My Sugar Biker Daddies

Chapter Five

Chapter 5: Cold Walls

Elsie’s POV

I spent the next three days turning myself into stone.

The fear inside me did not go away, but it changed. It was no longer a wild, screaming panic. Instead, it became a cold, hard shield. I realized that showing them my anger or my tears only gave them power. When I cried, they saw my weakness. When I argued, they saw my spirit. If I wanted to survive long enough to escape, I had to stop giving them anything at all. I had to become invisible, even while standing right in front of them.

I stayed in my room as much as possible. I only came out when they forced me to, and when I did, I kept my eyes fixed on the floor. I did not look at the heavy muscles in Dean’s arms. I did not look at the intense dark eyes of Collin. I did not look at Jeremy’s mocking smile. To me, they were no longer handsome or confusing. They were just the walls of my prison.

On the fourth morning, the routine was exactly the same. I heard the heavy lock on the main suite door click open, followed by the familiar thud of their boots.

A knock sounded on my door. It was quiet this time, almost hesitant.

“Elsie,” Dean’s deep voice called out. “Get up. Food is ready.”

I did not answer. I slowly got off the bed, smoothed down the oversized gray sweatpants, and opened the door. I walked past Dean without looking at his face. I could feel his eyes on me, heavy and questioning, but I kept my head down and walked straight to the far end of the kitchen table.

Collin was already sitting there, reading a map spread across the wood. Jeremy was leaning against the counter, tossing a small apple up and down in his palm. When I sat down, Jeremy walked over and set a plate of hot toast and eggs in front of me.

“Here you go, little dove,” Jeremy said, his voice dripping with his usual fake sweetness. He leaned in closer, trying to force me to look at him. “You didn't say a single word yesterday. I was starting to think you forgot how to speak.”

I did not look up. I picked up my fork and slowly began to eat, my movements stiff and robotic. I did not frown. I did not snap back at his teasing. I gave him absolutely nothing.

Jeremy’s smile faded a little bit. He hated when he could not get a reaction out of me. He leaned back, his eyes narrowing. “Nothing? Not even a glare? You are getting boring, sugar.”

“Leave her alone, Jeremy,” Collin said from the other side of the table. He folded his map and looked across at me. His dark eyes were suspicious, scanning my face for any sign of what I was thinking. “She is finally learning her place. She is being quiet.”

“She isn't being quiet,” Dean said as he walked into the kitchen area. He sat down at the head of the table, his massive frame dominating the space. He did not touch his food. Instead, he just stared at me. “She is building walls. Aren't you, Elsie?”

I kept chewing my food slowly. I swallowed, wiped my mouth with a paper napkin, and kept my eyes on my plate. I felt like a ghost sitting at their table.

“Talk to us,” Dean commanded, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register. It was the tone he used when he wanted absolute obedience. “I bought you a new camera. I gave you books. We kept you safe when this place was attacked. The least you can do is look at us when we speak to you.”

I slowly lifted my head, keeping my face completely blank. My eyes met Dean’s cold, hard gaze, but I did not let any emotion show on my face.

“Thank you for the food,” I said. My voice was flat, empty, and completely devoid of life. It sounded like a recording.

Dean’s jaw tightened. He did not like this version of me. He liked the girl who fought back because she was easier to understand and easier to control. This silent, distant girl was a mystery to him, and in their world, mysteries were dangerous.

“Is that all you have to say?” Collin asked, his voice sharp.

“Yes,” I replied quietly.

I stood up, leaving half of my food on the plate. I did not ask for permission. I walked slowly back toward my bedroom, my boots making soft sounds on the rug.

“We aren't done with you,” Jeremy called out, but his voice lacked its usual playful edge. He sounded annoyed, frustrated by the cold wall I had built between us.

I did not stop. I entered my room and closed the heavy wooden door, finally letting out the breath I had been holding.

Once the door was shut, the blank look vanished from my face. My heart began to beat rapidly as I immediately went to work. I sat on the floor near the barred window, hidden from the crack in the door, and pulled out a small piece of metal I had found in the bathroom the night before. It was a loose screw from the bottom of the sink pipe. It was small, but it was sharp.

I began to scratch at the wood around the window frame, working slowly and silently. I was looking for any soft, rotted wood that might allow me to loosen the heavy iron bars. I kept my ears open, listening to the muffled sounds of the three brothers arguing in the living room.

They thought they had broken me. They thought my silence meant I had accepted my fate as their prisoner. But they were wrong. My distance was my weapon. While they were busy wondering why I had stopped fighting, I was going to find a way out of their cage.