1
HAILEY
FIVE YEARS AGO
Twirling in my pink gown, I feel like a princess.
Thanks to my new stepfather’s immense wealth, Mom could spend as much money as she wanted on celebrating my sweet sixteen with a massive birthday party.
What teenage girl doesn’t want to wear a sparkly dress and a tiara for one evening? Especially a girl who never knew anything but poverty until her mother married a tattooed Russian named Dmitri?
My fairy godfather.
Six months ago, my life changed overnight. Maybe money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy new friends, especially among the snobby girls at the new fancy private high school Dmitri insisted I attend. I didn’t argue against the chance to attend a school so far out of reach I never dared to dream of it.
If happiness isn’t a sumptuous pink silk gown with crystals on the bodice and a six-inch-tall tiara, I don’t know what would be. I invited half the school.
Dmitri was the one who invited my hot, mysterious, dangerous new stepbrother. Rafail, his only son. Mom warned me not to get involved with him.
As if he’d let me. Every time I try to talk to him, Rafail swats me away like I’m an annoying fly.
“Who’s the gangster?” one of my new friends, Melanie, shouts over the DJ’s music. She presses a clear plastic cup into my gloved hand. Melanie’s frothy, low-cut purple gown shows at least three inches of cleavage. I don’t like the way she’s eyeing Rafail. I’m the only one who gets to ogle him like that. Even if he gets annoyed every time I do it.
“My stepbrother,” I answer. Her eyes flare wide.
With tattoos peeking out of his unbuttoned collar and from his sleeves, Rafail certainly looks the part. He leans sullenly against the wall, scowling at his father, Dmitri, who’s being handsy with Mom. Rafail doesn’t seem to like her, or me, very much. It’s a relief that he isn’t around a lot, since I can’t seem to stop poking the bear. I’m intrigued by him. He doesn’t feel the same way about me. He spends all his time working on “business” for his dad.
I drink from the cup Melanie handed me and choke on the harsh flavor. “Are you trying to poison me? What’s in this?”
“Vodka. I stole it from my dad’s liquor cabinet. Half the school is drunk tonight. Lightweights.” She scoffs. Melanie has a reputation to maintain, which is one reason why I wanted to be friends with her. I’ve never been one of the cool kids before.
Well, I’m no lightweight, even if this is my first time tasting alcohol. I take a huge sip, then another, swallowing half the drink in a few big gulps. Immediately, the room tilts.
“Go easy, Hailey, that was a strong pour,” Melanie cautions. Loud music from the DJ’s booth swallows up our conversation. Neither of us worry about being overheard by a passing adult.
“Liquid courage.” I wink. I feel bold and grown-up in my huge skirt, held up with hoops and petticoats like I’m some kind of southern belle. I wish I could wear this every day. Even if it isinconvenient to pee. I may be underage, but I want my first kiss to be from Rafail. Just to be able to say I did it.
His gaze cuts to me, and I freeze. I swear it’s like he can read my mind sometimes. He doesn’t live with us as part of the family, even though he’s Dmitri’s son. At 25, he has his own apartment, his own car…his own gun.
All things that seem like wild luxuries to me. Until two years ago, Mom and I were sleeping in her ancient Honda Civic more often than not. She cleaned houses. Hours of grueling manual labor still weren’t enough for us to afford an apartment of our own. Not here in expensive California.
Then she took a job cleaning up after an event in Las Vegas, and came back married to Dmitri, a man she had known for all of two days. Overnight, our lives changed for the better. I don’t ask questions. Having money has been such a damn relief. Dmitri dotes on me. Calls me thedaughter he never hadin his thick Russian accent. I loved him right away. Part of me craved a father who actually gave a damn, since I never knew my own biological father. He bounced the minute Mom told him she was pregnant with me.
Tonight, I’m determined. I want Rafail to kiss me.
Totally forbidden. Completely taboo, honestly. I shouldn’t have a massive crush on the grumpy bad boy stepbrother I barely know. But I do. How epic would it be for him to be my first kiss?
“Come on, I’ll introduce you to him.” I grab Melanie’s elbow and pull her along.
“I’m going to need more vodka for this,” she mutters. “Jesus, he’s hot. How do you deal with living with him?”
“I don’t. He lives in New York.” All the way across the country, in a city I’ve never visited and only know from watching TV. Melanie and I aren’t close. I don’t bother to explain that Ihardly ever see him. She’s just a convenient excuse to talk to Rafail.
“What does he do?” Melanie asks.
Good question. “Works for his dad.”
“What does your stepfather do?”
