I ignore him, focusing solely on my task of reorganizing. It’s the only way I’ll be able to distract myself from worrying about my family.

Blindly, I empty the cupboards of cups and glasses that have all been haphazardly placed on one shelf, and the stemware that was mixed in with tumblers and other cocktail glasses.

“Kакой ужасный беспорядок,” I mumble as I move on to the middle shelf. They even have cake stands wedged in the same place!

“I asked, what the fuck are you doing?” Guido snarls next to me and slams the cabinet door closed, barely missing my fingers.

Eyes fixed on his hand keeping the door shut, I take a deep breath, then face the dickhead. The look he levels me with is loaded with narrowly restrained contempt and malice.

“Do you have a problem with me, Guido?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And what problem might that be?” My voice may sound strong, but truthfully, I’m barely holding myself together. I have no qualms about confronting men with an overabundance of testosterone and asshole personalities under normal circumstances, but this fucked-up situation is proving a bit too much. “The last I checked, I’m not here because I want to be.”

Guido’s nostrils flare. He leans toward me, getting in my face. “If you get my brother killed, I’ll fucking murder you.”

Two treacherous tears escape, sliding down my cheeks. Returning his resolute gaze, I make myself smile. “Feel free to try.”

He bangs his fist on the cupboard and storms out of the kitchen. Only after he’s gone, do I lower myself to the counter, sitting down between the rows of glasses and cups, and wipe my cheeks.

Jesus Christ, what did I get myself into?

And why in the hell does the idea of my dad offing Rafael not sound as tempting as it did before?

Magnificent.

There is no better word to describe the woman sitting cross-legged at my desk, mumbling to herself while her fingers fly over the keys as she fixes the mess my IT team purposefully created. Mitch assured me that it would take days just to sort out the financial system, considering how thoroughly they corrupted the software.

It took her a couple of evenings and less than a dozen hours.

Tonight, she’s working on the file management system, untangling the permissions to the subfolders of our data repository. Apparently, this should keep her busy for a week. Mitch’s guys better have done their jobs properly and scrambled it up real good, otherwise, heads will roll.

“Did that pencil do something to offend you?” I ask, eyeing the thing in question.

Vasilisa lays down the pencil she’s been chewing for the past hour and sends me an irritated look. “Nope. It’s just an unwitting victim.”

“Of what?”

“My thought process. The extent of the clusterfuck I’m trying to resolve here is colossal. It’s frustrating. Who set up your NAS?”

“I have no idea what NAS is or who set it up. IT is like hieroglyphs to me.”

“Oh?” Her eyebrows arch quizzically. “A man willing to confess that he doesn’t possess absolute knowledge on a particular subject? That’s a first.”

“I’m a rather simple being, vespetta. Give me a goal, and I’ll reach it, brutally obliterating all obstacles in my way. I don’t have the finesse for solving such cerebral problems, I’m afraid. But I have you and your brilliant mind at my disposal to deal with that now.”

Vasilisa stares at me with wide eyes and her lips slightly parted, looking utterly bewildered. Even in the dim light, I can see color creeping into her cheeks. I’ll need to work on delivering my compliments, obviously.

“Um . . . right.” She quickly looks away. “NAS is a data storage device. It should automatically back up twice a day, but instead, the files are being wiped out.”

“Mitch would be the person who could clue you in on whatever you need to know about that.”

“I’d like to have a word with Mitch, then.”

“Okay.” Taking out my phone, I extend it toward her. “Here.”

Vasilisa’s head snaps up. “I didn’t mean right now. Christ! It’s almost midnight.”

“Mitch is paid to be available twenty-four seven. He won’t mind.” I nod toward the cell. “Call him and ask what you need. Now.”

Her eyebrows lift, then she slowly rises and approaches, her steps cautious and guarded. She appears worried that I might pounce on her. And maybe she’s right to be, because the temptation to do just that is a barely leashed torrent coursing through me.

She stops a couple of steps in front of me and looks down at my extended hand.

“And you can’t just let the man sleep and have him called tomorrow?” she drawls, eyeing the phone. “You’re one shitty employer.”

“No, I’m not. Every single man who works for me is amply compensated for their service.”

“So, are they just that? Employees, nothing more?”

“Extremely well-paid employees.” I press the call button with my thumb. “Ask away.”

Vasilisa looks up, her eyes meeting mine. Neither of us can actually clearly see the other’s face in the darkness, but I can feel her gaze boring into mine as she tries to penetrate beyond the surrounding gloom.

“Boss?” Mitch’s voice breaks the silence.

Slowly, Vasilisa’s fingers wrap around the phone on my palm. The instant her skin comes in contact with mine, I close my hand on hers, holding her in place. She tenses immediately but doesn’t try to break herself free.

“I hope your wrists have healed,” I say as I brush my thumb over her knuckles. “I’m sorry you suffered that.”

“They have,” she whispers. “And I hope your forearm is on the mend. But I won’t say that I’m sorry.”

A smile pulls at my lips.

“Boss?” Mitch insists again. “Can you hear me?”

I let go of Vasilisa’s hand. Her fingers feather over my palm as she lifts the phone and puts it to her ear.

“Hi, it’s your boss’s pet hacker speaking,” she quips.

Her eyes are still locked on mine even though she can’t really see them. I’m sure of that the same way I know her fingers brushed my palm on purpose.

“I need some information on the NAS server you set up.”

My gaze follows Vasilisa as she returns to the desk and remains locked on her for the next hour while she listens to whatever Mitch tells her and simultaneously types away on the laptop. None of the mumbo jumbo she mentions makes any sense to me, but I still soak up every single word. She has the most alluring voice—a little husky but honeyed in a sweet way that, listening to it, makes me imagine how she would sound while pinned under me.