young man smiles, taking a seat across from Khristina.
"Thank you, Khristina. Now, eat up so when Dréy arrives to pick you up, you'll have enough energy to run around at the park and possibly meet your future prince there."
Khristina happily nods and quickly finishes her food, her brother arriving fifteen minutes later to pick her up for the day.
After cleaning up breakfast dishes, the young man calls for a taxi, paying the cab driver the travel fare.
Walking through the doors of the Claiza City Special Forces Department, Kazimir heads into the room where he was assigned to, sitting down at the table.
He turns to his co-worker, Nia, who currently had her head in her arms laying face down on the table.
Unusual for her.
"Good morning, Nia." the young man says, taking a pencil from his briefcase.
"Good morning, Kazimir. Please pardon me, I'm a bit tired and would like to get a couple minutes of sleep in before we officially start for the day." she replies, with a yawn.
Kazimir chuckles.
"Yeah, I know that feeling all too well."
Hearing the clicking of shoes, he turns to the doorway, Caio smiling down at him.
"Morning, Kazimir. Morning, Nia!"
"Good morning, Caio." Kazimir replies.
The young woman yawns and slightly shifts her head on the table.
"Good morning, Caio. Please excuse me, but I didn't get a full night's sleep yesterday and I'd like to get just a couple minutes in."
Caio nods in understandment.
"It's alright, take the whole day if you need to. As a matter of fact, I have a packet of decaf coffee packed with my lunch. Would you like me to brew it for you?"
Nia shakes her head.
"Thank you, Caio, but I'm fine."
Raising a brow, Kazimir turns to Caio who looks back at him with a confused expression on his face.
Caio turns back to Nia.
"You're fine? You sound like you're on the verge of cry-
The two males eyes widen as the young woman looks up at them both, tears streaming down her face. Her right eye was purple and slightly puffy.
"What the fuck happened?!" Caio asks, lifting up Nia's chin.
"It was around 12 midnight. My husband wanted sex and I told him that I wasn't in the mood and then this happened." she explains, wiping away a tear.
Running over to the woman's side, Kazimir squats down, a napkin filled with ice.
"Here's some ice. We have to do something about your situation quick before he actually does something fatal."
Caio nods.
"We'll just stage a fake kidnapping."
Nia and Kazimir turn to him.
"I'll call your husband, tell him you never made it to work, and that he needs to come down to the station to file a missing person's report."
Nia nods.
"That sounds like a good idea, but isn't there a safer way? I already have a tracker that he placed on my phone, so I don't think he'll fall for it."
Caio asks for her phone, uninstalling the application.
"Not anymore. I'll have Dayne take you back to our place while I help your coward of a husband file a report."
As he helps her up from her seat, Nia smiles down at Kazimir.
"Thank you so very much, Kazimir."
Kazimir nods.
"You're welcome. Just keep as low as possible for now."
She gives him a thumbs up and follows Caio out of the door.
Knocking on the drug's team door, he watches as a woman answers.
"Tell my brother I need to see him."
The lady nods and calls Dayne over, who steps out of the room.
"Couldn't this have-
He stops talking upon seeing his brother holding the young woman in his arms, noticing her injured eye.
"I need you to take Nia back to our place while I call her husband and talk with him."
Nodding, Dayne leads the young woman out of the building and to his car. About 20 minutes later, he unlocks the gate to the house, before pulling into the driveway.
"Mr. Níserraté, I thank both you and Caio, but it's fine. I'm used to it." Nia says, as Dayne unlocks the front door. "Besides, I don't want you two possibly getting killed just because you tried to help me.
The older man shrugs, opening the door.
"I think we'll be okay. After you."
Nia walks in, followed by Dayne who opens a window curtain.
"I have some medical supplies in the bathroom. Follow me."
The two head upstairs and down the hall, turning into a room on the left.
Reaching up on a shelf, Dayne grabs a medical kit and walks over to Nia who took a seat on the side of the bathtub.
Squatting down in front of the young woman, he begins to apply a bit of arnica gel.
"Sorry. Forgot to tell you it might sting a bit." he says, noticing her flinch. "It'll quickly help with your eye, though."
She gives Dayne a slight smile.
"It's fine." Nia replies. "Um, Caio told me he used to be a private investigator for five years before becoming a spy. What about you? Did you have any previous careers?"
Dayne nods.
"I used to be in the military for three years."
"How'd you like it?" the young woman asks, folding her hands in her lap.
"Boring. I joined because I'd thought I'd get to be stationed in other countries, but they kept me on base the whole time. So I faked an injury to get out of my contract and they discharged me."
Nia smiles.
"I've always wanted to travel to a new country. Maybe one day, you and I will finally get a chance."
Putting the supplies back in the kit, Dayne shrugs.
"Maybe."
He puts it back on the shelf, turning to Nia.
"I have to head back to work, but you're to stay here for your safety. There's leftovers in the refrigerator if you get hungry. We also haven't set up our guest room yet, so if you want to take a nap, you can use Caio's or mine."
The young woman smiles.
"Thank you, Dayne."
He nods and walks downstairs, Nia hearing the front door open and close shortly afterward.
She sighs and heads downstairs, stopping in front of the stairway.
"There has to be some way I can show my gratitude to them both."
*CLICK! CLICK!*
Locking his car door, Dayne walks into the Special Forces Department building, heading over to the front desk.
He checks back in, before making his way down the hall where his brother stops him.
"Well, I have the clown's face memorized." Caio says, getting up from the chair he sat in.
"So what're you planning to do?" Dayne asks.
Caio looks up at the ceiling.
"Put a warrant out for his arrest for first degree assault and battery. I'll take him in as soon as I can."
"Good enough." Dayne replies with a shrug as he continues to walk forward.
--- 10:27 P.M. ---
"Damn, I'm beat!"
Unlocking the door, Caio turns the light on and immediately smiles.
"Something smells nice."
He and Dayne both head into to the kitchen, where they were greeted with plates of food and Nia, who currently slept at the dining table.
Walking over to a pot, Dayne picks up a small piece of paper that was taped to it.
"She left us a note; "Dear Caio and Dayne, I'd like to thank you both for you kind hospitality. Please, enjoy." Signed, Nia."
He turns to Caio, who smiled down at the young woman.
"She's so adorable. Her face is so cute when she's sleeping."
"I suppose." Dayne adds, walking over.
He gently lifts her head to check on her eye and Caio stops him.
"The hell are you doing?"
"Earlier, I put a bit of medicine on her eye. I'm checking-
He pushes his brother's hand away, catching Nia's head before she could hit the table.
"Well, you've done enough, thank you. I'll take over from here." Caio interrupts, picking the young woman up from her seat. "I'm taking my wife to bed, I'll be back in a minute."
Dayne shakes his head.
"Does she claim you as her husband?"
Caio stops walking and turns around, giving him an angry look.
"She doesn't have to." he replies, his angry expression quickly turning to a happier one. "We're married, she just hasn't found out yet."
Dayne sighs and watches as his brother walks out of the kitchen.
He had a strange feeling Caio wasn't going to make this situation easy at all.