Possession of the Bratva (Morozov Bratva #15)

Chapter 8 - Mila

Two days had passed since the family dinner and our confrontation. Aleksandr has been quiet but present. Even when I couldn’t see him hovering, I could feel his presence. After breakfast, Aleksandr said he had something to do and would be back in a while.

I decided to go for a morning swim. I walked through the Maze of Roses on my way to the pool. It was refreshing and peaceful. I loved spending time alone in it when I could. Hearing footsteps approaching, I turned to see who was coming my way.

Tasha stepped into the clearing, and I sighed with relief. I was expecting Aleksandr. “Good morning, sis,” she said in a chipper tone as she stepped closer and hugged me. “The maids told me where to find you. How are you doing?”

She smiled as we walked towards the pool. “Morning, Tasha. I am good, thanks and how are you?” Tasha was a young, talented hacker like me. Yet, she outsmarted me when we sought information on Aleksandr and his family.

“Great,” she responded. “I’m happy to see you again.”

“Would you like to take a swim with me?” I asked as we got to the pool. I wasn’t sure why she was here. But everyone had motives; I was convinced of it. I just didn’t know if she was friend or foe. But I might need her help to get what I sought. So, I decided I would become her friend.

“Yeah, why not. I have a swimsuit in the lockers. I’ll be right back.” Tasha replied as she sprinted to the back building.

She wasn’t gone for long and returned wearing a black one piece.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having you visit me?” I asked as she joined me in the pool.

Tasha dived and came up against the side. “I still wanted to ask you something the other night. But Aleksandr seemed tired. So, I never got around to it.”

Looking at her, I noticed she had a puzzling look. “What is it, Tasha? You can ask me anything.”

There was a short pause then she took a deep breath. I felt slightly uncomfortable. Kicking away from the side, I drifted a little before heading back to the side. “Is something wrong, Tasha?” I asked softly.

She shook her head lightly as she replied. “No, nothing wrong. It’s just, well, I wanted to know how you see yourself?”

“How do I see myself?” I asked, feeling confused.

Tasha smiled, turning her head to one side. “I’m not sure how to put this delicately. So, I’m just going to come out with it.”

“Please do,” I replied shortly. I gave her a warm smile, hoping to get to the bottom of her question quickly. I wanted to hear what she had in her heart.

Tasha came closer as she spoke. “Do you consider yourself a black or white-hat hacker?”

I stared at her in confusion. I had heard the term before but had never considered that I fell into either category. “What do you mean?”

Tasha giggled as she kicked back from the side. I could see her shoulders relaxing. Her tone was lighter as she continued. “That look on your face, man, did I hit a nail? You do know what I am asking, don’t you?”

“I think so,” I replied, looking back at the house. “I don’t think of myself in that way. There isn’t a clear line between them, except one works for good and one for evil, right?.”

“Let me explain,” Tasha said. “You have to be one, you must pick a side. It’s just how it works.”

Kicking my legs left and right, I felt a tad uncomfortable. I didn’t think of what I did in such a light. But I allowed her to continue. Curiosity got the better of me, and I had to know which one she was. Stretching my arms to the sides, I held on as I leaned back.

“A white hat is a hacker that mostly works on keeping their security systems up to date. They ensure others from outside cannot gain access. Commonly, their practices involve everything above board and legal, with no criminal intent. If I can put it that way.” Tasha took another dive before continuing.

“A black hat is basically the opposite. It is someone who wants to break into other systems and gain information. Some do it for fun, and others do it as part of their job.”

I had not noticed that I was staring at her blankly until she spoke up again. “Mila, hey, are you with me?”

Shaking my head, I focused on her waving hand. “Oh, yes,” I mumbled. “Sorry, I was just thinking for a second. But back to your question. Do you really think we can do this job and only be one?”

Tasha thought about this for a bit but didn’t respond. “I think we are a little of both. It depends on the job and the client, I would say. Don’t you agree?” I considered what they would think if they found out I was trying to get information on them. Would they consider me a black hat hacker? I wasn’t a bad person; I just needed to protect myself and my family.

Tasha nodded as she responded. “Well, that is true. However, I think I’m more of the black hat kind. I actually like hacking other systems for fun. I don’t steal information or anything. But I may leave a message just to let them know their systems aren’t secure.”

“I might then be more of the white hat kind,” I added, laughing a little. “My family is everything; I would do whatever I needed to protect them.”

“Yes,” Tasha said, strangely glaring at me. Her eyes seemed to narrow, and her brows furrowed. “Family is everything. I will give my life for mine.” As she spoke, I felt a shiver running down my spine. I wondered if she knew I was up to something.

“Good to know we feel the same,” I replied. “Was there something else?”

“Yes, I was thinking we should match skills again sometime,” Tasha said through splashes in the water. “I will set up a system, and you can hack it. Then we can turn the tables. You set up the system, and I will try to hack it. Like when you were looking for Dahlia.” She smiled, but I knew she was still gloating from beating me before.

“Okay, we can do that,” I replied, grinning at her. I learned quite a bit from Leo and Evelina as we explored her techniques. I was sure I would be able to get through. She was younger than me, I couldn’t allow her to keep this over my head.

She was much friendlier than her brothers. She accepted and welcomed me with open arms into the fold. The least I could do was be her friend. I was sure she was looking for a sister. We continued to chat about music, clothing, food, and more.

We were so entranced by all we had in common, that I hadn’t even realized how quickly the day started passing. It was almost midday when she suddenly stopped splashing as she looked at her watch. “I have to run. I have some work to attend to.” Tasha said as she hugged me.

I watched as she jumped out, wrapped the towel around her, and trotted off. I was still in the pool when Aleksandr arrived home just before lunch. He came to the pool smiling as he stood on the side. “This is nice,” he said, sitting down on one of the loungers.

“It has been,” I replied. “You just missed Tasha; she left a couple of minutes ago.”

“Oh, okay. You had a nice visit?” he inquired, leaning back.

I replied as I got out and wrapped the towel around me. “We did, thank you.”

As we walked back to the mansion, he continued to talk. “As I drove home, I was thinking.”

Turning my attention to him, I nodded. He smiled but didn’t continue. “What were you thinking about?” I asked, suspecting he wanted me to.

“Well,” he started glancing up at the house. “How would you like to take a tour of our operations?”

I nearly choked on my spit. It was the last thing I expected him to say. I kept my gaze down as I coughed. I didn’t want Aleksandr to see the guilt I felt. This internal struggle was messing with my mind. Befriending Tasha unsettled my equilibrium.

Yet, I was still determined to see my plan through. This visit may just be what I needed. “Yes,” I replied, trying my best to keep the excitement out of my voice.