“You take Alexei to meetings with your partners!”

“Your brother is going to take over the Bratva leadership when I step down. He needs to be prepared.”

I shake my head. “You’re such a hypocrite, Dad.”

“The criminal underworld is not a place for a woman, Vasilisa. You’re going to finish your studies. Get a regular job. Find a nice guy to date. An accountant, maybe.”

I sigh. Overprotective doesn’t even come close to describing my father. Once, he almost strangled someone I was dating when he saw us kissing in front of the perimeter gate, just because the guy had a shaved head and pierced eyebrow.

“I graduated last Friday, in case you forgot.”

“And you’re getting your master’s degree next.”

“I don’t want to do my master’s, Dad! I want to work. For you.”

“Not happening.” He points an accusing finger at me. “And this hacking shit ends now, Vasilisa. You’re not going to do it again. Promise me!”

“Fine.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise. I won’t hack into government databases of any kind, ever again.”

“And?”

I roll my eyes. “Or anywhere else.”

“Good.” He leans over and drops a kiss on the top of my head. “You know how much I love you, don’t you?”

“Yes. I love you, too. Can I have my laptop back now? I need to start applying for that ‘regular’ job you want me to get.”

“Nope.”

“Dad, it’s not fair—” I sniff the air. “What’s that smell?”

My door bangs open again, and the scent of something burning permeates the room.

“Dad!” Yulia, my younger sister rushes inside. “Igor set the new microwave on fire.”

“Again?” Dad yells. “I told that idiot that he’s retired! Who let him in? I’m going to kill him, along with everyone else working in that kitchen.”

He rushes out of my room, and he takes my laptop with him. The bedroom door slams closed, making both me and my sister shriek.

“What was that about?” Yulia asks as she sprawls out on my bed.

“He confiscated my laptop.”

“I could see that. He found out about you hacking that company yesterday? What did you do this time?”

“Sent a donation to a church choir.” My shoulders sag. “From the cybercafé near the library, but it looks like Felix told Dad about me poking around NASA’s firewalls.”

“God, Vasilisa. Why do you keep doing this crap?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s my way of getting back at Dad for not letting me help him with anything.” I shift in my seat. “Or because I don’t know what to do with my free time now.”

“You should go out more. What happened with that guy you were seeing?”

“Oliver?”

“Yeah. The underwear model. He’s so hot.” Yulia rolls over on the bed, fanning herself.

I tilt my head up, staring at the ceiling, and swivel side to side on my chair. Yes, Oliver is unbelievably handsome. We met in a coffee shop downtown when he sat at the table next to mine. I didn’t pay any attention to him at first, too absorbed in the coding exercises Grandpa Felix created for me, but then Oliver moved over to sit beside me and started asking questions about what I was doing.

“I broke up with him last week,” I mumble. “He ended up being the same as every other guy who wants to date me.”

“You mean, he fell to his knees, begging for permission to adore you?” Yulia giggles. “Vasilisa the Fair. Making men trip over their feet since you turned fifteen.”

“Not funny. And I hate it when you call me that. It made me despise that fairytale.”

“You, my darling sister, might be the only woman on earth who hates being beautiful.”

“I don’t hate it. But just once, I’d like to have a guy be attracted to me for something more. Not simply because I’m pretty.”

“You’re more than pretty, Vasya. Even in the dreadful rags you wear.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my clothes.”

“That top is awful. And what the hell do you call that color? Vomit yellow?” She nods toward me. “And don’t get me started on the two-sizes-too-large jeans.”

“They’re comfortable.” I shrug.

“Yeah, sure.” Yulia puts her hands under her chin and rolls her eyes. “So, what did ‘Oliver the Hot’ do wrong?”

“He insisted on restarting my phone for me. Apparently, I don’t look like a girl who could do that myself. And I quote: ‘Why would you trouble yourself with something like that, beautiful? You have me now, and I’ll take care of the hard tech stuff for you.’” I barely keep the snarl out of my voice while trying to imitate the imbecile’s tone. “Then, he took my phone out of my hand and did it for me. I earned my undergrad in computer science and graduated summa cum laude, and the asshat actually restarted my phone for me.”

“That’s so rich.” Yulia laughs. “Did he offer to flip the light switches for you, as well? In case you got confused about how they work?”

“Not funny!” I grumble.

“Sorry, but yes. Yes, it is. He just wanted to be your knight in shining armor.”

I snort. “We were at the park when it happened. I was still gaping at Oliver fumbling with my phone when a dog got loose off his leash and ran right toward us, barking. My knight in shitty armor squeaked like a four-year-old girl and hightailed it out of there without even looking over his shoulder to check on me.”

“What a bastard! And the dog?”

“He just wanted to play. Licked my hands and face, then ran off.” I shake my head and spin a full circle on my gaming chair. “Dad mentioned wanting a normal guy for me. Some accountant, he said. Well, probably when I turn fifty, but . . . I don’t think I can make it work with any normal guy, Yulia.”

“Why not?”