Free Steel 4: Blackthorne MC #4 by Carrie Cox

1

    Ella
    “Please, Ella, let me in. Talk to me.” Nick’s voice came from outside the bedroom door. It had been two days since Chad and Tom had refused to take me with them to Vegas, following Victor Blackthorne’s orders. I was still furious.
    I’d pretty much stayed in my room the whole time apart from mealtimes. As mad as I was, I knew I couldn’t keep on like this, though. I needed to make a plan. I intended to escape on my own.
    “Go away, Nick.”
    If I had to give him marks for persistence, he’d get ten out of ten. I knew the other members of the crew were teasing him about it. I’d overheard them at dinner last night, but I didn’t care. I’d been taken in for too long by his act. I really thought he wanted to help me. The joke was on me.
    I ignored Nick for another ten minutes until he finally fell silent and I heard his footsteps retreating.
    I waited for a couple more minutes then opened the bedroom door a crack, peeking out into the dark corridor to make sure he really had gone.  
    It was empty.
    There was no lock on the bedroom door so the only thing keeping Nick out was me telling him to go to hell. At least he was respecting my wishes. I suppose that should count for something…  
    I could feel my willpower weakening. No! It didn’t count for anything. I needed to harden my heart to him.
    I couldn’t rely on anyone else.
    This wasn’t some fairytale, and I wasn’t a Princess waiting to be rescued. I needed to save myself.
    I walked down the corridor, carefully keeping an eye out for Nick, but he seemed to have disappeared. I could smell the bacon cooking and made my way to the kitchen. Nancy and Teresa were in there preparing breakfast.  
    Nancy was frying the bacon and had a skillet of eggs next to her. “Morning, Ella.”
    “Morning.” I smiled Nancy. “That smells good.”
    “Not as good as these are going to smell in a couple of minutes,” Teresa said. “I’m making pancakes. Do you want some?”
    I looked at the gloopy batter mixture she was stirring. “Sure, thanks.”
    She took a handful of blueberries from a bowl by her side on the stainless steel counter.  
    “Just like my mom used to make,” she said. “Pancakes aren’t the same without blueberries.”
    I often wondered about Teresa and the other girls here at the Blackthorn club. It was very isolated so surely they must miss their families.
    “Anything I can do?”
    Nancy nodded at the cupboard beside the sink. “You could get a few plates out, please.”
    I did as Nancy asked as Teresa chattered away about how her mother’s pancakes were the best in the world. Then Teresa turned to me and said, “I’m going into Dorset City later. Do you want to come?”
    Nancy dropped a spoon against the skillet with a large clang, making both Teresa and I turn around.
    “No!” Nancy said loudly.
    When Teresa and I stared at her in shock, she continued, “I mean… that’s not a good idea. Victor wouldn’t like it, Ella.”
    When Nancy turned back to the skillet, and turned her attention back to the eggs Teresa looked at me and mouthed, “Damn, girl, what did you do?”
    “Absolutely nothing,” I muttered.
    Breakfast was an awkward meal. Victor often ate on his own but today he was in the bar with the rest of us. I glared at him angrily. But he didn’t even look at me.  
    I was so tired of this pathetic game. I decided I wasn’t going to play it any more.
    I forced myself to eat my pancakes, which were really good, but my appetite was reduced to almost nothing by Victor’s presence.
    He chatted away happily as I glared at him from my table across the room.
    The bar, like most bars and nightclubs, didn’t look so good during the day. The bright sunlight showed up the dust and scratched wooden panels.
    Victor’s face was much the same. The glare of sunlight highlighted his scar and made him look even more evil.
    Nancy was sharing his table, and she kept sending me anxious looks. I didn’t have anything against