Krolewna Część 2 Rodzina Monet 1 100

Machine Translated by Google

Illustration and cover design: Dixie Leota

Editor: Marta Stochmiaÿek
Managing editor: Anna Wyÿykowska
Technical editing: Sylwia Rogowska-Kusz
Proofreading: Karolina Mrozek, Kornelia Dÿbrowska
Dear Reader, because some of the

themes and behaviors described in the book may offend the recipients'
feelings, we recommend caution when reading.
All events and characters presented in the novel are fictitious. We
wish you
good reading, Author and
Publisher
© for the text by Weronika Anna Marczak ©

for the Polish edition by MUZA SA, Warsaw 2023
ISBN 978-83-287-1941-5
You&YA
MUZA SA
1st edition
Warsaw 2023
CONTENTS
32 FIRE BREATHING DRAGONS

33 FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATES
34 BIG CHILDREN
35 FREEDOM
36 SOMETHING SWEET
37 HAILIE MONET LIVING IN A GOLDEN CAGE

38 BORING TEENAGER
39 THE CHARM OF AN ONLY DAUGHTER
40 RACE CLOWN
41 OUT OF WAY WITH THE LAW
42 KNIVES FLYING AROUND THE HOUSE

43 HOOKS
44 RECORDINGS RULE LIFE

45 SOME QUESTIONS
46 CIVILIZED WAY OF COMMUNICATION

47 DISGUSTING
48 OLD LOVE DOESN'T RUST
49 GENTLEMAN TONY
50 HER BLESSED PRINCESS

51 THINK, HAILIE
52 COLD
53 SAVAGE
54 EXCELLENT JOB
55 CHINESE
56 MOMENTS WEIGHT OF GOLD

57 HUGGING IS COOL
58 REAL COIN
32
FIRE BREATHING DRAGONS
Water.
It's just water.

It was so warm that steam almost immediately formed on the glass
walls of the cabin.
I knew it was impossible for acid to come out of the showerhead, but
it still took me a good few minutes to gather the courage to take a
shower.
I breathed deeply as I washed away the trauma of the previous
evening, but even though I was fresh and smelling, I felt a strange numbness.
The soothing shower did nothing to relax my tense muscles or help with
my nagging feeling of anxiety.
Sonny lurked closer behind me than ever as I made my way
downstairs, but I didn't mind his presence. For the first time, I think I was
grateful to him.
Apparently I couldn't feel safe even in my own home.
– Hailie, good morning – Vincent greeted me in the kitchen,

putting down the cup of coffee and looking up from the laptop.
I grunted his answer and poured myself a glass of water, which I drank in one go.
Only now did I feel how dehydrated I was from yesterday's crying. I sat down at the
table, across from my brother, and sighed as I sprawled out on the counter.
“You should eat breakfast,” he said, still looking at me.

I nodded, closing my eyes.
“Mhm,” I murmured and yawned. – I'll do it soon. French toast or something.
It's a pity that Eugenie didn't work on Sundays.

There was the scrape of a chair and quiet footsteps. I thought Vince had just left
and I was starting to feel a little sad that he didn't even bother to check if I was okay
after someone tried to kill me with acid perfume, but then I heard the clinking of dishes
and I looked up quickly, frowning.
Vince, in a white shirt and dark pants, pulled out a frying pan and was reaching
for eggs from the fridge.
I stared speechless, taking a moment to understand what was happening.
“I can do it myself, you don't have to…” I started, feeling strange that a person like
him was making me breakfast.
“I know you can do it on your own,” he only replied, glancing at me briefly.
I watched him for a moment, biting my lip. When he threw the toast into the pan, it
began to hiss loudly.
– Help you?
– Sit down.
I hunched over and slowly brought my head back to rest on the counter.
However, I kept looking after Vincent. He was making me breakfast. It was the first
time I had seen him perform such a mundane task.
Soon there was a plate in front of me with two pieces of French toast, a sliced
banana, and a pot of maple syrup and tea next to it. I thanked him and carefully
lifted the cup. I first had to convince my subconscious that it was just a hot drink
and not any acid, because Vincent had served it to me.
Only then did I carefully take a sip, burning my tongue. Meanwhile, Vince sat
back down, closed his laptop, cleared his throat, and looked at me again.
- How do you feel? – he asked and was polite to me, but his bright eyes held
the same anger as yesterday.
- Not so bad. "I have a headache," I replied, chewing my first bite of toast.
– If you don't feel better after eating, take a tablet.

I nodded.
A moment of silence.
– Do you already know who this parcel was from? - I asked.

- Not yet.
I nodded again, accepting this answer, and then I thought of one more thing I
wanted to bring up.
– How did you know there would be something wrong with this perfume?
Vince sighed and rubbed his eyes. When he looked at me again, I agreed to
make that eye contact with him.
– I knew the contents of the packages. I knew you would get earrings, a pen,
a box of custom-made pralines and something from Ruby, a notebook or maybe
a calendar. No perfume.
I didn't have the energy to be angry that Vince even controlled my gifts. How
dare I dare. If it were otherwise, I would be
dead.
I saw that he wanted to tell me something else, and for some reason
I felt like I wouldn't like it. Fortunately, he didn't wait long.
– In the coming… weeks, I would like you to limit your trips out of the house – he
informed me. With his careful look, he clearly made me understand the seriousness
of the situation, although there was gentleness hidden somewhere in the depths of
his frosty irises.
“But Vince…” I hesitated, nervously playing with the banana slice on my plate. –
There is nothing to limit here. After all, apart from school, I practically go nowhere.
– I know about all your going out, Hailie. And I say they must
they should be limited, he repeated calmly.
The food in my mouth lost its taste and I swallowed it quickly, fighting the urge to
spit it out onto my plate. However, a trace of disgust remained on my face as I stared
at my brother. I thought I just misunderstood him.
– Are you going to give me detention?
– It's not a detention. And not a punishment.
– Sounds like detention and punishment – I muttered tiredly, because on the one
hand I wanted to rebel, but on the other hand someone had just tried to kill me.
“When I said limitation,” he said, “I mainly meant yours.”

regular outings.
I frowned, not understanding.
“I want you to take advantage of the next few weeks.”
from the privilege of home schooling.
- I'm listening?
– I'll get you private teachers. You will be up to date with all the material.
– But I... I have tests and projects, I... I can't do it all of a sudden
stop showing up at school...
– Hailie, I know this is hard for you. I know you like going to school. I don't want to
upset you. However, yesterday's situation forces me to take unusual precautions.
– Why does Sonny follow me everywhere? What is it for decoration?
– Hailie, trespassing on your school grounds is not a good idea.

Shane and Tony aren't always there for you. And Sonny would have to sit with you in
class and at every recess for his protection at school to make sense. However, I don't
want him to show himself so ostentatiously in your presence, and you don't want it
either, believe me.
Well, of course I didn't want to. I think I would sink into the ground if I had to
endure such an obvious presence of my bodyguard in the classroom.
“This is a nightmare,” I sighed and buried my face in my hands.

“It won't be that bad,” Vince reassured me stiffly.
I removed my hands and raised my head.
– It will be tragic. How long will it take? Until you find the person responsible? - I
asked. – What if you never find her? Will I be locked at home forever?
– Hailie, don't get all worked up and dramatic, we're…

I narrowed my eyes and interrupted him, remembering well that he didn't like it:
– I was being dramatic yesterday! Right after someone wanted me

kill! Today I think soberly and...
– Hailie, this is a decision for me to make, not for you.
There was silence. I was now looking somewhere to the side. I was proud of
myself for not crying, even though I was really close to despair. I just shed all my
tears yesterday.
“I'm short of breath,” I muttered, and my brother tilted his head.
I looked at him. – I can't catch my breath. I feel like I'm in a cage. A security guard
follows me everywhere. My phone is one big spy device. I can't drive, I can't go to a
party, I can't go on a stupid date. Since I moved here, I don't think I've ever been
completely alone at home.
At school I run into twins everywhere. I can't do this anymore...

- I told you. Your name carries both plenty

benefits as well as sacrifices – Vincent reminded me.
– It seems to me that it carries much more
sacrifices, I said gloomily.
– It's because you've become accustomed to some of the benefits.
You haven't met the others yet.
I snorted quietly, wanting to show my dissatisfaction, but not to overdo
it.
– What if I'm unhappy?
Vincent wasn't mad at me. It's possible that, although this is
unconfirmed, he even felt a little sorry for me. He scanned me with his
cold irises, then stood up and grabbed his laptop in one hand. He stroked
my head with his other hand as he approached me before leaving the
kitchen.
“We'll try to fix it,” he whispered, then tapped
on the edge of the plate with my breakfast. – Finish this, please.
I looked blankly at the bitten, golden toast that was melting
banana in maple syrup.
-Vince? "I called out suddenly, turning around quickly. He hadn't had
time to leave the room yet, so he stopped and looked back at me. I
unconsciously licked my lips before I dared to ask a question. – What
about my work for the foundation? What about the prom Ruby and I were
supposed to host? And a children's Christmas party?
He didn't say anything, but shook his head slightly, remaining
completely serious. That was enough. My heart trembled unpleasantly. I
didn't accept this answer.
- NO. Don't take this away from me, please!
After all, I was just boasting to everyone how happy I am about the
upcoming projects.
– I'll tell Ruby to assign tasks for you that you can handle remotely.
– And will I join the ball remotely? What fun! – I snorted and didn't
even give him a chance to answer. I simply got up and, ignoring the
remains of breakfast, ran out of the kitchen, nudging him lightly.
First, I wanted to barricade myself in my bedroom and wallow in
despair and anger there, but I also needed a break from it.
That's why I ran down the corridor. I've ventured there before. There
were guest rooms there. Maya and Uncle Monty lived in one of them
when they stayed under our roof. Today I walked into a random
bedroom and despite the stirring I felt in my heart, I smiled slightly at
the breath of freshness that hit me. Eugenie watched over these
rooms and always aired them thoroughly. She left the windows
cracked and yesterday's freshness hasn't left yet.
The bedroom was white, with small green accents that pleased
my eye. For example, the bed covered with a bedspread in the color
of lush grass was truly attractive. I plopped down on it with a sigh.
The room calmed me not only with its relaxing colors, but also
with its uncluttered space. Apart from a few pieces of furniture, there
was a scented candle, a charming night lamp and a cactus, which
the housekeeper also took care of. Due to the fact that the room was
not inhabited by any permanent resident, there was no mess in the
form of scattered books, pens, notes or laptops. There was no bag
lying in the corner, no jacket slung over the back of the chair, and no
glass of water lying on the bedside table.
Such minimalism had a soothing effect on my tired mind.
I closed my eyes for a moment and found myself in the perfect
position to depress myself. I was silently lamenting the direction my
life was taking. I'll be locked up here like in a prison. And I'm not,
damn it, a guinea pig that can be put in a cage and whose needs are
fresh hay and a honey flask.
I wasn't actually angry with Vincent. Maybe a little, because the
way he communicated the information about introducing restrictions
into my life left a lot to be desired, but I understood why he did it.
The situation was serious. Someone attacked
my life. I didn't really know how to function normally after all this.
I simply felt sad that my few pleasures were being deprived of me. I
couldn't cope with this injustice.
At one point, through my squinted eyes, I saw the exit to the balcony
and I imagined how wonderful it would be to feel the breeze on my face,
so I got out of bed and headed in that direction. The balcony was
concrete with an elegant railing consisting of small columns. I had a
similar one in my room, but slightly larger. This one, however, faced a
different side and I liked this new view, although in fact it also consisted
mainly of dense rows of trees.
I sat on the ground and leaned my back against the wall, staring at
the green of the conifers mixed with the brown of the bare tree crowns,
devoid of leaves at this time of year. There was no wind, so nothing
was whipping my face like I had imagined, but it was chilly, so I
immediately felt cold. At one point, I moved my gaze from the gloomy
trees to the back of my bare arm and squinted, observing with the
utmost attention the hairs standing at attention.
I might catch a cold since I'll be staying at home now anyway.
The surroundings of the Monet Mansion were as quiet as ever, so
when I heard a soft knock in the bedroom, my ears picked up on it and
I turned my head suspiciously.
I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaw at the sight of Sonny.
“I came here because I want to be alone,” I said, a bit rudely.

The security guard's presence often made me angry and I wasn't proud
of it, but I didn't think about it at the time.
- Sorry. Just checking… Sonny replied, polite as ever.
He probably thought I was spoiled and spoiled. It's difficult.

- Or what? Didn't I run away? How? – I snorted ironically.
I was sitting on the balcony, on the first floor, and if I couldn't find it anywhere
flying broom, I really had no way to get out of there. Not to mention leaving the
property itself, which was simply impossible without my brothers' knowledge.
– Haven't you thought of anything stupid?

I raised my eyebrows.
- Like what? I'm locked in this house, so I don't really have much room to do
anything, you know?
Sonny didn't answer, just nodded. He patiently endured my moods, which - knowing
life - will make me feel guilty later.
This is all stupid, I think I'll kill myself.

Oh. My eyes widened as I realized what Sonny meant. I immediately looked at
him, forgetting my anger for a moment.
– Are you checking to make sure I'm not hurting myself? – I asked, shuddering
at the thought.
– I'm supposed to keep an eye on your safety. Even if I have to protect you
from yourself," Sonny nodded stiffly.
I fell silent for a moment, slightly shuddering as I imagined what I could do. I
could cut myself, jump off this balcony or even shoot myself. After all, I shouldn't
have much trouble finding a gun in this house.
“I won't kill myself,” I said flatly.

– I'm glad to hear it, Miss Monet.
He was about to leave to give me that dream moment of solitude, but I
stopped him.
-Sonny? – I asked and immediately felt strange calling him by his name.
– Yes, Miss Monet?

“You can call me Hailie,” I suggested.
– I don't think so, Miss Monet.
– It won't bother me, really.

– I understand, but I received appropriate instructions from Mr. Monet
and I should follow them.
I tilted my head as if I was still disconnected from reality, but I didn't
argue.
– How old are you anyway?
He smiled. I entertained him.
- Twenty.
I wrapped my arms around myself because I was getting colder, but

at the same time I felt good sitting outside.
“You're very young for a trusted bodyguard,” I said.
Sonny snorted softly.
– You are very young, Miss Monet.
I became lost in thought, staring at the man with undisguised interest. He's been
a constant presence in my life lately, and I knew so little about him.
– Why are you a bodyguard anyway? You thought about it,

to change jobs? Maybe go to college or something? – I continued.
Sonny shrugged indifferently.
“It's a well-paid job and I'm good at it,” he replied, and I just nodded
and although I had a few more questions, I didn't ask them because I
didn't want to seem nosy. When he sensed that this was the end of our
chat, he got ready to leave and only turned towards me one last time to
get my attention. – It's none of my business, Miss Monet, but you'll catch
a cold on that balcony.
He left and I glanced at my hands, which were starting to shake.
I sat outside for a few more minutes, but then the need for comfort took
over and I lifted my stiffened body to return to the room.
I slammed the balcony door and shook. Brrr. A second later I was
tempted by the large bed. I buried myself under all the bedspreads and
duvets that covered it and finally fell asleep
I warmed up. I closed my eyes, enjoying the pleasant feeling. I woke up

to a tap on my shoulder.
–Will! – I sighed when I woke up enough to recognize my favorite
brother.
– Hey, little one, what are you doing here? – he asked me, smiling
slightly, although his eyes were clearly worried.
I rolled over onto my back and yawned quietly, covering my mouth. I
snuggled into the blanket even more and only after a while I noticed that
I was lying across the bed. I just don't remember if I fell asleep or just
moved while I was sleeping.
“I'm sleeping,” I replied innocently, brushing my hair out of my eyes.
Will smiled even wider.

- Time for dinner. It's late.
– I just had breakfast a while ago. - I frowned, and then Will waved
his watch in front of my eyes, the hands clearly showing 6 p.m.
– As far as I know, you didn't eat much of it.

This reminded me of my morning conversation with my oldest brother.
– Will, Vince wants to force me to homeschool and he forbids it
I have to go to the foundation... - I complained dejectedly.
Will opened his mouth, then closed it, and then sat down on the bank
bed and looked at me.
“I know you're sorry,” he sighed. – But you have no idea how scared
we all were. How scared Vince was. This perfume…
Hailie… And in our home, right under our noses. Vince would love to
lock you in a castle right now and put at least eight dragons on guard.
The kind that breathe fire.
Probably five, I thought.
I stared at the ceiling. There were so many thoughts swirling around in my head
I missed the emptiness that was there during sleep.
– I always wanted to be like a princess… – I said in a monotone voice.
“You're a princess,” he replied with a smile and a twinkle in his beautiful

blue eyes. – And you are too important to us to risk your life.
I closed my eyes and now it was me who sighed.

– Will, I'm bored.
My brother laughed heartily and stood up, extending his hand to me.
“We'll do our best to make sure this doesn't happen,” he promised, and
then I opened my eyes and, still unconvinced, started to climb out of the
covers and squeezed Will's hand. I let him hug me, but suddenly I felt cold
piercing me.
– Can I have your sweater? – I asked shamelessly, knowing Will wouldn't refuse
me.
I was right. He smiled fondly and quickly took off his burgundy sweater.
He put it over my head. I slid my hands into the sleeves with satisfaction. I
immediately felt better and warmer.
And the clothes smelled wonderful of Will.
We headed to the kitchen together, where we met Shane at the table. He stared
at his phone and ate ice cream straight from the box. When he saw me, he put down
his spoon and moved and patted the chair next to him that he wanted me to take. He
also asked if I was feeling okay and I smiled at him a little sadly and he placed his
hand on the side of my head and pulled it to his chest, putting me in a very
uncomfortable position. I groaned but didn't even try to pull away, I just appreciated
his attempt to show me affection.
Then I started eating pumpkin soup until I suddenly stopped when Dylan
entered the kitchen. He was wearing a black, tight blouse with a small, white
mark on the left chest and also black pants. But he was great. He was just
swinging his head to clear the hair that was falling into his eyes when it
landed on me and his face hardened. It was very hard for me to believe that
last night it was his arms wrapped around me so protectively.
Dylan sat down across from me and Shane. Just as the twin's guard lulled
for a moment, he reached across the table and grabbed his tub of ice cream.
– Spadówa! Shane boomed and leaned over to retrieve his dessert, but it
was out of his reach. Dylan licking the spoon shamelessly caused Shane to
have to get up to go around the table and grab his property. There was some
scuffle and normally I would have been giggling loudly a long time ago, but not
today.
“Get your shit together,” Tony muttered. He had just joined us in the kitchen
and grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge. He also gave me a long look, which
I skillfully avoided.
Will soon left, asking me to leave to eat everything, and I knew that the three
Dobermans that stayed with me would definitely make sure that happened, so
I focused on being a good little sister and cleared my plate. Besides, I was
really hungry. I ate quietly with the boys chatting. As I put the plate in the
dishwasher, Tony burped loudly and Dylan spoke directly to me for the first time
today.
“Uh, where are you going, little girl?”

I turned around with a sigh.
– And where can I go? – I asked resignedly. – To the bedroom or to the
living room? Hmm, tough decision, really. I can lie on the bed in the bedroom,
but there is a TV in the living room. I need to think about it.
I didn't mean to answer so ironically, but I was irritated and tired, so I couldn't
control it.
Shane chuckled, Dylan raised an eyebrow, and Tony burped again.
I turned back to leave, but this time Dylan stopped me.
“Get off your asses,” he said to the other brothers. – We will help ours
little Hailie to eat.
And we went to the shooting range.
33
FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATES
My brothers may not be perfect, but I had to admit that to them

they can flawlessly improve my mood.
We all shot. When I had lessons with Tony, he usually just stood over me and
corrected my mistakes. Today we had a mini-competition together, which - nothing
new - I lost. My brothers were extremely nice to me, but not enough to let me win,
which I didn't even mind. Especially since I was at the end not because I was a
terrible shooter, but simply because they shot much better and I still had a lot of hard
work ahead of me to be able to match them.
They praised me a few times, so that was enough for me.

We made a lot of noise and the boys kept changing guns.
They even let me use the shotgun once, after threatening me that I was too
small for it and the recoil would tear my arm off. The gunshots reaching my
ears - despite the headphones - were like the most beautiful music, because
they had a soothing effect on me. I was actually taking it out. And it really
gave me relief.
– And this one? – I asked, sneaking a peek into the large safe full of
weapons that Tony always told me to stay away from. I pointed to the
machine gun, which was impressive with its size and massiveness, and I
was very curious whether it made as much noise as it was shown in the
movies.
“This one's not for little girls,” Tony told me. – No guns are for little
girls.
– But you won't be able to hold it even if you had to pee your panties –
Dylan said to me and ruffled the hair on my head.
I clicked my lips in irritation, but then quickly made a sweet face.
- At least show me how he shoots. Please.
Dylan didn't need much persuasion. He mentioned significant ones
glances with the twins, then reached for the machine gun.
"Vince's going to get busted," Tony warned, but he didn't really stop him.
- For what? I asked, watching Dylan carefully remove his gun. Nobody
answered me. Instead, Dylan handed it to me carefully so I could see how
much it weighed. - Heavy.
“Because you have a weak whip,” Shane laughed, pinching my forearm
so much that I squealed and if Dylan hadn't been securing the gun I was
holding, I would have dropped it at my feet.
Tony snorted and rolled his eyes, while Dylan positioned his gun,
stroked it, and loaded it, then squinted at the targets hanging far in front of
him.
“ Say hello to my little friend ,” the bandit shouted in a hoarse voice.
The boys and I stepped back even further when Dylan started his show.
Everyone was now wearing headphones and protective goggles, but the
noise that accompanied the aggressive series of gunshots was piercing
their ears and brains. I felt as if I had entered the virtual world of one of
the brothers' shooters. In addition, there was a flash of light coming from
the barrel and it made the weapon look a bit like...
she was throwing fire. I stared at it with my mouth open. It's better than fireworks!
Finally, Dylan ended the show. He slowly lowered the gun, which was
smoking slightly, and took off his headphones with one hand, his face showing
a huge banana expression. He patted the handle affectionately again and
seemed to be enjoying himself. He didn't just puncture the target he was aiming at.
He made them cease to exist.
“Not bad,” Shane whistled, his eyes shining.
– What's wrong with you? – growled a voice from behind us.
It didn't take a psychic to know that the sharp, icy tone belonged to our
oldest brother, who liked to appear in places like a ghost.
I glanced at him to see if he was directing his reproach at me, but I only
received a fleeting, stern look and it was a relief to say that someone else would
get it today.
– It's just a show for Hailie. You said it yourself to deliver it to her
a little fun. Dylan shrugged.
“But not with a machine gun, put it away right now,” he hissed
Vincent, shaking his head disapprovingly. “I told you not to pull out a gun like
that around her, didn't I?”
– Okay, that's it, she wanted to see it, so I showed it to her. Horrible
things.
Tony laughed and Vince slapped him on the shoulder with the back of his
hand. He reminded me so much of my father at that moment that I almost gaped
mouth.
– Why can't you draw such weapons in front of me? –

I asked with slight indignation, emboldened by Dylan's arrogance.
Vince looked at me.
– Because I say so.
I wanted to roll my eyes and even mock him, but his defiant look brought me
to my senses. That would be stupid
unnecessary and would probably result in a ban from shooting lessons with
Tony.
So the evening in the style of the Monet brothers came to an end. When my
mother was still alive and wanted to cheer me up, she usually made us flavored
tea, opened cookies and we did puzzles, played Scrabble or charades together.
My brothers, however, took me to the shooting range.

The best thing is that their therapy actually worked and although I was still
devastated by the new rigors, I returned to the bedroom happy and smiling. It
wasn't until I lay down on the bed and video-linked Mona to explain to her why
she wouldn't see me at school for the next few weeks that I felt a little sad again.
She was sitting on her pink carpet, leaning on her bed and eating onion
rings. When I told her what happened to me, her jaw dropped. Vince told me
not to talk about the acid incident, so I had to go back and forth between truth
and lies and make him look like an oversensitive parent.
Mona lamented that we wouldn't see each other for so long, and I promised
to arrange a meeting for us. I felt that it might not happen soon, but I wanted to
give her hope. And when we said goodbye and promised each other that we
would find something to see each other as soon as possible, I made another
decision.
I wrote to Leo. I haven't spoken to him since yesterday and I just sent him a
quick message saying that I won't be going to school for now. Most of the time,
we cultivated our friendly relationship by spending selected breaks together. We
didn't write much, we never called each other, so I was surprised when my
phone started vibrating.
The sound of his voice on the phone was something new to me. My heart
started beating faster and I sat cross-legged on the bed, with my back straight.
I held the phone in both hands against my left ear, wide eyes staring at the floor.
“Hi,” he greeted simply, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

“Hi, Leo,” I whispered, swallowing. I tore off one hand

from the receiver and ran it over the duvet, straightening its folds.
– Is something wrong, Hailie? Why won't you go to school? – he asked
quietly.
I sighed.
- I don't know. Nothing that I know of. Vince told me this morning that I
would be homeschooled for a few weeks. That's all.
There was silence for a moment.
"I hope he knows what's best for you," Leo finally said.
Me too.
“It's just a pity that we won't be able to see each other,” he continued.
I smiled to myself.
– I know, but we don't meet much anyway, right?
– But I feel better when I know you're somewhere nearby.
I smiled even wider.
– I hope it really will only be a few weeks.
– If you get really lonely, let me know. Maybe I can sneak under your
balcony. If you have a balcony at all. You probably have.
I could take roses and chocolates.
Even though I couldn't see it, I was pretty sure he was winking at me
and I giggled.
– Please don't, my brothers will tear you apart.
– Unless they catch me.
“There's no way anyone would have gotten under the house without
Vincent knowing,” I reminded him. – Seriously, Leo, don't even try.
Sometimes dogs are allowed out at night. I wouldn't want them to bite you.
– Shit. That I must have liked a girl who had five older, bloodthirsty
brothers.
“Hey, only four of them are bloodthirsty,” I said unnaturally quickly to hide the effect
his words had on me.
He liked me and he admitted it straight. I felt hot and fell slightly on my back,
untangling my legs.
– Only four? Oh, that's okay.
I laughed and so did he. I felt a warmth in my heart long after we finally hung up. I
lay there with my phone in my hand and stared at the ceiling.
A boy who I found attractive both physically and intellectually admitted that he liked
me. He even waded into our relationship despite all the difficulties and complications it
involved. I didn't have a chance for a normal relationship like girls my age, because
most potential candidates knew that all they had to do was talk to me to be blacklisted
by the Monet brothers, and no one was looking for such trouble. And suddenly Leo
appeared, who - even though he had already dealt with my family, and in quite
unpleasant circumstances - was persistent and brave enough to test them. Maybe he
really likes me?
I felt sorry when he betrayed me to Vincent, but he did it for my mother, which
justified him in my eyes. Besides, my relationship with my oldest brother only became
stronger after this event.
Over time, I even forgot about the whole thing...
Monday, as I expected, was boring. I was wandering around the deserted house.
Of all my brothers, the only one present was Will, who was working and whom I didn't
see most of the day. I tried to study, but my mind rebelled. The realization that I wasn't
going back to school just yet was hanging over me, which was depressing me again.
That evening, when I asked Vincent to go out with Mona for the weekend to
celebrate my birthday, he changed the subject.
On Tuesday, I met two new teachers who came to the residence to personally
arrange a study plan with me, even though most of the lessons were to be held
remotely. I wasn't smiling
poring over the computer and damaging my eyesight, even though I was
given a large screen, keyboard and laptop stand to sit in the right position
during classes. The new computer kit looked very elegant and professional
on my desk. He suggested that it could have belonged to an adult woman
who was involved in architecture, programming or graphics, and not to a
teenager whose main task was to memorize texts from textbooks.
That day, I was burying myself in books, as I liked, taking colorful notes
and marking certain fragments with ribbons. I put on some classical music,
similar to what Vincent played sometimes. That was the first time I thought
to myself that maybe homeschooling wouldn't be as bad as I previously
thought.
It was cold outside, so it was nice to stay indoors. There must have been
some terrible wind blowing because it was hitting my window panes and
making some noise. When a particularly strange sound repeated itself for
too long, I frowned in irritation.
And then something hit the window so hard that I jumped. I got up slowly,
quite scared. After all, a few days ago someone tried to kill me with acid
contained in perfume. I moved the curtain, but to take a good look around I
had to go out to the balcony. I pulled Will's sweater tighter around me, which
I still hadn't given him back after all these days, and opened the door. First,
I carefully looked out, but the balcony was empty, and on the side it faced,
only trees and a part of our plot were visible. Today everything was bathed
in grey, as it happens at the very end of November.
It's just the wind, nothing happens.

– Hailie!
Maybe it's not the wind after all.
I was about to go back to the room when the sound of my name stopped
me and made my blood run cold. I slowly approached the railing, convincing
myself that it was probably one of my stupid brothers playing a joke on me.
Down below, just below my balcony, I saw a huge bouquet of red

roses, and after a moment, Leo's blond hair.
I immediately grabbed onto the elegant balustrade, otherwise I
would have fallen. My eyes almost popped out of my head and for a
moment I thought I was dreaming. The wind was whipping through my
hair and I had to use one hand to push it behind my ears while looking
around frantically. In my own imagination, I saw Dylan running at Leo,
holding in his hands the machine gun he showed me at the shooting
range.
– Leo, what are you doing here? How did you get in here? – I called
to him in a frantic whisper and turned behind me to check if no one
had suddenly entered my bedroom for some reason.
- All the best! – he replied, smiling at me and lifting the bouquet and
a box even higher.
Probably chocolates.
I focused on him for a moment and tilted my head with emotion, but
then I realized that he was just standing under my balcony, defenseless
and exposed to being eaten.
“Leo, seriously, how did you get in here?” – I asked, biting my lip
nervously. I had to tame my hair again because the wind was bothering
me.
– Take it easy, Hailie. You said it's impossible to get in here without
Vincent knowing, so I just went in with his knowledge, Leo replied and
lowered the bouquet of flowers a bit, smiling at me cockily. – So, will
you come down here to me?
I immediately stopped looking around and now stared straight at
him.
– V-Vince knows? – I made sure.
Leo nodded.
A sense of relief washed over me. I breathed a sigh of relief and still didn't
understand what was happening, but everything pointed to the fact that there
should be no fighting. Once again, I brushed away my now tangled hair. Well, none
I'm not a bookish Julia, much less a fairy-tale Rapunzel, so I decided to

leave the balcony as soon as possible.
- Wait! - I said to Leo and ran into the bedroom, not closing the door
properly behind me, and then I shot down the stairs, passing a surprised
Sonny in the corridor. With my heart pounding, I stopped just before the
front door, and suddenly hesitated when I heard a voice behind me.
“Put your jacket on,” my oldest brother said.

I quickly turned around. He was standing next to the stairs, appearing
out of nowhere again. Or maybe I wasn't very observant.
He kept his hand in the pocket of his elegant, dark trousers and placed
the other on the railing as if he was going to go upstairs and just stopped
for a moment.
I obediently took my new autumn-winter coat off the hanger.
It was very girlish and charming, light brown in color and fastened with
beautiful, large white buttons. There was white plush peeking out of the
hood, and I was glad I had a nice jacket on hand to greet Leo with.
“You have fifteen minutes,” Vincent informed me, and then he actually
started climbing the stairs, and I snuck a look in the mirror and straightened
my hair, amazed that Vince actually allowed Leo to enter our house. It's a
miracle.
I pressed the door handle and went outside through the main door.
Leo has already moved too.
“Hey,” he repeated when I almost bumped into him. Luckily, he opened
his arms to me, so he must not have minded. Because of the gifts he was
holding, it was hard for him to hug me. When I moved away from him, he
handed me a beautiful bouquet of fragrant roses, the red of which was the
most intense color in sight, and chocolates wrapped in a ribbon. – I know
your birthday isn't until tomorrow, but your brothers aren't easy to negotiate
with.
I closed my eyes and buried my face in the flower petals, inhaling their
fresh scent. It was the first time I received a bouquet from my boyfriend.
I was happy to finally be the girl who gets roses.
“I'd love to start celebrating today, I really do,” I told him, hugging the
flowers and the box of chocolates to me, and then I looked into his eyes.
I casually glanced at his lips as well. I wasn't stupid enough to make

out with him in my backyard, but my crazy brain had to, just had to,
suggest it. Then I saw that his lip was slightly split and I frowned.
- What happened? – I asked, pointing to his wound with my chin. He

knew exactly what I was talking about. He raised his hand and brushed
his fingers against his lips, as if checking to see if the cut was still there.
“It's nothing,” he said. – I didn't know what kind of chocolates you liked,
so I bought mixed ones…
– What happened to your lip? – I repeated the question, guided by
flawless intuition.
Leo sighed and smiled sweetly at me.
– Tony reacts first, then listens.
-Tony hit you! – I exclaimed in disbelief.
– He hit it too much. – Leo waved his hand. – It doesn't matter, Hailie.
- Important. I want to know what happened between you and my

brothers. How did you even convince Vince?
– I talked to the twins yesterday during break. I thought it was worth a
try, especially since the idea was to do something nice for you, and they
shouldn't have a problem with that. Tony just got angry before I even
opened my mouth, but Shane stopped him and they finally listened to me.
They forwarded my request to Vincent and he agreed.
“Wow,” I muttered under my breath. I looked at the flowers, at the box

of chocolates and finally at Leo. - It's amazing. And brave.
Thank you.
– It's a small thing. You deserve much, much more.

“That's a lot,” I protested, then winced as a good gust of wind blew my hair into
my eyes and I raised my hand holding the chocolates to pull them out, but Leo reacted
quickly and helped me with a gentle movement. I shuddered when his fingers touched
my already cold cheeks. - Thanks.
Do you want to come inside?

– Er… Maybe another time. The agreement was that I could meet you at the
house for about fifteen minutes and then I had to wash up - Leo explained to me, a
bit amused by the instructions he received from the Monet brothers.
I rolled my eyes.
- Yeah. Anyway, thank you. You really made me feel better with this
humor – I confessed and stuck my nose in the roses for the hundredth time.
“It's nice that everything worked out,” Leo concluded with satisfaction.
looking up at my balcony.
– It turned out perfect.
Fifteen minutes passed way too quickly and I was sad to be separated from Leo,
but I had to be happy with what I had. As he was leaving, he kissed me on the cheek
and I froze, terrified that one of the brothers would jump out of the bushes. Luckily,
that didn't happen, and his small, chaste kiss put a huge smile on my face. I hugged
the bouquet to me as I watched Leo leave, appreciating that I at least had flowers to
remind me of this amazing surprise.
34
BIGKIDS
The twins ate my chocolates from Leo.
My fault. I shouldn't have left them in the kitchen. I simply put them on
the counter while I endlessly savored the aroma of the first bouquet of
flowers I received in my life.
Eugenie first admired the roses with me, and then went looking for a
suitable vase for them.
Thanks to the roses, my bedroom came alive. It was not boring and
ordinary, because the brightness of the red contrasted with the light walls,
and their expressiveness added freshness to the entire room. I couldn't
stop looking at them. I wrote Leo a message, thanking him for the hundredth
time for such a wonderful gesture. Then I remembered sweets and went
down to the kitchen only to find Shane and Tony sitting at the table, waiting
for dinner and munching lazily. There was a worn-out box of chocolates
lying on the table, with a crumpled and torn transparent foil next to it.
- Hi! – I exclaimed indignantly. I walked up to the table and wanted to

reach for the leftover sweets, but Shane took them from under my nose. - This
my!
“Let's say this is your payment for our trouble,” he suggested
Shane and popped two chocolates into his mouth at once.
Two at once!
– What trouble again? – I huffed, clutching my arms.

Tony reached out and grabbed another chocolate from the box.
“Oh fuck,” he sighed, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction. – Mmm,
marzipan.
I clenched my hands into fists.

“If it weren't for us, your blond boy could only dream of putting his kitschy plan
into action,” Shane reminded me.
“You guys are trashy,” I growled, scowling at the twins, lingering next to Tony. -
And you! You hit him!
Tony shrugged.
– Okay, okay, now. Here's the last one. You see? "Grab, it's for you," Shane
muttered and pushed the box towards me.
– You seriously ate everything! – I exclaimed in disbelief.
“No,” said Dylan, who had just come into the kitchen and stood behind me,
reaching for the remaining chocolate. He popped it into his mouth and winked at me.
– Now we've eaten everything.
I shot him a death glare and he grinned at me

chocolate-covered teeth and smacked my face.
- You are disgusting.
Dylan pinched my cheek hard. I slapped his hand, but he didn't care and just
passed me to take a seat at the table.
– Good even. Where's that from? – he asked as he slumped in his chair.

– From Hailie's secret admirer.
- What? “Dylan frowned, becoming serious, then looked from Shane to me.
-Who supposedly?
– Don't tell him, don't tell him! – I said through clenched teeth, looking at the
twins warningly.
They didn't care. No one in this house took me seriously.
“Hush, baby girl,” Dylan muttered at me, turning back to our brothers. – So?
“There was one here with a bouquet of roses,” Shane snorted, laughing.
- What? You're kidding me? – Dylan looked at Tony,
looking for confirmation of these words.
– Yes, yes, he's kidding! – I called out shrilly, wanting to stop the impending
disaster.
“Quiet,” Dylan repeated, leaning towards our brothers. –
Tell me what the fuck is going on.
– Okay, uh, relax. Hailie's friend wanted to give her a flower, no big deal,
Shane explained.
- What for?
– Because it's my birthday? – I interjected impatiently.

– Which friend?
– Don't tell him, please. - I folded my hands as if in prayer,
and I stared at the twins with large, pleading eyes.
“Get over yourself,” Dylan growled at me as soon as he saw that the boys
were ready to comply with my request. “What idiot let him in here anyway?”
–Vincent.
Then the discussion ended.

Maybe she wasn't quite finished, because Dylan was still complaining about
how stupid it was to let some lovestruck teenager under my balcony. I stopped
listening to him when I was sure that because Vincent knew about the incident,
Dylan had no right to intervene.
By the end of the day I couldn't focus on anything else. I kept thinking about what
happened. I was lying on the bed, reading a book and looking at the bouquet of roses
every now and then. I smiled and returned to the text only to tear myself away from it
again after a few minutes.
That was until the evening when Will knocked on my bedroom door and announced
that he and the boys had ordered something for dinner. It was quite late, so I was
surprised, but I was hungry and I wasn't going to despise a fragrant hamburger.
Fully fed, I was fast asleep on the couch when suddenly someone tapped me on
the shoulder. Once, then twice. I blinked, yawned, then rubbed my eyes. I assumed it
was time to move to the bedroom, but I frowned as I saw the glaring light. I suddenly
started and quickly rose to a sitting position, rubbing my eyelids even more carefully.
It was fire. I had time to panic until I suddenly realized that it was indeed a fire, but
with candles. Candles stuck in a birthday cake.
- Oh my God! – I exclaimed, clutching my heart.

This cake was definitely too big for a sixteenth birthday with my family, but it was
definitely intended for me, because on the white, creamy surface was written: "Make
your dreams come true, little Hailie."
A white, classic cake, decorated with dark chocolate accessories, sprinkled with
chocolate shavings on the sides and framed with fresh raspberries. Simple yet
extraordinary.
And these candles. I didn't feel the need to count them, but I was sure there were
exactly sixteen of them. They were all pink and were starting to melt, but I waited to
blow them away because the boys had just started singing Happy Birthday to me.
Everyone did it in their own way and they all seemed even more natural than when
they did it for me a year ago. Vince only seemed to get out every other word, but he
also looked at my speechless expression with a slight smile. Dylan was the loudest
and faked the most.
Will and Shane were the only ones who tried to get into nice birthday tones. And
then there's Tony's purring.
I was so enchanted that I almost melted with these candles.
– And now a wish. Will winked at me.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and blew out all the candles in one go, with
only one thought in my head. That we really always stick together. No matter what
the
future brings. It doesn't matter where each of us is. It doesn't matter with whom.
– What did you ask fate for, little Hailie? A letter from Hogwarts? – he asked
Dylan, nudging me lightly.
“No,” I snorted and rolled my eyes, and then added, “You get these letters when
you're eleven.”
"I thought you were turning ten."

– I actually wished you would be nicer to me.
– You can't ask for impossible things.
I raised my eyes to the sky, but I had a smile on my lips. Well,
how can you not be happy? I shifted on the couch and tossed the
blanket aside as I felt hot with emotion. I combed my hair, even
though I knew no one cared what I looked like because we were in
each other's company. Meanwhile, the cake landed on the coffee
table. I casually glanced at the clock, which showed just after
midnight.
Will arrived with a large knife, and Vince placed plates and tiny
silver forks nearby that sparkled like the finest jewelry. As the
birthday girl, I had the honor of cutting the cake, but Dylan quickly
took over the knife Will was holding out to me. I scowled at him, but
I wasn't really angry. I was too happy to take the teasing on
seriously. Shane began to remove the candles from the surface of the cake, carefully
licking the cream from each of them.
– Did you really have to write “little” Hailie? – I sighed.
“It was supposed to be just Hailie, but Dylan took care of the cake and made his…
adjustments,” replied Will, who had just brought in the paper towels and gave our
aforementioned brother a pointed look.
Dylan chuckled to himself as if what he had done was a brilliant joke.
“You know we don't really get presents in our house,” Will reminded me as we all
finished our slices of cake. I mean, my brothers were finishing and I was barely
halfway through.
Not because I didn't like it. On the contrary, the delicate cream melted in the mouth,
and the light chocolate cake soaked in raspberries perfectly maintained the balance
between sweetness and mild sourness. I just got a huge piece that I couldn't handle.
I nodded. I've been living with the Monet brothers for over a year now, and I still
couldn't believe that when I lived with my mother, I spent twelve whole months
thinking and planning what to ask her for my birthday, whereas when I was under
Vincent's care, I could come up with gifts every week and I would probably get most
of them.
– However, we treat the sixteenth birthday specially – he said

Vincent, then handed me a very small, square box. When he noticed how reserved I
was about opening this gift, he added: - It's from us, you don't have to worry.
“Okay,” I muttered, my voice hoarse and still acting

careful, I looked inside.
Car keys.
I looked up at Vince.
- Car?
I was barely learning to drive. Recently I almost drove into a tree.

Even earlier, I tried to run over Dylan.

– In your case, it's not a very practical gift. But it's not
said to be useless. Vince shrugged again.
“Everybody gets cars for sixteen,” Dylan added.
“No, Dylan, not all of them,” I protested politely, but
firmly. They need to be educated. Better late than never.
“But everyone in our family,” he insisted.
I took out the key and squinted to read the inscription on the emblem, because my
knowledge of car brands was minimal.
I strained my eyes even harder. Porsche.

Hmm. Porsche.
Damn it.
- Thanks…? – I muttered, turning the key over in my hand.
“Look at her face, she doesn't understand what's going on,” he snorted
Shane, then shook his head and stood up, waving his hand at me. – We're
going to the garage. You have to show her.
I obediently stood up, ready to appreciate the gift. We all went to the
garage, grabbing our jackets, and as soon as the lights came on in the
huge room, a new color of the car caught my eye, one that hadn't been
there before.
Gold, sporty, it sparkled with newness and attracted attention even
among other, even more luxurious cars.
I approached him and stopped only when I was close enough to touch the
mask. I did it very gently, afraid that I would scratch the varnish with my
fingertips.
– Do you want to try them out? On our property? Will asked, putting his
arm around me.
– Isn't it too dark? – More than the night, actually
I was afraid of getting behind the wheel of such a thing.
– Let's light the lamps.
My brothers were probably more excited about the new addition to their
collection than I was. Vince got into the driver's seat and Will got behind the
wheel, taking the keys out of my hands.
The car suddenly came to life, the lights came on and the engine purred aggressively.
“He's a hybrid,” Shane informed me, watching our brother's maneuvers with
fascination. Will drove the car outside, and me, Dylan, and the twins quickly followed
suit.
On the way, Dylan clicked an inconspicuous switch, one of many by the

wide door to the garage. Bright spotlights flashed in the dark, gloomy yard.
They blinded me for a second and I used my arm to cover my eyes from the
glaring light. I felt like I was on an empty baseball field, where a big game was
about to start.
I didn't even know we had such lamps here.
“Come on, Hailie,” Will called as he pulled up nearby and opened the door
to get out and let me into his seat.
Earlier, he had not failed to do a few more circles, and he had a broad smile
on his face.
Jesus, they were all like big kids.

I hesitantly approached the machine, which was shining eerily
in the silver light. I couldn't believe it was my car.
– What if I break them? I asked before climbing into the driver's seat. I
immediately felt the difference between the car I usually drove during lessons
with Vincent and Shane and this sports wonder. The interior was upholstered
in black leather and reminded me a bit of Shane's Lamborghini.
“You won't crash, just focus,” Vincent, who was still sitting next to him,
advised matter-of-factly. – And be careful, because this car is more sensitive
than the one we drive together.
Indeed, it was. I tightened my grip on the slim steering wheel with the huge
Porsche logo on the dial and accepted the fact that I had to take a semi-
reclining position to drive this car. I found the gas pedal with my foot and
pressed it gently.
The car shot forward like a beast and was just about to breathe
fire from the hood. I got terribly scared and immediately pressed the
brake, which immediately jerked us violently.
With my heart pounding and my fingers still attached to the
steering wheel, I stared ahead at the grayish grass. The night sky
was pretty and full of stars that beautified the pitch black background.
It was also much calmer than I am now.
“I told you it was tender,” Vincent muttered.
– You said it's more sensitive, not that it literally drives itself!
I brushed my hair away from my sweaty forehead as I heard the rest of the boys
laughing somewhere behind me.
– Don't worry, you'll get used to it.
I nodded at my eldest brother's prediction. I corrected it
I sat down on the seat, lowered my seat belt a little and rubbed the steering wheel.
-Okay. Okay, I said to myself and took a deep breath. -Okay.

Once again.
So I went. To be clear, I was still a poor driver. Too fearful,
stressed, with panicky movements.
All this did not make me a natural road queen.
And driving such a car probably required some experience and familiarization with
driving. However, I had to admit that after a few moments I slowly started getting used
to it. It was tender, yes, but also wonderful. It responded to my every command, a bit
as if it was reading my mind. After a dozen or so minutes, I could confidently say that
driving it was quite okay. That is, until I drove it on the road with other cars nearby…
Then it was the brothers' turn and each of them could have some
fun behind the wheel of my new car. They also had fun standing in
one place and testing the engine, which at the highest speeds
growled like a wild, angry animal, making you want to cover your
ears. I was shaking my head at all this. I wonder if they actually
bought this car for me or for themselves...
As we were driving home, Vince said something to the effect that if I learn to
drive properly, I might even be able to drive my new Porsche occasionally. Of
course, provided that one of the brothers accompanied me.
In the warm house our cool faces blushed. Mine the strongest, as I saw in the
mirror. We returned to the living room and some of the brothers were mumbling
about having more cake. I myself thought that was the end of the surprises and
was ready to escape soon and fall asleep in my bedroom. But as I plopped down
on the couch to spend a little more time with my family, it turned out that they had
something else to tell me.
“By the way,” Vince started and cleared his throat. – Tomorrow you're going to the Islands
Canary. With Shane and Tony.
I choked on the cake and started coughing. Will helped me
I set the plate aside and Dylan patted me lightly on the back.
– W-what???
Of course, I was the only one surprised. The twins stuffed themselves
cake and this news did not impress them.
– To the Canary Islands? Why there? With twins? Why with them? – I asked
Vincent, blinking in surprise.
Shane stopped chewing for a moment and looked at me.
Will ran his fingers through my hair and answered me, looking at the top of my
head.
– Father would like to see you.
My eyes widened.
– Is he in the Canary Islands?!
– Shhh. Yes, it is on the islands.
– Why are we flying tomorrow? How long have you known about this? Why
didn't anyone tell me before? – I whispered excitedly. Well, this wasn't ordinary
information. Tomorrow I was planning to study, read a book and maybe do
something crazy in the evening, like order food. And suddenly this information.
– The idea had appeared earlier, but we didn't know until the last minute
whether it would work. Father didn't know. But it worked. Yesterday he got to
Europe, everything went according to plan. He confirmed it today, Will explained.
– There was no point in giving you false hope in case something went wrong
not like that, added Vincent.
I started biting my lip passionately out of nervousness until Will raised his
hand and touched my cheek with his finger to calm me down.
“You're hurting yourself,” he muttered.
I looked at him.
– Well, why the Canary Islands? It's not that I mind, but... why? If it was so
complicated for him to get there?
“You'll see,” Vincent said, reluctant to discuss.

I fell silent for a moment. A very short moment.
– What about my classes? How long do we have to go there anyway?
– We don't know exactly for how long. It will come out. And you will take
classes remotely. These will not be holidays or days off from studying.
Let's just call it... climate change.
Climate change, eh?
– Why am I only going with Shane and Tony?
The answer I received was quite obvious. Because Vince is Vince, he's
always busy and doesn't have time for trips, Will is also busy helping him, and
Dylan has important exams in college that he can't miss. Shane and Tony are
the only ones who can sacrifice their education, but not for long, so it's possible
they'll fly with me and come back after a few days, and I'll stay if I want. I
imagined spending time alone with my father, and... I was surprised by my own
calmness.
Another reason for leaving, which I came up with only after I went to bed,
was that someone was trying to kill me here. Maybe in the Canary Islands
I was supposed to be safer. It's very likely that my brothers took this into
account.
I fell asleep only in the morning, terrified by the vision of my sudden
departure. I couldn't decide whether I was more happy or afraid.
I was supposed to see my dad again.
My brothers didn't stick around and when they decided on something,

it just happened. At noon I had a late breakfast and two hours later I was
on my way to the airport with Shane and Tony. Of course, I said goodbye
to the rest of my family and once again received a handful of wishes from
them.
Vince told me to be good as usual, Will snapped at him that I always
was, and Dylan told Will that it wouldn't hurt to remind him.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit afraid to leave the house. I
constantly had the impression that someone outside was waiting for my
life. However, I had to pull myself together. I was with the boys and
Sonny. It'll be all right.
I've also received a lot of messages from people at school since the
morning. Mona called me and we talked for almost half an hour. The next
phone call filled with joy and happiness was from Maja. Uncle Monty
cheerfully joined in with her wishes. She spoke to me too
Roxane, a childhood friend, and when I replied to this girl, I felt like I was
returning to my old world for a moment.
I replied to as many messages as I could because I knew I would

spend the rest of my birthday on the plane and wouldn't land there until
tomorrow.
Shane sat in the single seat on the right and Tony sat in one of the
double seats on the left. At first I made myself comfortable in the row
behind them, but after take-off the twins turned on the TV hanging on the
wall and started playing the PlayStation game. I started looking at the
screen with curiosity. This time it wasn't an ordinary shooting game or racing ga
Probably some kind of horror game, judging by the dark setting and the
creepy soundtrack.
- Want to play? – Shane asked as he caught me craning my neck.
I nodded eagerly and stood up to shyly sit next to Tony.
– Tony, give her your pad.

– Give her yours yourself.
- Come on. Has birthday.
– What about me?
– She's sitting next to you, so you can explain to her what's going on.
– Then get off your ass and explain it to her yourself.
I got up.
– Okay, never mind – I sighed ostentatiously and took a step to return to my

previous position.
– Okay, Jesus. “Tony rolled his eyes, grabbed my shirt, yanked me back into the
chair, and I slumped into it, grimacing. He thrust the controller into my hands and I
immediately squeezed it, not even hiding my triumphant smile.
The game was scary and very exciting, but I had a lot of fun. It required some
logical thinking, and usually when there was a monster to take down, I was the bait
and Shane would attack from behind and kill the beast. Pretty good cooperation.
I don't even know when I fell asleep, and when I woke up, my head was resting on
Tony's shoulder, who had long ago taken the game away from me and was persistently
moving forward in the game's plot. First I flinched, then I blinked and straightened up,
momentarily forgetting where we were.
“You made me drool,” he muttered to me, not taking his eyes off the screen.
– Huh? – I glanced at his white sweatshirt, where there was indeed a small, wet
stain on the shoulder. I didn't comment on it, I just turned my head away to forget
about it as soon as possible.
What a shame.
I slowly learned how to spend such long flights productively. I read a bit and worked
on my bookstagram. Before leaving, I cut off a bud of one of the roses from Leo's bouquet
and put it between the pages to dry it and take it with me as a souvenir. Every time I
opened the book, all I could think about was this wonderful surprise.
Only when the twins decided it was time to eat and got out their sandwiches did I return
to the seat next to Tony.
– Sooo… will you tell me why we are going to the Canary Islands? – I asked, taking
the first bite and not hiding my excitement.
The beauty of Thailand was still in my mind and I was happy to think that I would have the
chance to see a similar paradise on earth again.
The boys exchanged glances and Tony went back to eating, and Shane rubbed his
nose with the back of his hand, still holding the sandwich, and coughed.
I had the impression that he was deliberately chewing longer than necessary.
– Hey, I want to know. – I looked from one brother to the other.
– Tell her now? – Shane asked Tony, who shrugged, taking another bite.
- As you wish.
“Go ahead,” I urged them, a bit irritated.
There was a moment of silence, then Shane spoke, looking at me warily.
– Our grandmother lives there.

35
FREEDOM
I opened my mouth in surprise, and I certainly stared

at him without a word.
– What grandma? – I asked with a lump in my throat.
Just hearing that word made me feel sad. It reminded me of my only,
beloved grandmother, who devoted part of her life to helping my mother
raise me. A golden woman who baked the best cakes, sang wonderfully
and weaved beautiful baskets.
“Our grandmother,” Shane replied simply.

- Yours?
- Our. Yours too.
I know that normally people have two grandmothers. In my little world,
however, the title of grandmother belonged to only one woman, who died.
I couldn't imagine having another one. As if it was supposed to replace the
real one.
“She's our dad's mom,” Shane told me.
I was silent for a moment. I tried to get used to the new information. Even
though I should be used to suddenly discovering secrets of this caliber, this
revelation shocked me. I bit my lip and looked out the window at the white
and fluffy clouds like cotton candy.
Suddenly I smacked my lips in irritation and turned my head sharply to

give both brothers a look full of reproach and anger.
– Why didn't anyone tell me? – I asked through gritted teeth.
Tony was tilting a can of Coke and looked at me warily, as if I had no

reason to be upset with them. This only pissed me off even more.
– First I find out about you, then about my father, about my uncle, now
you're telling me about some grandmother... Who will be next? Aunt in Siberia?!
Or maybe we have a sister in Dubai? Or a cousin in Egypt?! – I screamed.
“We don't have anyone in Egypt or Siberia,” Shane replied.

as if he didn't understand what I meant at all.
“You're always hiding something from me,” I complained, crossing my
arms.
I would love to go somewhere and slam the door, but that wasn't possible
on the plane, and I also wanted to learn more. We would be landing in a few
hours and it was worth preparing for what I would encounter when I stepped
off the jet.
– It's not about hiding things from you for fun.
Everything has its causes.
– What, this whole grandma is also hiding from the Organization? –
I growled, the word "grandma" barely passing through my throat.
– See, that's why Vince wanted to wait until we landed.
"Better if her father told her," Tony muttered.
I punched him in the arm with all my might. My hand hurt and he twitched
and looked at me with irritation.
“Because I'll pay you back,” he warned me dryly.
I didn't answer him, but I gave him a look of courage

to him: "You will not pay it back."
And I was right.
“Okay,” Shane interjected, raising his free hand to calm me down. – Listen,
you have the right to be angry. It's actually bad that no one tells you all the
details, but you know very well why you found out about your father so late. And
grandma... well, we don't eat Sunday dinners at her place, we don't see each
other often. Your father wanted you to meet her, yes, but he also wanted to be
present. And you know, it wasn't easy for him to get to Europe - he explained to
me patiently, while I sat there grumpily. At the same time, I wanted and didn't
want to listen to him. – Our family is complicated, you already know that.
And from complications come secrets.

"You're a poet," Tony sneered.
– At least he's trying to explain something to me! – I hissed at him.
Tony spread his hands.
– Explain what? In a few hours you will meet the woman yourself. Instead of
writing fucking poems, he could prepare you for this.
– What to prepare for?
The twins exchanged glances again.
“She's special,” Shane finally told me, and when he saw my questioning expression,
he elaborated: “I don't give a damn about dancing, you'll see for yourself.” Just don't
take everything he says personally.
There were mysterious smiles on the boys' lips, which only fueled my curiosity.
I finished my sandwich, taking my time. I had time to think and every now and then I
felt the urge to ask a question, but I quickly restrained myself and immediately wanted to
ask another, different question. Shane finally fell asleep, and Tony read some thick book
with dragons and monsters on the cover. He didn't seem eager to give an interview to his
younger sister.
For the rest of the trip, I thought about what awaited me. I was a
little nervous earlier, but I was also sincerely looking forward to
meeting my father. Now I started to get very stressed because I was
about to meet someone new who would come back into my life and,
on top of that, call herself my grandmother. I felt like I was about to
betray my real grandmother.
But this one is also true, a shy voice whispered in my ear.
However, the twins warned that this grandmother was special.

What that meant - I don't know. When we were approaching landing, I
couldn't stand it and asked the guys about it, but they took a deep
breath and told me to chill out.
Ultimately, I had so many thoughts in my head that as soon as the
plane door opened, I took a huge breath to fill my lungs with fresh air.
Just like in Thailand, I immediately felt the climate change here. The
air was different, warm, but certainly not hot.
I immediately got excited to be in Europe again.
As soon as we exited the plane, Sonny immediately put on his
professional mask and appeared at my side. We left the airport
building through the VIP exit and went to the parking lot, following
Tony who was talking to someone on the phone. As usual, I was
excited about the sight of palm trees and the fact that the first snow
would fall at home any day now, and here it was warm even despite the opp
It turned out that a gentleman was waiting for us and he came here
in a large off-road car. His name was Benny, he was quite tall and had
flour white hair and a gentle expression. He was dressed in a light,
plaid, short-sleeved shirt and cream-colored knee-length shorts that
were held up on his narrow hips by a brown leather belt. He shook
hands with his brothers and even Sonny, and smiled pleasantly at me.
After we loaded our bags into Benny's car and I took my seat in the
back with Shane, we hit the road. My brother told me that the man
was a friend of our grandmother, that he was a nice guy and that he
had met her in America.
Tony stayed silent and clicked something on his phone. He sat in the front seat
next to Benny, who obviously wasn't much of a talker either. We drove on winding
roads through hills and hills. On one side there was a view of the enchanting ocean,
on the other side there was a desert, and then suddenly there were rugged mountains
with extremely little greenery. Surely Benny was taking us deeper into the island,
because soon the water was out of sight and we entered an olive grove.
My blood was buzzing with too much emotion. All this beauty, new landscapes,
the prospect of seeing my father, meeting my grandmother... I was close to having a
heart attack. I squirmed in my seat, as if we weren't moving much because of the
uneven road that Benny had turned onto at one point.
I was looking out the window and the car suddenly shook so much that I hit my
forehead against the window, which made Shane extremely amused.
Finally, the car stopped in front of a house beautifully integrated into nature. It
stood on a sloping area, so that right next to it there was a steep mountain, but on the
left side it was flatter and quite green.
The house looked old. Its walls were densely covered with various plants. At first
glance it looked like a hovel, but it had something atmospheric about it, like a building
from a fairy tale. A wide porch with a roof and a protective mosquito net around it
encouraged relaxation.
It was full of flowers, but also strange objects and, to put it bluntly, junk.
My attention was immediately drawn to a man in a white hoodie and short black
shorts. He had a beard, a bit longer than the last time I'd seen him, and his hair was
tied in a traditional loose ponytail at the back. He was leaning against the railing,
smoking a cigar, and his dark eyes seemed unpleasant. However, they changed
when they fell on our car.
My father immediately straightened up and carelessly put out his cigar, then
quickly moved the mosquito net aside to go down the stone steps and greet us as
quickly as possible.
My whole body stiffened and I suddenly felt happy and scared at the same time,
so I was the last one to get out of the car. Right behind us
Another large car in which Sonny arrived stopped.

My father approached us and hugged Tony first. He studied his face,
as if looking for any significant changes in his son, and then walked over
to Shane, ruffling his hair in that sweet, fatherly way. It was really cute.
I timidly pulled the sleeves of my sweatshirt over my hands and dug my
nails into them, even though I wasn't cold at all, despite the annoying
wind. I was stressed. Even unconsciously, I bit my lip and wished I had
something to occupy myself with right now.
Father had already hugged Shane and apparently remembered that I was
also supposed to show up today, because as soon as he was enjoying his sons,
he raised his head and looked for me.
I smiled shyly again, my heart beating like crazy.
“Hey,” I said, quieter than I intended because I wasn't expecting it
I think my voice will get so hoarse.
My father moved towards me and slowly opened his arms to me, as
if he was checking first whether I agreed to hug him. And I not only
agreed to it, but also needed him, so I immediately took a step forward
and wrapped my arms around his large figure.
It smelled fresh and like a recently smoked cigar. I was starting to get
used to this smell and identify with it.
“Hey, princess,” he greeted, his hand gently combing my hair. He
squeezed me quite hard, but I didn't mind. - All the best.
It was great seeing my dad again. I had a parent again, at least one.
I wanted to enjoy our embrace, but I was roused from it by a voice I had
never heard before, a clear and grumpy voice.
– Are these my dear grandchildren?

I broke away from my father to look curiously towards its source. An
elderly woman came out onto the porch. She walked slowly and stopped
just in front of the mosquito net, as if she wanted to look at all of us first,
although she wasn't actually looking at us. She caught herself
handrail and pushed her long, gray braid behind her back. Single strands of hair
fluttered around her face. I stared at her with fascination, because she had to be my
new grandmother, and the image of my grandmother that I had in my head so far was
completely different from what I had just seen.
She was wearing a sports sweatshirt. A loose one, similar to the ones my brothers
wore and the one my father was wearing. Only black and with some strange logo in
the middle. It reached mid-thigh, and a floral skirt hung down to her ankles.
What surprised me the most was her big, bright eyes that she had
there is something strange, fascinating and, I must admit, terrifying.
- Better. Your favorites. Shane grinned and clapped his hands.
- I see. What an honor, Grandma muttered as she pushed through the mosquito
net. She went downstairs, leaning on the railing, and when she reached the foot of the
stairs, she waved her hand, looking away. – Well, will someone kindly come here?
Shane and Tony moved at the same time, amused smirks tugging at the corners
of their mouths. Father still held me close to him, but he turned to Sonny. He greeted
him surprisingly friendly, because he probably even asked about his well-being and
situation, so I concluded that he must have known him. He also said a few words to
him in a low voice. My bodyguard remained serious and responded to my father with
visible respect. After this short exchange, he picked up his bags and followed Benny.
Meanwhile, the grandmother hugged the twins and immediately lifted her chin
again, as if in expectation.
– Apparently I was supposed to meet my granddaughter today. Where she is? –
she growled loudly, spreading her arms in a less than friendly gesture.
She was looking at a point behind me, so I turned around, confused, until my father
wrapped his arms around me tighter and whispered in my ear:
– Blanche can't see.

“Oh,” I sighed, not knowing how else to react.

– Your daughter probably can't see either, since she hasn't seen each other yet
she figured it out," Grandma squeaked.
– Be nice to her, won't you? – my father admonished her and rubbed

my arm in support.
Blanche raised her eyebrows, which looked comical and scary at the
same time. Tony sat on the patio couch on the porch and took out a
cigarette, and Shane disappeared into the house, leaving behind only the
rattling beads that hung by the entrance.
– So where are you, girl? – she asked, and I think she tried to sound
more friendly, but honestly, it didn't work very well.
I wanted to shyly wave at her, but I stopped myself at the last moment.
“Here,” I said quietly, not particularly thrilled about it

I need to attract attention.
– Here where? – she sighed. She spread her arms again and turned
towards the direction my voice came from.
Reluctantly, I took a few steps towards her, giving my father a quick
glance. He gave me a friendly wink, and Blanche's attitude seemed
unimpressive to him.
I stopped about a meter away from the woman and spoke again. She
adjusted her position so that she was now standing directly in front of me
and stretched her hands out in front of her. They found my hands and
lifted me up to my shoulders, where they rested for a moment. Then they
moved higher and I felt shivers run up my neck.
I didn't feel comfortable with a strange woman's cool fingers on my throat.
Fortunately, she was more interested in the face.
She began to stroke it with her fingertips surprisingly gently. They touched
my chin, examined the shape of my jaw, ran over my cheekbones and
nose. I closed my eyes as they approached my eyebrows and glided
gently across my eyelids. They left a trace of a barely noticeable tingling
everywhere.
“She does look like Dylan,” she commented, finally removing her hands from
me.
I opened my eyes and gave her a suspicious look.
“I told you,” the father said. He came over to us and laid it down for me again
a hand on my back, which once again gave me comfort.
Blanche nodded thoughtfully, then turned on her heel to climb back up the
stone steps. Her skirt was flapping around her ankles, and the wind was blowing
around it, and I was afraid she might fall over.
“Let's go inside,” she ordered. – Benny prepared paella.

I crossed the threshold of the cottage hesitantly. I really appreciated my dad's
presence, who made me understand at every step that I had his support always and
everywhere. I hoped that I would soon feel at ease here, because for now it seemed
that Blanche's style of being might make it difficult for me.
She amazed me. She was able to move around the house with incredible
agility without bumping into walls or furniture, although sometimes I caught her
surreptitiously putting her arms out in front of her to feel what was around her.
The interior of the house is very cozy. Everything here was wooden and in a
country style. It's the kind of house my Grandma Bonnie would love to live in if
she had the chance. Just like Blanche, she would have a collection of colorful,
checkered cloths in the kitchen, a comfortable rocking chair in the living room
and a huge, original, cream and navy blue Persian carpet.
The floors in the hall creaked with every step we took. On the right side there
were straight, long stairs leading up. The walls are decorated with lots of
different paintings. Lots of flowers. They hung from the ceiling, stood in vases
or flowerpots.
All the decorations seemed rather random and tasteless, but grandma seemed
to have this in mind.
The smell that lingered in the air made my stomach growl and my mouth
water. I could clearly smell saffron.
It smelled delicious.
Shane had already made himself comfortable in the kitchen and was leaning
over a huge frying pan.
“Don't you dare,” my grandmother hissed, and for a moment I thought that
maybe she was pretending and actually saw everything. But then I thought that
you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to expect Shane to eat.
My brother obediently moved away from the pot, but not before he also grabbed
a shrimp from it. Tony sat down again, this time in a solid wooden chair, one of
many placed around an equally solid table covered with a white jacquard tablecloth.
– Benny! – the grandmother squeaked and took glasses from the carved cabinet
above the sink. She knew the kitchen like the back of her hand. -Where's Benny?
My father pulled out one of the chairs for me, so I sat in it immediately, glad
that someone was trying to help me settle in.
“I'm here,” the old man said and immediately went to the black pan. He grabbed
a large wooden spoon and expertly mixed the yellowish rice inside with the
vegetables and seafood. – I was showing the bedroom to one of our guests.
– Who again? – she grumbled, but quickly waved her hand – Oh, that one.
Pass out the plates. Will he eat too? – My grandmother grabbed a large, oblong
jug of water, transparent, with flowers painted on the glass, and set it on the table.
“I invited him,” Benny replied and leaned over to the also carved Victorian-style
sideboard. The plates rattled as he placed them in front of us and then he reached
into the drawer for the forks.
Suddenly I jumped because something moved violently right in front of me.

Tony burst out laughing because I was terrified of the cat that had just jumped on
the table. The slim and brown roofer looked down at me.
“Get off,” his father growled at him, pushing him to the ground with his hand.
The cat protested in displeasure, but quickly disappeared.
“I don't think he likes you,” Shane joked to me.
- Who? Cat? Whom? Hailie? – Blanche huffed, and I felt chills hearing my
own name on her lips. The woman placed a basket of bread on the table
covered with a paper napkin with green leaves. – He's a boor, he doesn't like
anyone.
Later, my cat and I crossed paths many times, and in fact he was the
grumpiest animal I had ever seen. I didn't say it out loud, but he reminded me
a bit of Tony.
The dinner was pleasant and had a family atmosphere. I think it was
influenced by the fact that, apart from me and the twins, our father and
grandmother were also with us, i.e. people of different ages, as was usually the
case at family dinners. After all, three generations now sat at our table.
Sonny also joined us. His father insisted on it because it would be stupid for
him to eat in another room. Sonny obediently sat down in the corner but didn't
say a word.
Cam asked me and the twins about all sorts of things, eager to talk to his
children. Later he gave me a beautiful gold watch. Very feminine and delicate,
with a narrow bracelet and a large white dial, in the center of which, where the
hands crossed, there was a small and subtle diamond. He put it on my wrist.
“It's such a small thing,” my father said as he watched me stare at it in awe.

– You know I don't like it when birthdays revolve around material things. I just
see you so rarely... - he explained. – I was able to raise boys more decisively.
The things they wanted or needed, I could buy them any other day of the year,
no matter what. Birthdays were always about the whole family being able to
slow down for a moment, at least for one evening, sit together, blow out the
candles, eat cake, enjoy each other's company... I preferred the boys to
remember their
birthday as a day when every family member was there for them and supported them.
I wanted them to see beauty in such simple, little things.
“Dylan said they all got sixteener cars,” I said

skeptically, taking his eyes off the beautiful watch face.
“Well, that's true in this case,” Cam laughed. – A sixteenth birthday is an
exception... And how do you like your Porsche?
“It's very nice,” I replied politely, and Cam replied

he laughed again and hugged me.
That day I spent a lot of time with my father and brothers, and when I
couldn't control the drooping eyelids, I went to sleep. Even though I was
supposed to start remote classes tomorrow, Cam suggested postponing them
to Saturday. Thanks to this, I could rest for one more day. My life schedule
couldn't be more spread out, but at the time I thought it wouldn't matter to me
at all, so I nodded and enjoyed my Friday off the next day.
Sonny didn't have to work either, as I was supposed to be there all the time anyway
under the care of his father. I don't know why he even came here.
Breakfasts under Blanche and Benny's roof were rather poor and consisted
mainly of fruit, pastries, cocoa, coffee and tea, or toast with jam or olive oil and
Iberian ham. Vince would screw up here, I promise you. The supposedly most
important meal of the day was also eaten quite late here, but in general the
whole house came to life with an exceptional delay. According to what I heard
from my grandmother, she got up at eleven that day. My grandmother Bonnie
used to wake up around six in the morning. Getting up this early seemed to me
another characteristic of grandmothers. Blanche, however, seemed to be the
exception to almost every rule.
Then I let my father invite me for a walk on the beach. The day wasn't cold,
but it was quite windy, so I put on a sweater over my bare shoulders and ballet
flats on my bare feet. It turned out that in the huge garden of Grandma and
Benny's house there were overgrown and extremely steep steps carved into
the rock with an old,
rusty balustrade on one side. My father would go down them first, so

that if I fell, I would bump into him and not roll down. The views
absolutely made up for this drastic crossing.
I tended to watch my step and make sure I didn't slip, but when I lifted
my head, I was frozen in delight.
The landscape was very lazy, the kind you could stare at before
taking a nap after a hearty lunch. Single clouds drifted sleepily across
the blue sky, and the sand seemed to dance to the melody of the slow
breeze that came from the ocean, bringing with it small, calm waves.
You could hear the seagulls, the smell of salt hit your nostrils, and the
pleasant silence was relaxing. – Nice here, isn't
it? – my father said, smiling gently at me.
As soon as he reached the bottom of those terrible, narrow, and
slippery steps, he turned to hold out his hand and help me down onto
the sand. I gladly accepted it.
“Beautiful,” I agreed, taking a deep breath that filled my lungs with
fresh sea air. We both took off our shoes and walked all the way down
the beach to the water to dip our feet in.
I smiled broadly as I felt her slight chill. – Shall we take a walk along
the shore?
– As you wish, princess.
We talked for a while about everything and nothing. We pointed at
the paragliders hanging far in the sky. We predicted whether the sun
would hide behind this small approaching cloud or whether it would
miss it. We commented on how nice and quiet it was here. Until finally
we moved on to completely different things.
My father asked me what was going on at home. I was telling him
how much I didn't like the idea of distance learning and from his
reactions I saw that Vincent was definitely keeping him updated about
everything, because he wasn't surprised at all by my complaining.
– I would like… to go for a walk. Alone, without boyfriends or
bodyguards, I said. – Or go out into the rain without a jacket so that no
one will nag in my ear that I have to come back because I'll get sick.
I want to sneak out of the house for a while without Vincent and the others knowing.
I want to text my friend about how much my oldest brother annoys me without
worrying that he will read it. I want, I don't know... Go to a party and dance, meet
people, clap to the rhythm of the music and sing loud hits from the radio... I want
freedom - I said, constantly looking at my feet, which were pleasantly submerged
into the cool waters of the ocean every now and then.
The father was silent for a moment, and only the sound of the waves could be heard.
“Hailie,” Cam began and switched his shoes from one hand to the other as if
the action had any significance. - I know what you feel.
And although it may surprise you, boys know too. Especially Vince and Will. They
understood the most after their mother's death. And they felt it most when I
ordered them all to be kept under lock and key. I went to Florida myself, as I
already told you, and I left my sons with nannies and security guards who never
left their side and didn't let them wander outside our property. It took about two
years before I allowed them to return to normal life. Vince and Will were rebelling,
just like you, and I didn't listen to them because their safety was more important
to me. They hated me, but I didn't care and I didn't let the brats get to my head.
I looked at him in surprise.

“But… it's not the same,” I protested. - This is not the same. Because how old
were they then?
– Vince thirteen, Will nine…
- Exactly. It's one thing to close a nine-year-old from the world, and another
thing to close a sixteen-year-old.
“It's one thing when someone murders the mother of my children, but it's
another thing when someone actually tries to kill one of them,” the father replied,
and there was a note of toughness and determination in his voice, although
gentle and kind, that confirmed my belief that Cam He's already made up his
mind and won't change it, he's just letting me vent.
I sighed quietly and just watched the enchantingly clear water. Two silhouettes
loomed in the distance. Someone was also walking along the ocean shore at an
even slower pace than us.
“Freedom, Hailie,” the father began suddenly, interrupting both

both my own and my silent thoughts – it is overrated.
Until I took my eyes off my feet and looked at him
with raised eyebrows.
– Isn't freedom one of the basic human rights?
– People like to talk about it left and right. If they would just shut up
for a moment to think, they would realize that no one in this world is
truly free.
- I do not agree. People who can decide for themselves are free.
– What decisions exactly are you talking about? – asked the father
with a smile on his face. He was clearly enjoying our little discussion.
I looked at my feet again. I had just passed a beautiful white shell,

and if I hadn't been so focused on formulating a sensible answer, I
would have definitely reached down to pick it up.
– For example… Choosing a profession, choosing a school, choosing,
for example, clothes.
– Choice of clothes? Cam chuckled, knowing I didn't mention it for
no reason. – Okay, Hailie, don't get me wrong. I know what you're
talking about. Now let me try to present this problem to you from a
slightly more abstract point of view, shall I? Please try to open your
mind. I don't want to change your views, I just think it's an interesting
conversation and I'd like to know your opinion on what I say.
I nodded.
-Okay. Let's say Vince forbids you from wearing a short dress.
By your definition of freedom, he shouldn't be able to tell you what you
can't wear, right?
- Yes.
- All right. Let's assume Vince doesn't care what you wear. And let's
assume you really want to walk the streets naked. You want it because
it's healthy, because you're crazy about nature,
because it's fashionable for primitive man or some other shit. Can you
go out without clothes?
I frowned at his strange comparisons.
- Oh no.
- Why?
– Because it's not allowed. But that's the law.
Cam shrugged.
– The law was made by people. And the man who said no
you are allowed to walk naked on the streets, he has just limited your freedom.
– But this is different, it simply exceeds the boundaries of good taste.
It's like pornography, I protested.
– For one person it's pornography, for another it's nature. And
everyone has different limits of good taste.
I shook my head because my father had really confused her.
– But as people, we agree to obey the law. And Vince is not a law.
The fact that I can't wear a mini skirt is his whim, unsupported by any
reasonable arguments.
– Vince is your legal guardian. And the law says that a legal guardian
or parent can raise a child according to their own beliefs and principles.
Some vegetarians do not give their children meat. Are they doing well?
This is a moot point. Some people choose to have their child baptized
immediately after birth rather than allow the child to be free to choose a
religion for himself. Some people choose French for their children, while
others prefer Italian. Some people let their children stay at parties until
the morning, and others demand they come back before the party starts,
my father explained to me.
We just passed the hikers we had previously seen from a distance.
A young couple smiling from ear to ear. Talking in a language I didn't
know.
“There are also those who won't let their children leave the house at
all,” I said grimly.
“There are some,” he agreed. – And some have quite good reasons.
Cam cleared his throat. – The point is that freedom is a relative concept.
Adults are not free at all either. They are limited, for example, by work.
They have to work to earn money, and they have to earn money to eat
and pay the bills. Life and the society we live in is a prison for all of us.
I let out a breath, weighed down by my father's views, and he just gave
me a fleeting smile and continued, "What I'm saying is
that everyone is limited in some way." You may feel that you are more
than others. But you will change your mind in the future, he said. – One
day you will see that you will be able to make decisions, even those you
mentioned regarding your profession or studies, with much greater
freedom than, for example, your peers. And it's all thanks to being part of
our family - he said, and now I couldn't take my eyes off him, absorbing
his words. – My Hailie, you will be able to study whatever you want,
wherever you want, regardless of the tuition fee. You will be able to live in
a luxurious dormitory or a small villa and eat dinner in restaurants every
day, focus on your studies and not worry about work.
I was silent.
– I could go on and on with such examples. I know not all of them will convince
you, and I know that some people achieve a lot even without a proper start, which is
admirable and to which I take my hat off, but the conclusion is still the same. Freedom
is an illusion. – Suddenly, my father stopped and grabbed my arm gently, turning me
around. – Are we going back? We've already been walking for a long time, and it's still
a long way home.
I nodded.
“Really,” I started and bit my lip, wondering how to put into words what
I wanted to say, “do you think I'll be able to study wherever I want?”
Cam chuckled at my skeptical expression.

– It will definitely be a challenge for the boys to let you go home to
college, but I wouldn't want our overprotectiveness to
stood in your way of fulfilling your dreams - he said, and then he seemed to
reflect a little, especially when he noticed how my eyes lit up.
– We'll see, of course, how things will turn out in the future...
-You mean, won't anyone want to kill me? - I guessed.
“For example,” Cam sighed, trying to sound casual, but it probably wasn't
the best thing for him to joke about, because he tensed up a bit and that's
probably why he immediately turned the conversation to lighter topics.
I laughed out loud when he told me how ten years ago on this same
beach, Vince had drunk Will unconscious with three bottles of wine he had
taken from Blanche and Benny's stash.
There was also a moment when we walked in silence for a long time.
Probably almost all of ten minutes. We enjoyed silence in each other's
company. I felt comfortable and had no need to babble nonsense. Especially
in such a soothing setting. It was getting chilly, so I wrapped myself in a
sweater, exposing my face to the sun breaking through the clouds.
“About what you were talking about at the beginning,” my father said
again, and I continued to walk slowly by his side without opening my eyes.
I just smiled at the sound of his voice. It was nice that I started a topic and
he wanted to go through it with me so thoroughly. It felt good to be listened
to. – You said you wanted to go for a walk without a bodyguard, which is
too risky. You probably won't be able to sneak out of our residence in
Pennsylvania either. I know this well, because with five sons who didn't
listen, I made sure this was impossible. But I will try to fulfill at least partially
at least one of your wishes... - he promised.
And he kept his word very quickly.

36
SOMETHING SWEET
The twins were sitting on the porch. They drank beer and closed the door
with contented eyelids, muttering something to himself every now and then.
Shane had his feet on the table, and there was a light smoke around Tony's
head, revealing that he was hiding a cigarette under the table. They have rarely
been as similar as they are now.
My father and I joined them for a while. He leaned back against the railing
and lit a cigar, and I squeezed onto the couch next to Tony, who graciously
moved just a few millimeters.
Soon Blanche called us into the kitchen, and I was ready to repeat over and
over how much she impressed me with her resourcefulness despite her
disability. Benny fried the fish for us, and she took care of the rest, serving us
a delicious and simple salad with vinegar and baked sweet potatoes. Everyone
also got a small can of beer, including me, but my father seemed to casually
push it aside.
For dessert, we ate jelly with seeds from freshly picked pomegranates that
Benny grew in his orchard. Then it was time to rest and everyone dispersed
around the house in the blink of an eye
somehow I was unfortunate enough to be left alone with Blanche in the kitchen.
When I looked up from the phone and realized this, a chill ran through me.
I admit, at first I thought about sneaking out unnoticed, but I didn't. Blanche
would definitely hear me and know it was me. After all, I took the lightest steps
of anyone in the house.
I sighed inwardly and watched her back as she stood at the sink and started
washing the dishes. Today she was wearing a red T-shirt and white linen pants.
The first time I saw her like that in the morning, I stopped dead in my tracks at
the sight of her thin arm, on which was tattooed a terrifying reaper in a black
cloak with a hood, empty eye sockets, a terrible grimace, and a long, sharp
scythe. I almost crossed myself and once again missed Grandma Bonnie, who
was appropriately grandma-like for me.
– Help you? – I asked out of politeness.

Blanche didn't even move, as if she knew I was there, that's all
she was waiting for me to speak.
“You can wash up,” she replied, and as if on command, she moved away
from the sink, ripping off the rubber gloves from her hands. She turned around
and froze me with her empty eyes. I didn't think I'd meet someone with a more
icy stare than Vincent.
I nodded, then silently swatted at it and threw it
“Okay.” I took her position and put on the discarded gloves.
As I ran the water, I was struck by how long it had been since I last washed
the dishes. I almost didn't do this at Monet. Have I ever even rinsed a glass
there?
What color is the faucet?
Blanche didn't leave, she just looked at me for a while, or rather
she stood over me and watched over me, and then she started cleaning up.
“I expected you to be a mouthy, spoiled little girl who thinks she's the center
of the world,” she said suddenly. – I must admit that you pleasantly surprised
me.
“I expected something different, too,” I blurted out before I could think.
Her words sounded like a compliment. Mine… not necessarily, but

Blanche made a squeaky sound and I turned around again, in disbelief
because I'd obviously managed to make her laugh.
“I don't doubt it,” she murmured, then added louder after a moment, “
You probably knew your grandmother from your mother's side from birth, right?
– Yes, I lived with her and my mother. She was the best, I confessed with a smile
on my lips just thinking about dear Grandma Bonnie.
“Let me guess, she wore a gray bun, was a great cook, had the attitude
of an angel, and probably knitted, right?”
I laughed quietly.
- Almost. She didn't knit. Instead, she weaved baskets.
– Baskets? – Blanche repeated.
– Baskets.
“Awesome,” she muttered, and I turned to look at her once again, surprised
by the curse that so naturally escaped her lips. She was taking the tablecloth
off the table and taking it to the narrow door that opened from the kitchen to
the garden, so as not to lose a single crumb from our little feast along the
way. She shook it out at the doorstep and then carefully folded it into a cube.
Then I put the last cup to dry on the kitchen towel-lined counter, turned off
the tap and carefully took off my gloves.
“Finished,” I said and looked around the room for anything else Blanche
might need help with.
“Well, it's time for a siesta,” she announced, but she stopped for a moment.
- Thanks for the help. Granddaughter. – She said the last word as if it were
some exotic fruit that she had just tasted for the first time in her life and had
not yet formed an opinion about it.
- You're welcome. Grandma – I replied the same.

She slowly turned on her heel and approached me, holding out her hand. I
tensed a little, which was my body's normal defense mechanism, because I
didn't know what to expect from this woman. Her fingers brushed my arm and
she moved even closer to me, her hand trailing up to my hair. She touched the
side of my head and I felt the hardness of her ring against my temple.
And then she surprised me when she placed a soft, tender kiss on my forehead.
Then she stroked my cheek.
– It's good to finally have you in the family.
And she went.
I was left alone, staring at the place where she had disappeared.
She was weird and I didn't really know how to deal with her, but I guess
she didn't hate me. She seemed nice in her own way, and her last words made
me smile.
I also decided to take advantage of the siesta and lock myself in the
bedroom assigned to me, lie down on the bed and read a book or even take a
nap. As I walked down the long hall to get up the stairs, I reached the main
door, which was ajar. I immediately heard my father's voice and Tony's bored
sigh. After a moment, Shane also spoke and I involuntarily stopped, intrigued.
The three of them had to sit on the porch. “…makes no sense,” Shane
commented, his tone clearly
skeptical.
– She's sad, she feels trapped, and that's no surprise.

I need some entertainment, my father was saying, and it was easy to deduce
that he meant me, so there was no way I could just stop eavesdropping.
– She's in the fucking Canary Islands, that's not good enough

entertainment? – Tony said in his typical gruff voice.
– He needs new experiences, completely stress-free ones – continued his
father. – I want her to relax and smile.
That's why you're taking her to dinner. If she wants it, buy it
even a glass of sweet wine or some, I don't know, a small can of lemon beer. Do
you see what I mean?
– Vincent threatened us that if one of us gave her alcohol, he would
he's going to get hit," Shane interjected, with a hint of weariness.
“But now I say that this one evening may be different,” my father growled and
probably gave my brothers a warning look so that they would better understand
the message of his words.
That's how I imagined it because I didn't see them. – Later you will take her to
some cultural bar, where she can tap her feet to the songs of some Shakira. No
sleaze dens or degraded nightclubs, okay?
I didn't hear any confirmation from the guys, but...

they had to nod their heads, because in a moment the father continued talking.
– And now the most important thing. You have to fucking watch her, you understand?
I'm serious. At every turn. No dancing or even talking to horny people, don't let
her out of your sight, even if it means you have to stand in the women's toilet
under the cabin. After all, she's only sixteen. And focus on making sure she's
having fun, okay? You can party your own way any other night. Clear or unclear?
The twins muttered something under their breath that seemed to mean "sure."
I covered my mouth with my hand, my eyes wide with excitement.
Wait, wait, wow. What just happened here? Did my father force the boys to take
me to the party? To the bar? I felt like snorting in bewilderment. Well, it can't be.
The conversation wasn't over yet, but my father moved and I was afraid he'd
come into the house, so I ran away from this not-so-safe place to eavesdrop. I
rushed upstairs, jumping every other step, but so carefully that none of the boards
creaked too loudly under my weight. I stopped at the top and turned around,
disappointed to see that no one had gone inside, but I didn't have the courage to
go back down.
First of all, I felt an inexpressible sympathy for my father, who could listen like
no one else. My small, full one was enough
a pitiful complaint that he would decide to make me happy. I wanted to run

out onto that porch and hug him with all my strength, I was so grateful to
him for the seriousness and understanding with which he treated me.
Cam treated me like a human being and also tried to see me as a living being with
feelings that needed to be nurtured and handled delicately so as not to hurt them. My
brothers were more strict about this, which was probably due to their age and lack of
experience with parenting.
I couldn't sleep because I was too excited about tonight. I wondered if

going out with the brothers would happen, and if so, what it would be like to
go somewhere with Tony and Shane. And then to the bar? Will it be fun?
Or maybe weird?
Or maybe the father finally withdrew from this idea, called it idiotic and told
the boys to forget that such a topic had been raised?
I was very worried when the last question came to my mind.

I wanted to jump out of bed and go downstairs right now and hang around
for a while and maybe I would accidentally bump into one of the twins and
then they would offer me a way out and I would act surprised and finally
shrug my shoulders and say something like: After all, why not."
However, it would be of no use, because soon I heard the free voices of

my father and the boys on the stairs and in the corridor. Apparently the
three of them were taking a nap.
Just when I thought I would give up the ghost before I could close even
one eye, the rays of the early December sun, which was setting much too
quickly than expected, lulled me to sleep.
I slept vigilantly because I didn't want to miss the opportunity to go out
in the evening, which I was already rubbing my hands against, not even
knowing whether it would happen. So vigilant that as soon as the bedroom
door opened, my eyelids immediately fluttered.
– Hailie, are you sleeping? – Shane asked in a half whisper and I rubbed
my eyes, playing my part as best as I could.
“Not anymore,” I replied, seemingly a little irritated.
– Would you like… do you want to go to town with us? For... for dinner? That
me and Tony, I mean.
I covered my face with the blanket for a moment to hide the smile that
involuntarily crept onto it for a few seconds, and then I recalled myself. I
uncovered myself and gave my brother a skeptical look.
– With you and Tony?
- Yeah. You know, wander around the center. My father doesn't want to show
himself in tourist places. And the woman is antisocial, she is not suitable for
such trips - Shane chuckled.
I pretended to think.
– Okay, sure – I replied after a while, and all the excitement from a few hours
ago began to awaken in me again.
“Okay,” he sighed. I guessed he still hoped that I would prefer to stay at
home. – I'll book us a table at some tapas restaurant. These are like Spanish
snacks. You have to try the padrón peppers, they are seriously crazy.
Shane actually took care of the reservation and I started getting ready to
leave. The prospect of being out on the town almost at night excited me,
because I usually didn't have the opportunity to do so.
It was warm, much warmer than yesterday, because the wind was not so
unbearable, in fact it had completely disappeared now. I took this into
consideration when choosing my wardrobe and chose a white blouse with three-
quarter sleeves and a shallow V-neck. It was short, but I paired it with a black
skirt whose high waist met the hem of my blouse, hiding my bare skin to spare
my brothers from heart attacks. The skirt reached just above my ankles, and its
great advantage was a long slit that stretched to the upper part of my thigh.
Honestly, when I ordered it, it wasn't visible at all in the photos. I didn't have
anywhere to put it, but for some reason I threw it in my suitcase when I was
packing. When I stood still or held the fabric in the right place, my legs were
completely covered.
I washed, dried and styled my hair, and put on these dangling

earrings with diamonds that I received at the foundation's charity
event, the same one where another gift turned out to be deadly
perfume. I put on white sneakers and when the time came, I went
downstairs, constantly making sure that the slit in my skirt didn't
widen. It wasn't tasteless, on the contrary, it looked great, but I didn't
want to risk it. I planned to stop hiding only when we were downtown
and it was too late to go back and change.
- Hi! Look at you, princess, my father exclaimed when my leg

she stood in the living room and his gaze fell on me.
For a moment I thought he was saying it reproachfully, but it was
actually genuine admiration, the kind only a loving father could feel at
the sight of his daughter. I couldn't stop smiling.
I crouched next to him on the back of a huge chair, and he wrapped
one arm around my waist. He moved his eyes back to the TV.
He and Benny were watching something there. Benny was sitting on
the corner, resting after a long day of hard but enjoyable work in the
garden. Blanche, on the other hand, was in the other part of the living
room, hanging around the pool table.
I stared at her, furrowing my eyebrows with interest.
The woman actually played billiards. I didn't know what the rules
were, but it looked really professional. I watched with fascination as
he gently felt the balls to find out their location without moving them.
I made a mental note to ask her or someone how she distinguishes
them…
I forgot about the pool table when Tony came into the living room dressed up.
His black T-shirt hung loosely, and its sleeves were so baggy they
could also pass for three-quarter length. Cream-colored sports shoes
with some orange markings stood out clearly from her and equally
black pants. There was a shiny chain around his neck, neatly hidden
under his shirt so that only a small part of it was visible. There was a
cigarette tucked behind his ear, ready, and Tony in his tattooed hand
he was holding a lighter. He looked me up and down and I tightened

my grip on the cut, just to be on the safe side.
“Come on,” he murmured to me, and I immediately stood up,
moving away from my dad, who cleared his throat and waved for
Tony to come over.
"Come on," Cam growled menacingly when he saw his son roll his
eyes. Then he glanced at me and said, much more gently, "Wait for
them outside, Hailie, okay?"
I nodded politely, happy that I wasn't the one who had to hear a
sermon from my father. I obediently went out to the porch and stood
at the railing, staring at the navy blue sky illuminated by a beautiful
moon, resembling a freshly baked, perfectly round, yellowed bun.
Whatever Cam had to say was quickly lost, as Tony appeared right
next to me, and less than a minute later he joined in as well.
Shane.
Shane ruffled his hair even more than usual.

He sprayed on some good, strong men's cologne, but managed to
stay within the boundaries of good taste. He was wearing a rotten
green T-shirt with a little mark on the left side that I was probably
starting to recognize. He also had dark gray long pants and white
shoes.
He pinched my side and I punched him in the chest carelessly, and
we followed Tony to a taxi that was waiting for us a little further down
the road, just behind Benny's car. I hadn't noticed it before because it
was hidden, with the lights completely off. Tony immediately climbed
into the driver's seat, and Shane and I squeezed into the back.
I knew the twins spoke pretty good Spanish, but that night was a
real demonstration of their skills because they were able to get along
with everyone. In the taxi and in the restaurant where we sat down.
My brothers chose it and I was really positively surprised. It wasn't

some fancy building with fancy columns
chandeliers, they didn't serve lobsters in muslin sauce or other oddities, the waiters
didn't walk around at gunpoint, and the customers weren't sulky rich people. On the
contrary - tiny tables were placed next to each other, and the chairs were not very
comfortable to sit on, although no one could care less about that. The dishes on the
menu were not too expensive and the guests were mainly locals and students.
Tony and Shane discussed what to order, their mouths watering at the thought
of the upcoming feast. Soon a waiter approached us. I glanced at the twins,
wondering what they would offer me. I wasn't particularly into alcohol, but I couldn't
resist the opportunity to drink with my brothers. I would finally feel a taste of equality
between us, even if it was fake.
Shane scratched his head, Tony sighed, and then they both looked at me.
– Would you like some wine? – the first one asked, but it sounded as if someone
forced these words into him. He immediately raised a finger towards me. – Just a
glass.
I opened my eyes wider, seemingly surprised, and smiled
ingratiatingly, shyly shrugging his shoulders.
- Something sweet.
Shane pursed his lips and asked the waiter for a recommendation while looking
at the menu. Finally they ordered me something called sangria. Apparently it's wine
mixed with... something. Some typical Spanish drink. It worked out great.
Five minutes later, there were two mugs of beer for the twins on the table and
an empty, bulging glass in front of me, next to which was a tall jug full of red drink.
There were lots of ice cubes floating in it and sliced fruit such as orange, lime and
green apple. A wooden spatula was stuck inside.
I raised my eyebrows at this.
It turns out that when the waiter asked whether to serve just a glass of sangria
or the whole pitcher, Shane accidentally agreed to it
second. Hmm, maybe his Spanish wasn't as good as I thought.
– It doesn't matter, you just drink a glass and leave the rest or
We'll take care of it, Shane said tiredly.
"I won't touch it, it's fucking sweet," Tony protested,
looking with reluctance at the drink Shane poured into my glass.
I felt a little sorry for him, even a lot, because he barely filled the vessel halfway.
I complained about it right away and Shane finally promised to pour me a little more
of it after I drank what I had.
Well, as you can already guess, I ended up guzzling the entire jug.
37
LIVING IN A GOLDEN CAGE

HAILIE COINS
Sangria absolutely suited my tastes.
It had a sweet taste and was drunk like orangeade. Its coldness
effectively quenched my thirst and at the same time fueled it. I took
tiny sips, but very frequent ones. I laughed and talked with the guys
who were drinking beer themselves and whose moods were also improving.
They told me about this place and how they spent various holidays
and holidays here. Blanche has lived on the Islands for a very long time.
The boys had many memories of this place. That's why they knew
this restaurant.
My brothers ordered so much food that the plates could barely fit.
My jug of sangria was placed on the windowsill. On the table there
were patatas bravas, i.e. potatoes with a red, spicy sauce, breaded
squid rings, green peppers fried in olive oil and salt, bread with egg
and potato tortillas, mini toasts with some tomato paste, mussels in a
strange, greenish sauce, large , black olives with stones of unusual
intense flavor, eggplant slices drizzled with honey sauce, very salty anchovies, crispy
sardines and butter-fried shrimps.
Although I was usually reserved about new flavors, now I let myself be carried
away by the madness, for which my palate was eternally grateful.
I poured myself some wine while Shane went to the bathroom and Tony stared at
his phone. Also when Tony went out for a smoke and Shane called the waiter to order
more potatoes. Then when the two of them started heatedly discussing something,
almost arguing, and didn't pay any attention to me. Until finally there was almost
nothing left except pink water from the melted ice cubes.
– Hey, what the... What happened to the wine? – Shane asked and, squinting, he
grabbed the jug and tilted it to look inside, even though it was transparent.
I bit my lip to keep from letting out a happy giggle that I felt like bursting out. Tony
looked at me suspiciously, then suddenly his eyes widened and he slapped his
forehead.
“She drank everything,” he realized and shook his head in disbelief, laughed briefly
under his breath, and then shoved Shane in the shoulder.
– You were supposed to watch her, you fucker.
- Really? – the other twin asked, focusing on me

with a straight face, although he also gave Tony a nudge in passing.
“No,” I replied mischievously.
“She's wasted,” Tony said, looking at my trembling corners
paragraph
“Were you pouring it into your glass when we weren't looking?”

“You looked, but you didn't see,” I said haughtily, like an orator on a pedestal, and
I knew, and my brothers knew, that the sangria had gone to my head harder than
they expected.
Shane buried his face in his hands and Tony stared at me with raised eyebrows
and a slightly amused expression. In return, I smiled warmly at him.
I reached out to the jug to take out a slice of apple. I really liked the fruits
floating there. They managed to soak up the entire drink deliciously and I
ate them without restraint. Unfortunately, halfway there, Shane swatted my
hand.
– That's enough for you, isn't it? - he admonished me, trying to sound at
least threatening, then glanced at Tony. – I guess I'd better go home.
Hearing these words, I puckered my lips and furrowed my brow
and I looked at my brothers pleadingly.
- NO! You promised me dances. It's not fair, I don't want to go back. I
feel great.
I unconsciously slammed my fist on the table. The cutlery and plates
jumped, but the restaurant was now so noisy that no one noticed. The
crowds were huge, and my alcohol-intoxicated senses were perfectly able
to ignore all the noise.
– Yeah, and what do you tell dad? That you let her get wasted and we
had to go back? – Tony asked doubtfully.
– So what? But she's drunk. Where should we go with her in this condition?
– Geez, Shane, I'm not drunk. Relax, I sighed loudly.

– We'll take her somewhere where she can drink alcohol. He'll get tired,
go to sleep, and tomorrow morning he'll wake up and tell his dad it was fun.
Easy.
– Yes, Tony, let's go dancing! – I called eagerly.

He looked at me with pity.
– First show that you can stand on your feet.
I immediately stood up and glanced at him triumphantly, only discreetly
holding on to the table. Man, I think I actually got a little carried away. It
was a pleasant state though.
I don't even know why I was so excited about this dance, I didn't know
what it was like to go into a crowd of people and surrender to the music. I
couldn't do it, I had no experience. I used to dance ballroom dancing when
I was very little, but I didn't like it
because the boy who was assigned to me as my partner picked his nose a lot. It
disgusted me so much that I soon gave up.
Shane paid for our food while Tony and I went outside. We stood outside, where I
took in the views of the city at such a late hour. We were on the main promenade that
stretched along the beach, which was probably golden, beautiful and wide during the
day, but now it and the ocean formed only one big black abyss.
Groups of young boys were running along the sidewalk, laughing and carrying
bottles that probably contained alcohol. There were also girls dressed up. Some of
them looked like me, i.e. in sneakers and casual, but there were also those who wore
high heels and tight, short dresses, and the eyeliner on their eyelids stretched all the
way to their temples.
The twins took me to a bar as promised. We passed several interesting-looking

places along the way, but there was something wrong with each of them. There were
long queues in front of some of them.
Finally, we entered one where there were already quite a lot of people, and some
of them were swinging more and more boldly to the rhythm of the music. Tony
claimed it was only a matter of time before the small dance floor in the middle
would be full.
We stood at the bar, behind which there was a row of bottles of alcohol placed
neatly. There were three bartenders there. The lights inside were dim, and several
large speakers playing loud music were placed in corners.
I tried to appear knowledgeable, not so much to my brothers, who knew I hadn't

been to a place like this before, but to the rest of the people here, all of whom seemed
to come here every day. I had to be the youngest in the group again. I was glad I
drank all the sangria, otherwise I would have definitely been skulking timidly against
the wall. And so every now and then I was freaking out, much to the twins' irritation
but also amusement.
There weren't many places to sit. The few tables placed in the booths opposite
the bar were occupied, and probably already
for a long time. Only the high stools at the bar became vacant from time
to time. At one point Shane caught one of them and offered it to me as I
swayed slightly for the hundredth time.
The brothers stood on either side of me, like knights in shining,
branded armor, and I leaned back against the counter.
Pumping my legs, I watched as partygoers slowly began to flow onto the
dance floor.
– What do you normally do at such events? – I asked my brothers,
slowly getting bored with their company.
“We don't supervise small children,” Tony replied and took a sip of his beer.
– Oh, you guys go out with random girls instead?
I giggled when I saw his face.
“Don't say that, Hailie,” Shane admonished me.
He clenched his jaw tightly and his eyebrows rose a little, so...
to chill him out, I raised my arm and put it over his shoulder.
– How should I say it, hmm? – I asked, looking from one brother to
the other. – When I speak nicely, you laugh at me, and when I speak
ugly, you get angry.
– Don't talk about it at all.
I faked a sad face.
"Aw, what's up, Tony?" Do you feel uncomfortable when I mention sex?
He grimaced. Ha!
– No, but why prattle on about something you have no idea about?
little girl? – he asked.
I sighed loudly and demonstratively.
– And whose fault is it? It's because of you that I will be an eternal virgin.
Both boys reacted with mischievous smiles at these words. A guy

was standing next to Tony, waiting to be served by the bartender. He
must have heard our banter, because at the end he gave me a much too
interested look.
I blushed, but fortunately, the drunken feeling of shame disappeared as quickly

as it appeared. I pivoted nimbly in my seat and drank some beer from Tony's bottle
as he set it down on the bar.
He growled at me and snatched it away from me. Some of the drink spilled and I
laughed, licking the foam from my upper lip.
Suddenly the music stopped. The DJ, who had appeared on a small stage near
the bar a few moments ago, set up with his equipment and immediately the music
began to sound much louder, attracting everyone's attention.
The first sounds of Latin hits encouraged many people to hit the dance floor. I also
started to shyly sway to the rhythm of the music. Shane noticed this because he
nodded to the dance floor, giving me a mischievous smile.
- Would you like to dance?
I nodded eagerly and jumped off the stool. Shane led me to the middle of the
dance floor, among the drunk but happy people. Being a not-so-great dancer, I
stepped on his shoe several times, once almost bumped into a tall boy but Shane
caught me in time, and then I hit his chest when he spun me around too quickly. I
didn't care because I was having a great time. Besides, maybe in the crowd these
people seemed to dance quite well, but if you looked at them individually, almost
everyone moved awkwardly.
And that was the beauty of it all.

Another song. And one more. Only reggae tones. The DJ shouted something
about making noise and some "olé". And people screamed with him.
It was starting to feel like madness, but in a good way. Everyone was having a good
time, more and more people were coming.
– Olé! – I suddenly shouted out along with the others, stretching my hands up.
I even surprised Shane, who stopped dead in his tracks for a moment.
And when they played Gasolina's song, I thought I was going to jump out.
I screamed so loudly that I felt my throat tearing up. Shane was grinning at me.
The whole dance floor was swinging to the rhythm of the music, it was hot, it
was almost impossible to breathe. There was a smell of sweat, mixed perfume
and alcohol.
Shane wouldn't let me go even one step, and if someone was pushing too
hard, he would pull me aside and try to force the person to calm down. However,
apart from such moments, the fun was truly cultural.
- Hi! Your skirt is broken! – my brother called to me at one point

moment, and I had to strain my ears to catch what he said.
I glanced down. While I was dancing, one of my legs was practically naked
and out. Not to mention her blouse was riding up and showing a bit of her bare
back.
I laughed loudly and brilliantly, throwing my arms around Shane's neck as
he watched me with a dumbfounded expression.
“Not nice, little girl,” he growled in my ear, and so did I
I grinned even wider.
I was about to say something to him, but I felt a nudge and turned around.
Someone bumped into me, a girl. A very tall blonde, maybe even taller than
Shane. She was holding a glass of some orange drink in her hand. It's definitely
some kind of drink, and definitely with a lot of alcohol, judging by her drunken
eyes and her flushed face, where sweat has washed most of her make-up off.
– Oh, sorry! " she called to me, and I felt Shane's arm tighten protectively
around my waist.
- Does not matter!
“I was wasted,” the girl admitted, and I giggled.

– It doesn't matter either.
– You look very young. Are you an exchange student? – she asked, and only then
did I recognize that she was speaking with an accent I didn't recognize. The drunken
way she phrased her words didn't make things any easier either.
I nodded, avoiding Shane's gaze. It's not like I'm going to tell her that I'm sixteen and
go to high school.
- Where are you from? – she asked.
– From the United States.
– Wow, that's awesome! I'm from the Netherlands. Hey, old lady, I have to go.
We will definitely see each other again. Adios! – said goodbye to the girl whose name I
didn't get to know.
We actually saw each other again that night. She offered me one of the tequila
shots she shared with other students.
I was just leaving the dance floor and heading back to where we left Tony. He was
taking my stool and flirting with some girl, and next to me a Dutch woman was buying
alcohol and as soon as she saw me, she pressed a tiny glass into my hand and clinked it
with me.
– Don't you dare! “Shane shouted when he saw what was happening, and I leaned him
over in fear, immediately feeling a fire in my throat.
As if I had swallowed a burning candle. I started coughing, my new friend giggled and
applauded, and Shane's hand tightened on my shoulder. Tightly.
- What the hell? Hailie!
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and looked away so I wouldn't have to
look him in the eye. Instead, I started looking for my orangeade.
- What about her? – Tony asked, leaning away from the girl for a moment,
with whom he spoke.
– She drank a shot!
- What?
– Tequila, baby! – exclaimed the Dutch woman, passing us and disappearing into
the crowd again. She glanced at my brothers on the way. – Oh fuck! You are clones!
And she was gone.

– Fuck you, you won't sober up if you drink alcohol. Especially with shots.
Especially with tequila, Tony said to me.
“But it was so tiny,” I protested and showed with my index finger and thumb
exactly how much I thought it was. Then I realized that my tongue was starting
to get a little tangled, so I bit down on it lightly.
– We'd better get out of here. It's hard to keep an eye on her.
- NO! – I cried and real fear took over my body.

I started shaking my head and took a step back.
“Yes, the little girls are already asleep,” Shane said.
I think he was annoyed with me.
Even more so, I had nothing to lose. I turned around and ducked into the
thick crowd of people. I barely heard the twins calling behind me, it was so loud.
In addition, my head was buzzing. A shred of common sense kept me from
leaving, or maybe I was just having too much fun here to do so. Weaving
through the dancers, I escaped right to the stage where the DJ was standing.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tony standing inside, looking around, so
I ducked down and walked along the dais back to the bar. While focusing on
this very important mission for me, I hit my head on a student's thigh.
- Sorry! – I whispered, which I'm sure he didn't hear.

At the bar I straightened up. I didn't see any boys nearby, but I did see the
girl Tony had talked to earlier. She looked at me strangely. She whispered
something in a friend's ear. She was probably gossiping about me. I was about
to say something to her when someone tapped my shoulder again. A man was
just standing on a bar stool to get onto the counter. The people closest to him
quickly became interested in him and started cheering for him. A drunk Dutch
woman also appeared out of nowhere. It must have been her friend because
she shouted something at him in her own language. Suddenly he jumped onto
the counter
one boy, much more agile than the previous one, and they gave each other a
high five.
The bartenders didn't seem to care at all when the boys dragged a Dutch
woman into the bar. She could barely stand now, but for the sake of the growing
audience, she did a slow, sexy squat, then jumped up and blew a kiss into the
air.
I laughed out loud, momentarily forgetting about my brothers chasing me.
The girl looked down and recognized me. Before I knew it, with the help of her
friend who was with her, they had lifted me upstairs.
I turned around, stunned. Loud music, singing, clapping.

I felt dizzy. I didn't even mind the sticky countertop that my sneakers stuck to. Below
was a sea of people, everyone moving, saying something, or just wandering in their
own world.
– How high! – I called out, although no one understood me.

The lost expression slowly disappeared from my face and the smile returned to
it.
I started to get into the music. The Dutchwoman suddenly fell into my arms,
and I was surprised to put my uncovered leg on her hip and tilt my head back,
bursting into laughter.
– Dude, I love you! - the girl exclaimed, and before I could reciprocate her
feelings, I felt a tug at the height of my knees and I squealed loudly as Tony,
leaning on the stool, pulled me from the bar with a determined face.
I panicked for a moment as I lost my balance and went flying, but I landed
thrown over my brother's shoulder, first clutching his shirt tightly to steady
myself, then struggling for him to let me go.
-Tonyyy! Don't spoil the funyy! – I howled, looking at it with regret

we move away from the bar where another person was already being dragged.
I gasped for fresh air when we got outside. The silence seemed almost
unnatural to me. I started tugging
even more and by this point my screams were very audible, so Tony finally set me
down in front of him.
First, I regained my balance and closed my eyes so as not to vomit from these
sudden movements. It took me a moment to open my eyes again to stare piercingly
at my brother.
- What is your problem? – I exclaimed, leaning on my sides for effect.
Tony snorted. Apparently he wasn't in the mood for my showing off.

- I have a problem? Why don't you tell us about yours? – he growled. – What was
that supposed to be? Escape, dancing on the bar? You've got something wrong, girl,
this isn't a fucking playground.
“You're mad because I was having fun and you were bored,” I pointed out and
placed my fingers at the corners of his mouth to pull them down and emphasize how
sad he was.
He immediately slapped my hands away.
“You were right, we should have gone home right away,” he grumbled to Shane.
Oh, he was here too. He stood nearby and didn't look happy either.
Something came over me and I glared at the two of them furiously.

– You guys are terrible! It was so much fun, and of course you have to destroy
everything!
We were now standing on the promenade – wide enough to accommodate our
show and the people passing by.
“Hailie, you got drunk and then you just started to overindulge more and more,”
Shane said to me, his voice rising. – You're not one of them. You are not an exchange
student. You turned sixteen two days ago. You were supposed to have dinner with
us, dance and go home, not drink tequila and put on a show at the bar.
I pursed my lips and looked down. I wanted to yell at him, but I had no words. I
remembered that I am
only Hailie Monet living in a golden cage, whose boundaries are set at every
step.
My eyes watered and I didn't want to lift them, but when Shane spoke again,
he sounded much softer.
“It's not your time yet,” he muttered and wanted to put his arm around me,
but I jumped away from him.
– And you say that? You're not much older than me," I pointed out and
glanced at Tony as well. – And you're not students yet either.
And you party all the time! All the time!
They rolled their eyes at the same time, which I would have found funny if I
wasn't so pissed off.
– Did you see how many guys were drooling over you? Tony growled.
– And what, most of the girls there drooled over you too! – I replied, pointing
my hand at the bar.
Tony took a step towards me.
– Do you think that if you bumped into some of these guys while drunk, they
would cover you with a blanket and put a pillow under your head so you could
sleep well? What, you have no imagination?!
– The fact that some guys can't keep their dicks in their pants is not my
problem!!!
– No, but until you understand that there are lunatics who don't ask girls for
consent, just take what they want from them and don't give a damn about their
protests, then I'll fucking do everything I can to make sure you don't let them go
again for any party!
I had a staring contest with Tony, shaking with anger. – Great,
yes, Tony! It's best to lock me in a dungeon for the rest of my life, it won't
make any difference to me!
He lifted his bright eyes to the dark sky, as if searching there
support, and Shane took over.
– Hailie, relax, Tony wants to tell you that partying is more dangerous for
girls than for guys. We - here he pointed at himself and his brother - will at most
get punched in the face. you
something much worse could happen. Don't underestimate this. Be aware

of the risks.
I was aware and understood what my brothers meant.
Normally I wouldn't pursue this topic, but alcohol was like a devil sitting on
my shoulder and whispering in my ear.
The boys looked at me carefully to see if they had managed to get through to me
by my expression, and I stared back and suddenly hiccupped loudly. I immediately
covered my mouth with my hands and blushed.
Shane started laughing, and even Tony, even though he was angrier
than his twin, smirked too. That's why I pushed him.
“Go away,” I muttered. – And if you want to know, I can take care of
myself. I'm learning self-defense, remember?
I didn't impress him because he just shook his head, not believing that I
still had the strength and nerve to be arrogant.
- Yes? – he asked ominously. – And let me show you how much not
Can you defend yourself in the condition you are in now?
He took a few steps forward until we were almost touching.
I resisted my first instinct to back away from him and stood bravely, just
tilting my head higher and higher. I knew that if he tried to do anything, I
wouldn't be able to handle him because my reflexes were taking a nap at
the moment.
So I did the only thing that could save me in this situation. I burst into
genuine, loud laughter. I showed almost all my teeth there, and my happy
eyes sparkled so much that they seemed to soften Tony's stony heart,
because he smiled slightly, more indulgently this time, and shook his head,
saying, "We're going home, or I can't stand her." , I swear.
38
BORING TEENAGER
The twins insisted on not taking a taxi right away and just walking
first, along the promenade. They thought the fresh air was
supposed to be good for me. At the same time, they were annoyed
with me because my drunken step slowed down our walk. I kept
getting off track. I had to make sure my legs didn't get tangled, and
several times I even stopped unconsciously, staring at something
we were passing.
And we passed a lot of interesting scenes. I watched as people
lined up outside colorful clubs with loud, vibrating bass, trying to
appear sober so that the menacing, muscle-bound bouncers would
let them in. Many people came out of the depths of these
establishments to smoke a cigarette or just cool off.
We passed friends and strangers having deep, drunken

conversations on various philosophical topics. There was also a
girl, gushing tears like a fountain, overcome with the deepest
despair, comforted by a circle of friends. There were couples who
argued, made up, and those who ate each other's faces. Was
a guy who wasn't allowed to bring a tiny bottle of vodka into the place, so he drank it
right before entering so it wouldn't go to waste, and then got mad because he wasn't
allowed in anyway.
From time to time I also glanced to the left, and there was a beach there. The
sight of her fascinated and terrified me at the same time. The black sand blended with
the black water, which was indistinguishable from the black sky.
I didn't used to think of the beach as dark. After all, what is generally associated with
it is the sun, blue, gold and paradise.
I remembered the beach at night in Thailand, when we stayed there late a few
times, but its blackness didn't surprise me that much because it wasn't contrasted with
the promenade full of life, crowds and colorful lights like here.
Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly covered my mouth with my hand and felt myself
sweating. I looked up at my brothers, who were a few steps ahead of me before they
realized I had stopped. They turned around and already knew what it was about.
“I think I feel sick,” I muttered through my fingers.

Tony closed his eyes and Shane moved behind me, grabbed my arm, and led me
aside to sit on the low wall that separated the walkway from the beach. I obediently
plopped down on him and, following his further instructions, placed my head between
my legs, taking deep breaths.
It took a while and then I felt like I was almost starting to drift off, so I forced myself
to open my eyes and look up. Tony stood next to me like a guard. All he was missing
was a spear on his back. He had one hand in his pocket and a cigarette in the other.
He calmly watched the people passing by and lazily moved his gaze to me when he
felt me tug on his pants.
-Where's Shane? – I asked weakly.

“He'll be back soon,” he muttered. He looked down at me and didn't seem to feel
much sympathy for me.
– I want to go home.
“He'll be back soon,” he repeated more emphatically.

With a pitiful sigh, I buried my face between my knees again, trying to understand
why a moment ago I felt like swinging on the bar, where neither the heights nor the
stuffiness bothered me, and now suddenly I couldn't sit still without feeling dizzy.
A minute or two or ten later, the sounds of the twins' familiar voices flooded into
my absent mind. He just came back
Shane. He complained about the long queue. He asked how I was feeling. I wouldn't
raise my head just to greet him again, but the smell of food made her head shoot up.
Shane held three silver-wrapped tortillas in his hands. Tony was taking over one of
them, and I reached out for mine.
I felt that this is what I need now. As soon as the warm pancake landed in my hands, I
unwrapped the foil and bit into it, not even trying to pretend I was a lady. I immediately
got covered in garlic sauce poured over the freshly grilled meat.
It was accompanied by a bouquet of juicy salads. And all this wrapped in warm, elastic
tortilla dough. My stomach was almost howling with happiness, and I was ready to join
in.
“There's nothing like a post-party kebab,” Shane sighed with satisfaction.
“Party for me, too,” Tony snorted quietly, licking the sauce from his thumb.
I didn't want to take part in this exchange, so I stayed silent. I had food, so I was
happy. What's more, it really worked because the nausea disappeared. When I finally
couldn't take any more, Shane finished my portion for me, offering me a small bottle of
water that he probably bought along the way. I sucked on it and drank almost all of its
contents as instructed.
Fully fed and watered, I immediately felt better. I regained my energy, but it still
cost me percentages, even though I was convinced that I had already started sobering
up.
Wrong conclusion.
“Come on, let's go, the taxi rank is right there at the end,” Shane said to me as he
stood over me and put the cap on the bottle of water I had just given him.
I obediently stood up, swayed, and sighed softly in disappointment at my lack of

control over my body. With my belly full, I was even slower. I tried to walk, but either I
had a small contraction or I felt so tired... It got to the point that Tony simply lost his
patience, walked up to me and in one quick movement he lifted me onto his back.
My confused brain took a moment to take in the situation. For a second I couldn't
decide whether I liked my new location or not, but I quickly noticed its undeniable
advantages. I didn't overwork myself and I could pay more attention to looking at
everything around me now that I no longer had to control my steps.
Tony held my legs and I wrapped my arms around his neck, getting used to his
pace. I was glad I wore a long skirt for the evening. I won't lie, I even enjoyed being
carried. Until I started to get bored. Every now and then I sighed quietly under my
breath. I heard the twins talking about something, but I didn't have the strength or
desire to listen, so I continued to drift off to my own thoughts.
I kept staring at the drunken students sneaking by, who seemed to be having more
fun that one night than I had in my entire life.
Sitting on Tony's back had one major drawback. I felt as if I had been invited to a
hearty feast and then wasn't allowed to touch any of the dishes.
I sighed and shot a pointlessly irritated look at the back of my brother's head. No
one noticed him, but I noticed something different and tilted my head slightly in alarm.
“Tony, Tony,” I called excitedly, patting him on the shoulder

and interrupting his conversation with Shane. – Tony, listen, this is important.
- What?
– Did you know you had a mole here?

I frowned intently and stared at the tiny, dark brown dot on the outside
of his earlobe. It was barely visible, but it must have been a mole. I
reached out to poke him with my finger and show him exactly where I was
looking, but he shook his head, swatting away from me like a fly.
I removed my hand, dissatisfied with his childish behavior.

I looked at my other brother, genuinely interested.
– Shane, do you have the same one too?
“Of course,” he snorted and gave me a half-smile, looking at me like I
was crazy. – After all, we are twins.
Lost in thought, I looked ahead. A large group of people were walking
from the opposite direction. Everyone seemed to be in an excellent mood.
They were shouting over each other, and some were holding various types of alcoholic
drinks in their hands. Several of the girls present gave the twins long, interested
glances, and some even smiled flirtatiously.
I wanted to scream, warn them that they better not look at them at all,
because they are devils and it would be best if they ran away from them
wherever they could, but when I was undeservedly stared at by them with
envy, I just turned my head to the other side and placed my chin on my
shoulder. Tony and I raised my eyebrows in boredom.
The brothers were talking again. Tony adjusted me on his back to
make it more comfortable for him. I stared at Shane wearily.
He had his phone in his hands and was writing a message. A water bottle
was sticking out of his back pocket. I wanted to go home and go to sleep,
but at the same time stay out and do something else fun. Exciting.
“Hey, guys,” I said sleepily.

- What do you want? – Shane asked. He sounded tired too.
Me.
Before I opened my mouth again, I smiled teasingly and he probably
knew he wouldn't like what was about to happen, so
He gave me a warning look, which I was more than happy to ignore.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck-fhfbmhhphm,” I stopped when Shane's hand covered my mouth

and Tony stopped so abruptly that I lost my balance and tightened my grip on his
shoulders. – Ouch!
I know it was childish of me, but if my brothers treat me like a child, then please, I
will behave like one.
- Hi! What's wrong with you? – Shane growled with undisguised irritation.
- Sorry.
Memorki.
I giggled.
My brother looked at me like I was an idiot.

– Calm down, I'm not kidding. You can't.
Seriously, I raised my finger and waved it.
“Nu, nu, nu,” I agreed.
Shane just rolled his eyes and Tony sighed and moved forward, his hands
tightening on my legs as if he wanted to throw me off his back and was barely able to
hold back.
I was holding back too. From comparing him to a horse and shouting "woo". Even
my drug-addled brain knew it would be a mistake.
When we reached the end of the boardwalk, the line for taxis was surprisingly long,
and the twins didn't like waiting. They were impatient and accustomed to comfort.
That's why they both grimaced at the idea of standing obediently at the end of the
hose. Instead, they started scheming.
We entered a side street where it was more quiet.

Then Tony threw me off his back. Okay, maybe I colored it a bit. He didn't throw it off,
he just put it down, which I didn't expect, so I swayed, but I managed to catch it quickly.
balance. As I held on to the rough-to-touch wall of the sandy building, Tony opened
the taxi app on his phone, hoping that luck would smile on him and that it would help
us find a ride faster.
After a few attempts, it worked and he connected with the driver who was going
to stop in front of us in a few minutes in this quiet street where we were now. It is not
without reason that I mention her isolation.
Only wild cats roamed around and it was relatively quiet, although we could hear party
noises from the main promenade.
Shane went off to some 24-hour convenience store to buy a second bottle of water
since we still had a moment, and Tony leaned against the wall of the building, lit a cigarette
and clicked something on his phone, growling from time to time that this was some joke with
these taxis and waiting. He was in his typical grumpy mood, so I chose not to engage with
him and just shuffled around, ignoring his negative aura.
I tried to call the ginger tom to me, but it ran away as soon as I crouched down
and put my hand out to him. I followed him a bit and there, on the corner of the street,
a boy appeared out of nowhere. I thought he was a random passerby or a lost party
goer, but he stopped and winked at me. He was hiding behind the window, so Tony
couldn't see him.
– This cat is stupid to run away from SUCH a girl – he commented,

dazzling with his smile.
As I took a closer look at his face, I concluded that he was a man whose beauty
could either fascinate or repel. He had sparse facial hair and messy brown hair, and
he had a guitar tattooed on his arm, and I immediately thought he was some musician,
probably playing in a niche band, waiting for fame that would probably never come.
- Hi? – I asked politely, casually glancing at Tony, who, in contrast, was not paying
attention to me, a dozen or so meters away and staring at the screen.
– We met at the bar, remember? – the stranger continued. – Now I

saw you again, at the taxi rank. I don't want to wait for them either. –
He was a little unsteady on his feet, which should have been a red flag
for me, but I was intrigued. I had to admit that his face looked familiar,
so I frowned.
The man waved his hand as if to speed up my thought processes. –
You were protecting those two hotties with you for guarding your
virginity, heh.
Oh god, it's that guy from the bar who was staring at me after he
heard me talking to the twins. I immediately felt flustered, but I didn't let
it show.
I think so.
“It was a joke,” I muttered noncommittally.
- I see. – The guy rubbed his beard and swayed, giving me a rude
look. – What kind of guard is this anyway? Are you the Queen of Italy
or what? – he snorted, as if he had just said something extremely funny.
I raised an eyebrow and I wouldn't be myself if I didn't say,

"Italy is a parliamentary republic."
- What?
“The queen isn't there,” I explained, but seeing his face, I gave up. - Never mind. I
nodded at Tony. – These are my brothers.
The boy nodded.

– I get it, I get it. Kind of screwed, he said, then sniffed, put his hands
in his back pockets, and shrugged. – Sex is nice. You do not know
what you're missing.
I grimaced.
– Mhm. I have to go.
I took a step back to get away from him and back to Tony, who could
keep a better watch on me.
The man panicked that I was leaving because he had obviously already imagined
who knows what. He ripped his right hand out of his pocket and grabbed my elbow.
- Wait wait…
- Do not touch me! – I growled and pulled away, and he held up his
hands as if he was giving up.
– Hey! Who are you talking to?! " exclaimed Tony, who looked up at
the sound of my voice and looked around, confused at first when he didn't
see me anywhere nearby, only at the end of the street, far away. He
threw the cigarette on the ground and, without looking back, ran towards
me.
The man standing in front of me saw my brother, got scared and tried
to run away, but for the athletic, usually overactive Tony, some scrawny
artist who didn't even have his shoes properly tied was no challenge at
all. The other one hadn't had a good start yet, and my brother had already
grabbed him by the shirt.
- What the hell? – Tony roared, pinning him against the wall. He stared
furiously at his face contorted by the effort, while turning to me: "What did
he do to you?"
I shrugged innocently.
– He was talking to me about sex…
The guy annoyed me because he was invading my private space and

acting like a boor, so I figured he'd be fine if Tony roughed him up a bit,
but I should have expected it wouldn't end with a fight in such
circumstances.
Tony seemed to want to say some horrible curse or insult to the man,
but he couldn't find the right words out of rage, so he just spat at him,
raised his fist and...
I don't know because I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head.
He swung at my brother several times, but he was clearly losing the

fight. Because Tony got about twice from him, and he got about twelve
from Tony. Blood came out of his nose and it became dirty
the lower part of his face, his shirt and my brother's fist.
I saw it as soon as I dared to peek. This wasn't the first time I'd seen Tony in action,
and I knew what he was capable of. Part of me wanted to stop him, but I decided to
stay quiet and let him do his thing.
- Hi! – someone suddenly called out and I was sure it was Shane coming back
from the water store until I saw a police car pull up.
-Tony! – I screamed.
I wanted to warn him, but it was too late, because the two policemen in the car
clearly saw what was happening. The woman was driving and she was accompanied
by a man who immediately jumped out of a dark blue car with a rooster on the roof
and the words "Policía Nacional" written on it.
It wasn't until the cop broke his trance that Tony realized something was wrong.
The artist musician was moaning, leaning against the wall and trying to stop the
bleeding from his nose with the hem of his T-shirt. At the same time, he tilted his head back.
Stupid, you have to lean forward when you have a nosebleed. However, I wasn't
going to run to his aid because I was more worried about Tony, at whom the
policeman was shouting something in Spanish.
And then he flashed the handcuffs.
A policewoman got out of the car and approached the injured man, asking him
questions that he didn't understand, so she switched to English and then I strained
my ear to hear his answer.
– He attacked me. I didn't do anything to him. I do not know him. An idiot attacked
me. I want compensation. I'm pressing charges. I contribute.
Arrest him. He is dangerous, mentally ill - he complained to the uniformed officer
standing next to him, who was a short woman with dark hair gathered in a ponytail.
She had a stern expression on her face and looked like a tough woman.
Tony rolled his eyes and seemed unfazed by the fact that the policeman was
currently cuffing his hands behind his back in a less-than-gentle way.
Well, the sight moved me for both of us.

-Tony? "I called out, moving closer to make eye contact with him. Then I
noticed his indifferent look.
The policeman probably growled at me to move away.

“Wait here for Shane,” my brother ordered me.
They arrested him and probably wanted to take him to the police station. It
was my fault, I shouldn't have started talking to a stranger. I felt panic rising
within me.
– Please leave him, he helped me! – I told the policeman who looked at me
scowling. I guess he didn't understand me. I turned to the policewoman,
assuming her English was better. - This is my brother.
The one in handcuffs is my brother, he helped me. This man attacked me. He
told me he saw me at a bar earlier. I think he was following me. He was getting
at me, he ripped my skirt, look. – I waved the fabric and stuck out my bare leg.
– He was shaking me, he wanted... he wanted, I don't know... - I stopped
dramatically, and finally my innate tearfulness served me well, because I burst
into tears in an instant.
Tony stared at me with barely concealed surprise.

The policewoman's stern face softened, her partner glanced at her and me
suspiciously, and the musician stared in shock, momentarily forgetting about
the blood that was still leaking from his nose.
– She's lying, I didn't do anything to her!
– He said something about nice sex. He didn't let me go. He grabbed my

elbow right there, hard. Please look, there is a trace. I was very scared, I
continued, sobbing softly. I lowered my head and stroked my fingertips over
the place where this loser's fingers had actually tightened earlier. – When I
started screaming, my brother ran to me. He saved me from that pervert.
The policewoman looked at me carefully, as if checking my credibility. This

story, although slightly tweaked, was based on the truth, so it was easier for
me to convince her to believe it. Woman
she glanced at her partner, who was standing behind Tony, keeping an eye on him.
He looked back at her, and as she translated my rambling testimony into Spanish,
he glanced at my brother's back in confusion.
"She's a minor," Tony added casually.

– Did you offer sex to a minor? – the policewoman was outraged, this time
looking at the musician accusingly.
“It wasn't a proposal, ma'am,” I corrected her politely, wiping the tears from my
cheeks with the back of my hand.
Then everything happened very quickly. The policewoman became furious and,
with admirable strength for a woman, turned the stunned stranger around, then
pushed him against the wall he had been leaning against, and handcuffed him,
which was attached to her belt. The guy shouted something as the policewoman
led him to the police car. I think he even insulted me, but his tongue was too
muddled for me to make out any specific insults.
Meanwhile, a confused Shane joined us. Of course, he didn't know what exactly
happened, but he quickly picked up on my story and carried it out so that even if
the policemen still had some reservations about letting Tony go, they gave up after
Shane's arguments. He embraced me protectively, and I did my best to continue
playing the role of the wronged one. We were quite convincing because eventually
the officers whispered among themselves and the man cuffed Tony.
They identified us. They asked whether we would press charges or testify. They
also pointed out that I was under the influence of alcohol, and I'm not eighteen
years old. I guess I haven't sobered up as much as I thought. I had the impression
that the police in Spain were more relaxed, because in the United States they
probably wouldn't let me go home only after my brothers assured me that I would
definitely be punished for it.
We decided not to pursue the topic of being teased by a stranger.

We didn't want to wander around police stations at night or explain this matter to
our father at all, so we decided to wave her off.
and let the police take this idiot away. We got into the car, which Tony had previously
ordered via his application on his phone. It turned out that the driver had stopped
nearby some time ago and watched the entire incident with the police for a while.
Fortunately, he was so interested in our show that he didn't leave.
Shane dictated the address to him and he took us to Blanche and Benny's house
without any complications. At night, few cars roamed the streets of the island,
especially outside the city and tourist areas.
It was quiet and peaceful. On the way, I discussed the whole situation with the twins.
I explained that I had seen the guy at a bar earlier, repeated what exactly he had
said to me, and we decided to keep it between us. There was no point in discussing
anything. Especially with my father.
“By the way, you did a good job of it, little Hailie,” he appreciated
Shane, flashing me a smile from the front seat.
I looked triumphantly at Tony, who was peering out the side window.
- Yeah. If it weren't for me, they would have arrested you, I pointed out
and I nudged him lightly.
He moved his gaze to me.
– If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have to beat anyone's face.
What's right is right.
But deep down I knew I had impressed Tony a little.
Surprisingly, I felt better, but I dreamed of a bed. It was too

a lot of excitement for one night for a boring teenager like me.
Grandma Blanche's house, bathed in darkness, made quite a spectacular
impression. At night it looked like one of those abandoned houses in the middle of
nowhere that took on a life of their own. There was still no horror story here. Maybe
about a happy family whose head, for example the father, one day was possessed
by ghosts from the attic, then murdered his children, wife and finally committed
suicide. Yes, something like this would fit like a glove here.

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Machine Translated by Google

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Illustration and cover design: Dixie Leota

Dear Reader, because some of the

© for the text by Weronika Anna Marczak ©

32 FIRE BREATHING DRAGONS

37 HAILIE MONET LIVING IN A GOLDEN CAGE

42 KNIVES FLYING AROUND THE HOUSE

44 RECORDINGS RULE LIFE

46 CIVILIZED WAY OF COMMUNICATION

50 HER BLESSED PRINCESS

56 MOMENTS WEIGHT OF GOLD

FIRE BREATHING DRAGONS

It's just water.

– Hailie, good morning – Vincent greeted me in the kitchen,

“You should eat breakfast,” he said, still looking at me.

It's a pity that Eugenie didn't work on Sundays.

– If you don't feel better after eating, take a tablet.

– Do you already know who this parcel was from? - I asked.

– Are you going to give me detention?

– It's not a detention. And not a punishment.

“When I said limitation,” he said, “I mainly meant yours.”

– Why does Sonny follow me everywhere? What is it for decoration?

– Hailie, trespassing on your school grounds is not a good idea.

“This is a nightmare,” I sighed and buried my face in my hands.

– Hailie, don't get all worked up and dramatic, we're…

– I was being dramatic yesterday! Right after someone wanted me

At school I run into twins everywhere. I can't do this anymore...

- I told you. Your name carries both plenty

“I came here because I want to be alone,” I said, a bit rudely.

He probably thought I was spoiled and spoiled. It's difficult.

– Haven't you thought of anything stupid?

This is all stupid, I think I'll kill myself.

“I won't kill myself,” I said flatly.

– Yes, Miss Monet?

– It won't bother me, really.

I wrapped my arms around myself because I was getting colder, but

– Why are you a bodyguard anyway? You thought about it,

I warmed up. I closed my eyes, enjoying the pleasant feeling. I woke up

Will smiled even wider.

– As far as I know, you didn't eat much of it.

“You're a princess,” he replied with a smile and a twinkle in his beautiful

I closed my eyes and now it was me who sighed.

“Uh, where are you going, little girl?”

FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATES

My brothers may not be perfect, but I had to admit that to them

They praised me a few times, so that was enough for me.

– Why can't you draw such weapons in front of me? –

My brothers, however, took me to the shooting range.

“Hi,” he greeted simply, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

“Hi, Leo,” I whispered, swallowing. I tore off one hand

There was silence for a moment.

– Only four? Oh, that's okay.

It's just the wind, nothing happens.

Down below, just below my balcony, I saw a huge bouquet of red

I'm not a bookish Julia, much less a fairy-tale Rapunzel, so I decided to

“Put your jacket on,” my oldest brother said.

I casually glanced at his lips as well. I wasn't stupid enough to make

- What happened? – I asked, pointing to his wound with my chin. He

- Important. I want to know what happened between you and my

“Wow,” I muttered under my breath. I looked at the flowers, at the box

– It's a small thing. You deserve much, much more.

Do you want to come inside?