Page 71 of Corruption

“It’s not humiliating,” Kiya says indignantly. “And you matter.”

“I know,” Nadia assures. She adds, “Also helped to have two mafia princes in my corner who told everyone I was just a tomboy who was finally accepting her place as a young lady of theBratva.”

“So nobody knows?”

“No one except Alik, Vaughn, and Isaak.” Then Nadia looks down at Kiya and says, “And now you.”

Kiya smiles. “Thank you for trusting me enough to share that.”

If I didn’t already know Nadia was head over heels in love with this girl before, I know it now. And if I wasn’t head over heels for this girl, Kitten, I would be now.

Nothing has changed, and yet, everything has changed because of Kiya’s genuine response and her genuine indignation on Nadia’s behalf. I’ll allow no one and nothing to harm Nadia. The little girl who walked over to two mafia princes and asked them to play with her when everyone else was too intimidated by our position to dare. The woman I betrayed my family and theBratvafor. I could certainly get rid of a girl I haven’t even known for a month.

Doesn’t mean I’m not relieved I don’t have to.

Nadia kisses Kiya on the cheek and asks, “Ever played the violin before, Pretty Girl?”

“I’m from a small town in Georgia. What do you think?”

“Many magnificent people have come from small towns and humble beginnings,” Nadia says as she takes down the violin and bow and gestures for Kiya to follow her to an area they’ll have more room.

I sit at my piano and watch as Nadia helps Kiya to position the violin on her shoulder. Then Nadia rosins her bow and positions it in Kiya’s right hand.

“Now,” she instructs. “Hold it like this. Keep your upper arm just like this and only use your wrist and lower arm. And make sure the bow stays straight. Now, put your left fingers like this… Now go on. Pull the bow. Just straight up and down.”

Kiya pulls the bow, and the familiar, crisp A-note rings in the room.

“Well, look at that. You’re a natural. Isn’t she, Alik?”

“It feels awkward,” Kiya says, carefully rolling her left shoulder where she’s resting the violin.

“You get used to it. Of course, beginners usually use a shoulder rest. I have one lying around here somewhere…”

“Don’t bother, Nadia,” Kiya says, taking the violin off her shoulder and handing it and the bow back to Nadia. “I don’t think I’ll be getting the hang of it any time soon.”

“That’s what Alik said when I tried to teach him.” Nadia looks at me. “Perhaps you’ll take better to the piano. The notes are more consistent since it’s just pressing keys that have a set sound.”

“You know it’s much more than that, Nadezhda.”

“I know. It’s just fun to get you riled up.”

I refrain from replying to that as I slide over to make room for Kiya to sit. When she’s settled, I place her hands on the keys to create an A note.

“Now. Press those keys at the same time with your fingers just like that,” I instruct.

She presses down, but unsurprisingly isn’t quite able to pull off pressing the keys at the same time. It brings back memories. One of the only good memories I have of my father. Him teaching me to play the piano. I couldn’t press certain keys at the same time either.

“It’s so far to reach,” Kiya complains.

“Your fingers get more flexible the more you play. And your hands are cold. That makes your hands stiffer.” I take one of her hands and am unsurprised to find them cold. “Let me warm your hands.”

As I begin to massage her hands, Kiya says, “Your hands are bigger than mine. How would you know?”

“Because I had to regain my flexibility after my hand broke a few years ago.”

“You never did tell me who broke your hand and why?”

I didn’t because at the time I knew nothing about her, and she was little more than my brother’s beautiful fiancé who I was trying to resist pressing against a wall somewhere and fucking. But it’s a harmless piece of information. There’s nothing she could glean from the story no matter how observant and curious she tends to be.

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