I spent today entirely in my new bedroom, getting used to being alone in there, so I hopefully would be able to sleep in my own bed at some point. Nate wasn't pressuring me or anything, but I didn't want to overstay my welcome in his room if you could call it that.

The weather was dark and gloomy, and the spring temperature had decided to stay hidden behind heavy clouds and a constant breeze. It was one of those days where I hadn't changed out of my pajamas even though it was 3 pm and had only moved from the nest I had created on my bed when I was hungry.

I was completely engrossed in the TV-show that was rolling on the flat screen when Slade barged right in without knocking, scaring the life out of me. I jumped up, clutching my blanket tightly to my chest with big eyes.

Slade gave me a glare - nothing new about that - and strode closer to my bed.

"Get changed. Fast".

I didn't even have the chance to say anything before he walked out slamming the door loudly behind him. I untangled myself from my ton of comforters and sprinted into my walk-in closet, changing into the first pair of tights and blouse my eyes landed on, quickly putting on some shoes.

When I jogged downstairs, I was met by the same glare from before.

"You're late", Slade grumbled through gritted teeth.

"I came as fast as I could", my small voice answered nervously.

Slade somehow always managed to make me feel uncomfortable and I had a strong urge to just crawl further into my shell, hoping for it to close and make me invisible.

"Not fast enough", he replied sharply and turned around on his heel. I shivered slightly from his sternness but followed him like a lost puppy anyway.

Outside at the main entrance a shiny white sports car was waiting for us. I didn't even know that my brothers owned such cars. Without confirmation I was sure they owned so much more that I don't know about either.

The second my butt connected with the leather seat Slade pressed the gas pedal. At the speed he drove I had to hold on tightly from the bumps on the uneven gravel beneath us, otherwise I would have flown out of the opened window like a newborn bird who hadn't learned to fly yet.

After driving for a long time, we arrived at a big field with a playground. I squinted my eyes suspiciously when I noticed that there were more adults than kids.

What kind of place was this?

I tagged along behind Slade as he approached a group of four guys who were standing off to the side with their hoods covering their heads, a heavy cloud of smoke surrounding them. It didn't look like normal cigarettes though. These were more sluggish and looked to be homemade from the way it was rolled. It didn't smell like nicotine either but had a much more horrendous stink to it.

I stayed a few feet away from them, not really knowing what to do. As my eyes carefully scanned the area they connected with an unfamiliar pair of blue eyes.

"Who's the little girl?" His dark voice questioned, shifting his gaze between Slade and me.

"Don't mind her. She's not important", my brother answered without even looking at me. "Go do something else", he added with a hiss over his shoulder.

I gulped, feeling the well-known painful knot that twisted in my stomach and ached in my chest. Marc's rejection from a few days ago still hadn't vanished. It was just a reminder of the fact that they didn't see me as family and most likely never would.

Blinking unwanted tears away, I turned on my heel, heading for anywhere other than near Slade. Thankfully, the playground was big and there were a lot of things you could do. I sat alone at the swings for a while, watching as the boys in the distance talked and paced back and forward a few times. It was hard to tell from so far away what exactly they were doing but I didn't care anyway. I was in a bad mood.

When some younger kids started to play close to where I was swinging, I chose to abandon my spot. I didn't want to be close to any people right now. I just wanted to sulk alone. Climbing up the ladder to the play tower, I debated whether or not I wanted to try out the monkey bars or perhaps the slide. Either way if I wasn't careful about how I was going to get down I would end up in a huge puddle of melted snow and mud.

"Are you going down or what?"

I turned to look behind me at a boy who looked to be a bit older than me. His eyes were glaring down at me as he towered over me.

"Uhm, I don't know yet", I mumbled, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Are you scared?" He mocked with a malicious smile.

My fingers fumbled together. "No. I just haven't decided". It seemed like my voice grew smaller and smaller by every word.

"I think you are a scaredy-cat", the boy scoffed, then raised an eyebrow as he scanned me from head to toe. "What kind of loser are you anyway? You aren't wearing a single designer label".

Biting my lip, I gave myself a self-conscious look. He was right. My clothes looked nothing like his with all of the different labels that were shown all over. Mine was old and worn-out. Nothing like his.

"I don't want any trouble. Just leave me alone please", I said, glancing away from him as he chuckled.

"I don't want any either". He raised his hands in mock surrender with a malicious glint in his orbs. "Here, let me help you down", he said in a sugar-sweet voice.

Before I knew it, I felt a harsh push and then I was in mid-air, until I landed in the middle of the freezing puddle, the water drenching me to the core.

Roaring laughter from the boy erupted, making me feel like it deafened my ears from the howls of amusement. The embarrassment was drowning me more than the actual water I landed in.

I quickly stood up and got out of the puddle, wrapping my arms around myself, ignoring the throbbing pain that radiated in my entire body. I was more worried about if I was going to freeze to death when the sun refused to peek out behind the heavy clouds.

The boy kept laughing as I stood there now cold and shivering, my drenched clothes clinging uncomfortably to my skin. A small part of me was disappointed that Slade hadn't seen. Not that I thought he would do anything about it. Maybe he would have just thanked him instead for trying to drown me.

A deep flaming blush covered my cheeks as I scuttered away, hoping no one else had seen what had happened. When my teeth started chattering from the cold, I swallowed my pride and slowly strode towards where the guys still stood.

The same blue eyes as before spotted me first as I lingered in the background. He laid a hand on Slade's shoulder, tilting his head in my direction.

Cognac colored orbs moved towards me with the usual glare as he took in my appearance. His jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Fucking hell", he muttered in a mad tone, rolling his eyes.

"Better take her home", one of his friends said, giving me a sympathetic smile. He seemed like the nicest one of them.

Slade huffed but agreed nonetheless, accepting a small plastic bag of something he tucked inside his pocket.

I shrinked when he grabbed my arm, dragging me over to the car. His hold almost hurt from how tight his fingers curled around wrist. He didn't say a word to me as we took off, but it was clear to tell that he was angry from how reckless he was driving. It felt like we were swinging from side to side and barely got out of the way before we would have smashed into another vehicle.

Slade didn't say anything at all on the way home and neither did I. I was trembling too much to even get words out.

As I was about to descend the sports car a hand grabbed my arm. I think I flinched, but it might just have been terrible shivers that were running up and down my arms and legs.

"Not a word about the playground", Slade muttered in my ear in a low tone, a clear warning.

I nodded, not really knowing what exactly he meant. I just wanted to get inside and get warm as soon as humanly possible.

When I started to follow behind him, I noticed one of those plastic bags from earlier slip from his pocket. Not thinking too much about it, I picked it up, holding it tightly in a fist as I tried to catch up with Slade before he got too far away.

"Slade-"

"Shush", he hissed as guided me through the foyer, trying to sneak past anyone that might be in the living room.

"There you are". Embry's voice sounded behind us just as we were about to go up the stairs. "I was starting to wond- oh, what happened to you?" He scanned me up and down with wide eyes.

I briefly glanced at Slade when he didn't say anything. He was busy inhaling deep breaths, so I took it as a sign that I was supposed to answer the question.

"I fell in a water puddle", I replied quietly, hoping there won't be a fuss about it. I was still embarrassed by what happened at the playground and didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"I can see that silly but where?" Embry chuckled lightly.

"Down at the dock", Slade responded, turning around to face our older brother with a calm facade, even though I could see how stiff his body seemed. I didn't understand why he would lie about where we were.

"Oh", Embry's brows rose as his narrowed bright orbs seemed to darken a little. "What a coincidence. We have just been at the dock house, and you weren't there".

My body froze at his words. What is going to happen now? Were we caught? Am I going to be in trouble too? What if they kick me out for being a bad sister?

"Where were you?" Embry's voice was filled with sternness, something so foreign to his character. I didn't like it.

"Don't worry about it", Slade dismissed with a waving hand, playing it cool.

Even though it was an act I wished I could be just as cool in this situation. I'm almost falling apart here from the thick tension that is enveloping around us.

"Where were you Slade?" A deep cold voice made more shivers run down my spine and my breath got caught in my throat.

There was a moment of silence.

Guess we found out who can make Slade's confidence disappear.

"Look, don't worry about it, okay. I took her on a walk like you have been telling me to do all fucking day and she fell in the water. End of story".

From the corner of my eye, I could see the way Slade brushed a hand through his hair with fast moves, brushing his palms on his pants afterwards then crossing his arms across his chest in rapid motions. He was nervous...

"Estella", the same cold voice from before sliced through the tense atmosphere like a knife.

I slowly moved my eyes away from the small water puddle that had started to form at my feet and looked into those crystal eyes that were staring intensely at me.

"Where were you?" Sebastian repeated, his voice still even and full of authority.

I gulped as all eyes looked at me, one pair practically drilling holes through my skull.

"At the dock". My voice faltered through my pathetic attempt to lie; I was shaking too much.

From being cold but also from the overwhelming nervous feeling that was running through my body with the speed of lightning.

Sebastian's eyes didn't change, and he didn't raise his voice as he gestured for me to move in front of his tall statue. "Come over here young lady".

With burning cheeks, I slowly approached him, keeping my head down. Why couldn't he just yell at me so we could get over this thing? And why did everyone have to be here to watch me be scolded like a toddler?

"Look at me".

My gaze traveled from his newly polished shoes all the way up his black suit to his emotionless eyes.

"Where were you?" He repeated for the third time. "And don't you dare lie to me".

I was too scared to find out what would happen if he had to ask a fourth time, so I swallowed deeply and prayed to God that Slade won't hurt me for snitching.

"At a playground".

"Why wouldn't you just say that you took her to a playground instead of lying to our faces?" Embry questioned, folding his arms over his chest. He looked like a dad when he did that.

Slade sighed. "I don't have to tell you everything".

"No, but when you aren't honest with us and force Estella to participate in your lies then it's hard not to grow suspicious about what you're doing", Sebastian retorted, putting his hands in his pockets.

"You're right", Slade sighed again. "Sorry, I just didn't want anyone to know that I was at a playground, surrounded by a dozen annoying little kids".

Embry shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine but don't make our sister lie the next time. It's a bad example for her".

"I won't". Slade ran another hand through his hair, diverting eye contact at all times.

"Go get changed", Sebastian mumbled down to me.

Before I even had a chance to head for the stairs, a new brother's arrival made me stay put.

"What's that smell?" Ray murmured as he appeared around the corner, sniffing the air.

At those words the elder twins inhaled deeply with a frown. I on the other hand knew exactly what smell he was talking about. It was the same one that had followed us home from the playground and seemed to make me a bit nauseous.

"It's marijuana". Marc stood at the second-floor landing, looking down at us with his intense midnight eyes. I had no idea how long he had been observing us.

No one said anything for a minute or so. I was slightly shifting from one foot to the other, still freezing from head to toe.

"Slade, is that true?" Embry asked with disbelief as his eyes seemed to have grown the slightest bit.

"Of course not!" Slade yelled defensively.

"Shut up. I can smell it all the way from up here". Marc started to stroll down the steps, his wide frame blocking any way of going upstairs. I hadn't seen him since we were at the casino but somehow his words from that night still rang in my ears and a dull pain jabbed in my chest.

"Fuck", Ray cursed, rubbing his forehead. "Why would you do that? It can ruin your entire career". He sounded so disappointed as he gazed at his twin brother.

Slade just shrugged his shoulders, not seeming to care anymore if our brothers found out about his doings or not.

"I don't really care why you have been smoking joints. What I want to know is why you brought our five-year-old sister with you? You are obviously not capable of looking after her properly" Sebastian's calm and icy voice felt deafening in the spacious foyer.

The loose strands of my hair suddenly became very interesting.

"Relax, nothing happened".

"Clearly", Ray said, with a hand pointing at my small trembling frame.

"It's her own fault she fell in the fucking water!" Slade shouted, almost making my knees buckle out from underneath me.

"And it's your fault that she was there in the first place", Embry retorted smoothly.

"What's going on here?"

At the sight of my eldest brother showing up from one of the hallways I felt the strongest need to run straight into his arms. If my legs weren't trembling so much from being cold, I might have done it.

Sebastian let out a lazy sigh. "What's going on, is the fact that our little brother here is high".

Nathaniel didn't say anything, just studied Slade with an intense stare, until he used his fingers to gesture for him to come closer, like Sebastian had done with me. When he was in arms reach Nathaniel grabbed him roughly by the face and tilted his head in different directions, checking his pupils. This was the side of him I didn't like. The unaffectionate side that he had never treated me with.

"You were in our baby sister's company high on drugs?" Nathaniel's question was more like a conclusion, a sharp edge lingering there.

"As high as a rocket", Slade replied casually swaying from side to side, not even trying to defend himself anymore.

"Unbelievable". Embry shook his head in dismay.

If fury was an element, I was pretty sure burning flames would be piercing out of my brothers' eyes. I didn't quite understand what Slade had done but it was pretty clear that whatever it was our brothers didn't approve of it.

"Have you lost your fucking mind? The kid could've taken some too!" Marc yelled; his big hands balled into fits.

A hand caught my chin, forcing me to look into Sebatian's blue eyes as he tilted my head back, scanning my pupils.

"Have you taken anything?" His deep voice rumbled in a low tone, that made my stomach curl together.

"No", I whispered, wanting nothing more than to disappear. I was starting to get scared.

Suddenly Sebastian's hand was knocked away from my face. Instead, Marc had taken his place, tightening his hold on my jaw as he leaned down, never once breaking eye contact with me.

"Are you sure?" He repeated in a growl, doing a further examination of my pupils that were glazing over.

"I haven't taken anything", I whimpered in fright.

"Let go of her!" Nathaniel boomed, once again coming to my rescue.

Embry roughly grabbed Marc by the collar of his shirt pulling him away from me. "Calm the fuck down! Don't be so rough with her. She's a toothpick compared to you", he reprimanded with a stern voice.

I dropped my gaze to the ground as I bit down on my bottom lip to prevent it from wobbling, trying to stop myself from crying.

Too caught up in my gloomy thoughts, I hadn't noticed Nate had moved closer to me and was squatting down to my height. He wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me to him so he could rest my weight on his thigh not caring about how drenched his own clothes are going to get. As his warm body temperature coated me in warmth from head to toe, I buried my face in his chest.

"You're freezing cold", he murmured against my ear as he rubbed his hands up and down my back, creating a small bit of warmth. "Wanna go take a bath?"

Not trusting my voice, I just nodded my head, my fingers playing with the end of his tie.

"Ray can show you where the bathtub is and then we can watch a movie together after dinner", he offered.

Feeling how my toes had grown numb from coldness, I nodded again in agreement. A warm bath would be nice.

Nathaniel planted a small kiss on my brow as he released me from his embrace.

"What's this?" Ray asked, when his eyes landed on my hand that was still curled into a fist. I had completely forgotten that I still had the small plastic bag there after everything that had just gone down in the foyer.

I uncurled my fingers, showing the bag filled with white powder. He snatched it from me with big eyes as he looked at it from me.

"Slade dropped it outside", I answered the question that was on the tip of his tongue before he had a chance to voice it out loud.

Ray gritted his teeth as he tossed the plastic bag to Nathaniel.

"Coke", he muttered through a clenched jaw as he took a light hold of my hand and led me upstairs, Demon, the dog following behind us.

"You, come with me", was the last thing I heard my eldest brother say as I twisted my head behind me to see him and Slade go the other direction. Biting my lip in concern, I wondered what kind of trouble the youngest Cifuentes brother had gotten himself into and was I to blame?

Ray took me into Nate's large bathroom that could easily be a spa. He hadn't said anything at all. Is he mad at me? I did get his twin in trouble...

"I'm sorry about what happened downstairs", I mumbled, enjoying the floor heating that was warming up my cold feet as I ran my fingers through Demon's black and white fur. It was so soft.

"Don't worry about that.