Hacker Bride

a's

with bullets. The kind with passwords, encry

ver far from her perfectly ironed skirt. She hands me a b

tials," she says. "

data. I just press my thumb against th

breaching. There's a maze of folders locked behind rotating ciphers, voice-pass trig

sm

done by

ell you: take your time, but don't wast

if I

"Then I suppose Luca get

i

"workspace" is more like a th

with no serial number. No connection to the outside

ment is deceptively simple: Identify the source of a recent breach in Valenti intel security. Someone

is, they're sma

ive

code obfuscated through a server in Prague, then r

fore-something used by a hacker-for-hire named Gh

ss

spect list to f

to Valenti accounts. It's subtle. Designed to look like bonuses or bribes.

cle a

o Vin

ng

ows, shirt unbuttoned at the throat, reading something

s up as

el

e your

ncente. He's routing crypto to a ghost hack

he device, sk

utters. "I thoug

wers for staying alive l

. "What would you

e Ma

wai

a vo

kles. "

discuss incinerating someo

bl

at...

rd exce

. "And if I ask

ound the desk until

do you

ers. Your emp

weetly. "

twitches

nte is execu

ch. But I h

t in the head,

The Five Families

on's hacker bride un

wn. Now I'm dangerous a

e private one. Only Damien is there, waiting with a bottle of wi

iou

I mutter. He raises a

rat and suddenl

ing that you

here." He studies me

cou

anticize y

Then stop romanticizing yo

hocolate is rich. Silky. Laced wit

ged," he sa

t him. "I

u're wo

works? I find the traitors, you kil

chair. "Only if you w

art s

ly too thick. His words too close. The l

to my room. Shower. C

in the false bottom of my jewelry case-the o

Photos of my dad. His files. T

t no

up to his death. His company was swallowed by a firm called Cairo Hold

mpany? Tied to Va

if he had anything to do with my father's

i

pens without a knock. I'm on m

Dam

s mildly, eyeing the sm

't say

my h

t of my

eps c

lake. No one will find him," he s

grip on

do you

who taught you t

if

aga

lower. Taught me how to r

he taught you."

other step. We'

efore you walked in

kno

hacks. Your patt

ot imp

shoul

of si

rust you,"

nce. "Goo

I entered this house, I feel afraid-not of w