CHAPTER 24

Despite her rapid protests, Mira ended up dragging Alice out of the library and to a local cafe.

Luka Kohler (AN: Fem!Norway), Alice's other cousin, was waiting for them. She had been born in Norway, and met her husband, Matthias Kohler, in Denmark. When she discovered she had two cousins in London, Matthias practically dragged her all the way there. Luka usually was wearing a poker face, which helped when she was at her job. She was a banker.

"Lulu! Lulu! Guess what?" Mira kept bouncing up and down, like she'd drunk five pots of coffee already.

"What?" Luka's voice was monotone, as usual.

"Micul nostru Alice are un iubit~" Vladimira sung softly. Luka just hummed as she sipped her butter coffee. It was her third cup. Apparently, her baby had the same taste as she did.

"I don't have a boyfriend." Alice huffed, her cheeks bright red. "I'm seriously going to tell your husband that you were going to look at porn with another man."

Vladimira just grinned at the mention of her Bulgarian husband. "And you would only do tat if you really, really liked tis guy!"

"I honestly think you have too much time on your hands." Alice caught Luka's nod. "Shouldn't you be focusing on other things than guessing who I might be dating?"

Luka snorted softly. "Especially since she hasn't been on a date in three years, at least."

"That's not true-" Alice stopped, blood running cold as she caught Mira's evil grin. "Actually, Luka's right. I haven't been on a date in at least five years. Definitely not dating."

"Yeah, right." Vladimira's grin spread.

"Yes, do tell all." Luka said, sarcastically. Or was she being serious? It was hard to tell.

"It wasn't a date." Alice didn't look at them, instead focusing on her tea. "It was just lunch...and dinner."

"Oh, he's soooo into you~!"

"Shut up." Alice glared. "It was just two meals. He's a huge ladies man, anyways. And French."

"Kjærlighet kunne ikke bry seg mindre om dine fordommer, Alice." Luka piped up.

Alice stared at her, jaw loose. "You're on her side, now?"

The Norwegian woman shrugged. "Mira gir mer penger enn deg."

Alice snorted. "Mira doesn't have to support five people single-handedly."

Luka's attention turned on that. "How are things with your family, anyway?"

Alice grimaced. "They made me homeless and refuse to answer my calls."

"...Oh." Luka said. Mira started freaking out.

"Why didn't you call me?! You could've stayed wit me! Wait, where are you staying, now? Please, don't tell me you became a stripper-" Alice cut her off, before she could say anything else.

"I didn't call either of you because I was just going to stay at my office."

"But?" God damn it, Luka.

"But I found a place to stay." Alice's voice rose a little. "And it doesn't matter right now."

Mira held her head in her hands. "Într-adevăr a devenit o stripteuză!"

"No." The Englishwoman growled. "I just… Francis found me and took me in."

There was silence at the table for a long time. "Wow, two dates and you're moving in. That's pretty progressive of you." Luka deadpanned. "Have you two slept together, yet?"

"Luka!" Alice hissed. She could feel her face on fire. "I'm not some slut who just sleeps with some random guy."

"Tat's not what some fifty one-night stands would say." Mira pointed out.

Alice gave her a sizzling glare, but didn't deny it. "I didn't have sex with him."

"Yet."

A sharp retort of Alice's was cut off by Luka. "That's enough, Vladimira." She turned to Alice. "Do you seriously trust Bonnefoy? I will find you somewhere else to live if you're family's being fucktards and you're only going to this guy because he's the only one who can give you shelter."

A soft smile nearly crossed Alice's face. Luka was always so cold unless she really thought it was serious. "I've known him for almost a year, now, and he's been through some crazy shit while working with me. I trust him."

XXX

After another hour or so, her cousins had finally released Alice.

Filthy air and smoke pushed against her as she walked through the streets of London. Figures bustled around her, eager to get somewhere. One person crashed into her wounded arm so hard that she flew backwards, groaning in pain.

"You bastard-!" All she caught was a fleeting glance of bright hair, before the person disappeared into the crowd. But something else caught her attention.

A yellow note covered in chicken scratch laid next to her, and it was written in blood, splotches here and there over the paper.

Why aren't they answering the phone?

Translations:

Micul nostru Alice are un iubit~ = Our little Alice has a boyfriend~

Kjærlighet kunne ikke bry seg mindre om dine fordommer, Alice = Love could not care less about your prejudices, Alice.

Mira gir mer penger enn deg. = Mira makes more money than you.

Într-adevăr a devenit o stripteuză! = You really did become a stripper!