Page 4 of Guarded Rebellion

“I want toearna degree.”

“To do nothing with it.” He smirked. “You can seriously imagine having a job.”

I tightened my arms around myself. Crossing my arms had become more than a defensive stance. I needed the comfort of a self hug at this rate.

“A job?” Maria, my aunt, breezed into the room, high as ever. “Eva wants ajob?” She paused while grabbing a bottle of wine from the bar. Her once-over was slow and calculating, as usual. Beneath her arched, pencil-thin brows, her eyes zeroed in on me and sought out flaws. “Why? You’ll already have one soon enough.”

My father nodded. “That’s what I’m telling her.”

Maria smiled wickedly, stuck in her own misery and projecting it on me. “You’ll have a job of taking your husband’s cock and producing him heirs.” Once more, sneering at me, she raked her gaze over me. “Good luck withthat.”

Pity almost rose to the surface. She’d borne Oleg three sons and one daughter. And all those cousins of mine were dead. The sons died in turf wars, and the daughter killed herself when she was just fourteen. Since Maria suffered during her childbirth, she’d been unable to conceive again, much to Oleg’s annoyance and likely her great glee.

She left me with that dark “advice,” exiting the room with her coveted wine bottle as quickly as she’d come in.

“See?” my father asked. “You have no reason to bother your uncle about permission to go to college. You will obey, Eva, and wait until it is time to serve your purpose.” He sat up, grimacing at the clear pain in his body from the lack of exercise or care. “Are you impatient? Perhaps Oleg can dedicate more time to locating a worthy husband sooner than?—”

“No!” I blurted the instant reply just as Oleg returned to the room. “No, Father,” I said in a calmer, steadier tone. If I wanted to get my uncle’s favor and be blessed with permission to go to college, I’d only be able to do so if I were cool and collected. Oleg didn’t care for hysterics of any kind. Shows of emotion peeved him.

“Uncle.” I cleared my throat as I turned my back on my father to face the Boss. “I would like to ask you again for permission to enroll at the college.”

“Eva,” my father growled. “This is nonsense. You are being an ungrateful, selfish brat to continue to push this issue. Your uncle has far bigger things to be concerned about than your little fantasy of being a college student.”

I ignored the insult of his remark. I did my best to tamp down the frustration that riled me up at my only parent ridiculing meand making me feel like my dreams were stupid. That I was a nuisance to put up with.

Oleg locked his somber, stoic gaze on me, not his younger brother. At sixty-two, Oleg Baranov appeared as fit, strong, and sharp as a man half his age. He had always seemed more like a father to me, and that made sense since he was the one who called all the shots around here. He alone was the leader of the massive Baranov Family, and Ididrespect the power he represented. I just wanted him to extend his power to me in this request.

Please, please say yes.

“A fantasy, hmm?” Oleg asked. “Is that true? Is going to college yourfantasy?” His tone was serious, but as he sat near the fireplace and rubbed his temples, I got the sense that he was mocking me.

“No. It’s not a fantasy. It is merely a wish. A drive. I am determined to study?—”

“To what end?” he asked.

“To obtain a degree.” Because I was speaking to him, not my father, I could lose a little edge of my defensiveness and dial up my sass. Moving my arms, I opted to place my hands on my hips. “To further myself. To be wiser. To experience something other than shopping and dolling myself up for parties and dinners here.”

He didn’t immediately reply, but I’d be damned if my father tried to interject again. “I want to apply myself before I am to be married. I don’t wish to be idle. I would rather live with a thread of determination to succeed.” I arched one brow, daring him to counter me. “You don’t suffer fools, Uncle, so why should I be expected to remain one?”

He rubbed his lip, staring at me intensely. This scrutiny was nothing new. Oleg never made decisions on a whim. Even though my father was probably correct with his statement thatmy uncle had bigger things to concentrate on, I wished I could figure out a line of argument that would prompt him to cave and let me do what I wanted.

Let me be free. For just a little while before I will never be able to livemylife again.I wasn’t trying to get out of my fate. Of course, he’d arrange a marriage for me. But until then…

“All right.” He nodded once and sighed.

I blinked. Then again. It didn’t matter how many times I lifted and closed my lids, the sight before me remained the same. My uncle still sat there, serious as he faced me after granting me permission.

What?

I couldn’t believe it. I struggled to keep up.

For months, I’d pressed my case. Nearly every time I spoke to my uncle, it was to beg for permission to go to college. All this time, it had been a flatly consistentno.

Until now.

“Excuse me?” I asked, keeping a lid on my excitement.

“You may go to college,” he replied over the sound of my father’s huff behind me.

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