Page 40 of Corruption

“Be glad I didn’t chop off all your limbs, grind them up like meat, feed them to you, andthenkill you.”

“Have you done that to someone before?” Kiya asks dispassionately.

“No. Saving it for a special occasion.” Alik then says, “Come on, you two. I think that’s enough for tonight.”

15

Kiya

It’s not until we get outside that what happened inside the club hits me, and like I always do with things like this, I resort to apologies.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I overreacted. But—”

Nadia rounds on me. “You have nothing to be sorry about. He got what he deserved.”

“But I—”

“You didn’tdoanything. He did. We defended ourselves,” Nadia says.

“But—”

“Kitten,” Alik says firmly, definitely sounding angry but not at me. Just the situation. “Don’t youeverapologize for us having to handle someone that tried to hurt you.”

“But—”

“Don’t. Apologize,” Alik says. It’s definitely an order.

“I—Okay.”

“Why would you think this is your fault, anyway?” Nadia asks as our ride pulls around.

Because my mother would have said it was my fault. Like she did last time when I snuck out the house and went to a local high school party I was invited to by my neighbor when I was sixteen. It was freeing being out the house. Away from my mother. Around people my age who shared my interests. Who were actually like me and accepted me. Contrary to the lies my mother spewed in my ear all day long.

Then a boy tried to force me to dance with him. I told him to back off. A fight broke out when my friends and neighbors came to my defense. The cops were called, and the first thing my mom asked when she picked me up after talking to the cops wasn’t if I was okay, but what I had done. Why did I react the way I did? How it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gone to the party. If I hadn’t been dancing in my tight jeans and crop top. How I was asking for someone to assault me. That I shouldn’t have expected otherwise.

“Kiya,” Nadia says, snapping me out my thoughts.

“My mother…” I say, trailing off. “She would have said it was my fault.”

Alik frowns but says nothing.

Nadia scoffs and says, “What a bitch. No wonder you’re glad she’s dead.”

Once we’re in the car and on the way, it occurs to me that Alik isherewhen he was supposed to be at home.

“When did you get there?” I ask him.

“I was there from the beginning.”

“You followed us?”

“Good thing I did… although, you seemed to have the situation well in hand before I stepped in. I’m impressed, Kitten. Seems like you know how to use your claws.”

I smile and look away at the compliment. Glad that Nadia is sitting between us because that’s the look I saw in Alik’s eye when he kissed me the first time.

“I am upset about one thing,” Nadia says mournfully. “That asshole interrupted me just as I was about to kiss you.”

He did. It was noticing what Nadia was about to do that that made me see that guy over her shoulder and tell him to back off. Rather than let myself be embarrassed about Nadia’s intentions, I find the same courage I found when teasing Nadia earlier to say, “You still can if you want.” Then I look at Alik and say, “If Alik doesn’t mind watching.”

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