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The first night she saw him she brushed it off as a coincidence. By the second night he was there, she realized that he was watching her.
She had to pick a side if she wanted to survive in London. The streets were divided like puzzle pieces, each place separated by the gangster that owned it but stitched together to create the city. She picked the Italians. Or more so, her family lived in their section of the world and the only job she could take that could afford her to some day leave was with the Italians.
Sabini took particular care of his club girls, giving them all silver necklaces with a symbol on them that represented his clubs. Hers was an ornate E for the Eden club.
"If a fucking ruffian so much as stares at you wrong, bird, just pull out your necklace and tell them that Sabini will fuck them up if you don't get home safely," Sabini would wheeze. "I don't have time for fucking animals in my neighborhoods. They'll fucking die on the first report."
Most men would avoid any woman on the streets in your part of town, especially in the late hours of the night. Sabini made it crystal clear what he allowed and didn't allow in his neighborhoods.
So the first and only time a man came up to her in the twilight of dawn, she was caught unaware.
"Give me your money, bitch!" The man growled, looking side to side before jabbing the air in front of her with a knife.
"I - I- I-" she whimpered, shaking in place as her hands went to pull her necklace from the cleavage of her dress. "Sabini –"
"Sabini will be very fucking angry if you carve up one of his pets, mate," a dark voice chuckled behind her. "Best find a new target."
The man in front of her turned deathly white as he looked past her shoulder. His eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment before they widened and he dropped his knife and ran. She let out a rattled breath before turning to her savior.
"Thank you–"
She froze in her tracks as she saw the pale man. His hat lay low on his brow, hiding any hair he might have on his head, but his reddened beard sprouted from the hat and circled his face to hide the smirk pressed on his lips. His hand, covered in jeweled rings, stretched atop a cane that she hadn't remembered hearing. His suit was nice, but his shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a small tuft of matching hair.
"No need to thank me," he said, slowly revealing a smile that caused her to jerk in fear. It felt too predatory, too primal.
"You were getting the words out, pet," he said. "I just said them faster."
"My name is Alfie," he said as he took a step closer and extended his hand. "And you are?"
"Rose," she whispered as she thoughtlessly grasped his hand.
His hand was ice cold. She shuddered.
"Lovely as one," Alfie murmured as he leaned down and kissed her trembling hand. "Sabini was smart to pluck you as one of his own."
"I'm just a server for Eden," Rose whispered as goose bumps ran up her arm and her hair stood on end on the back of her neck. "I'm not special."
"Beautiful and modest," Alfie said as he let go of her hand and took a step back.
Rose relaxed instantly, confused but more at ease as his eyes watched her closely. She smiled a small smile.
"Thank you, but I better go," she said as she took a step back.
For some reason she had the urge to not turn away from the man, but she needed to go home.
"Another night, then, pet," Alfie offered as he tipped his hat.
And indeed, she saw him another night. And another. And another.
Alfie began showing up at the Eden. At first, he would sit across the club and watch her. Ask his server questions about her; what she liked, disliked. Then slowly he began to sit closer and closer. A table closer every night until he was finally seated in her section and could ask her questions himself.
They were small, innocent questions like what her favorite food was or her favorite flower. Then they became more intrusive, like if she had family or friends. What she did in the wee hours of the morning after work. If she had a lover.
Rose felt compelled to answer him, but feared giving him the information. He would nod and mutter about what a good girl she was, earning a shot of fear and delight through her. She was conflicted; no one ever showed her such interest before.
Rose was a quiet girl who had no living relatives close by. She was a good girl that could only justify working where she did because even though she worked for a criminal, her job was legal and she herself was not a part of any illegal activities. She needed the money in hopes she could gather enough to leave the city and find a quieter village in the countryside to live. All she wanted was a quiet life with a good husband. London did not offer her that peace.
Alfie was always polite, but there was an undercurrent that scared her that she could not identify. He watched her a little too closely. He was a little too cold when he touched her. Something was wrong.
One night changed her forever.
"My darling flower," he purred as he reached for her hand in the early hours of the morning. "Do you need a ride home?"
Rose smiled as she allowed him to take her hand and she sat down in the chair near him. The club was slow tonight and closing soon. It was an hour to sunrise and a storm was raging outside. She did not want to run home in the cold rain.
"I'm not sure, Alfie," she drawled. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."
His cold lips caressed her hand.
"Then I'll take you to my home, pet," Alfie teased. "No inconvenience at all."
Rose gasped as Alfie chuckled. He let go of her hand and raised both of his hands as he lowered his head.
"Joking, love," he said. "No nefarious thoughts in my dirty little head. Only thinking of you catching a cold in this rain."
Rose shifted in her seat. Alfie sighed.
"Have I always been proper to you, flower?" He asked softly, meeting her eyes.
Her voice caught in her throat, so she nodded before she tried looking away. Alfie's strong hand lifted her chin until she met his eyes.
"Be a good girl, then," he whispered. "Be your sweet self and let me take you home."
She nodded. It only took ten minutes to gather her things and be off. The other girls didn't question her leaving with the man. He had been there so consistently, they thought he was her husband.
Rose told him what neighborhood she lived in, but soon Alfie took a weird turn. She froze in her seat, filling with fear, before Alfie patted her hand soothingly.
"Relax, flower," he said with a smile. "I know another way there. Relax."
His tone and touch felt foreign and cold, and yet it sedated her in her seat. She felt heavy and unable to move as her thoughts grew foggy. She couldn't focus on the road to tell if he was going the correct way.
A muffled scream grew in the back of her mind as she realized that the city streets fell away and the countryside surrounded them.
"Rose, love," Alfie said soothingly as he placed his hand over hers, "I need you to listen and relax."
Rose's eyes fluttered shut and darkness took her.
She woke on a hard bed, surrounded by the strong smell of flowers.
Her eyes flew open and she sat up, realizing she laid on a granite table surrounded by rose petals. Her dress had been replaced with a long thin white one.
"My girl," Alfie murmured as he walked up to her side and took her hand. "I have some explaining to do."
Rose pushed away but Alfie grabbed both of her wrists and pulled her to his chest.
"Now, now," he said through clenched teeth. "Be a good girl. Don't fight me now. It's too late for that. I've already decided."
Rose whimpered and began to cry.
"Sadness makes the blood sweeter, pet," Alfie breathed through open mouth, revealing his fangs. "Don't tempt me more."
Rose cried out as she pulled away again, unable to fight his strength.
"Right, fear," Alfie smiled. "Is more tempting. I'll have to speed this little talk up."
Alfie grabbed her chin and pulled her close until their lips were almost touching and she could only look into his blue eyes.
"I am immortal," he said as his brows knitted together. "I am very old. And you, flower," he said as his nose touched hers, "Are beautiful and sweet. You can teach me this new era as my wife, yeah? We can both find some peace in each other. Find the pieces we were lacking."
Rose continued crying quietly. Alfie gritted his teeth.
"Right," he said. "I know I can be a little gruff. Well, you'll learn to love me, yeah? We only have a millennia."
Alfie chuckled at himself as he pulled her head to the side and bit into her neck. Rose squealed in pain as she felt her neck break open and her life force leave her. Alfie's hands began to wander her body as she melted against him. He pulled away as her eyesight started to fade. He gently leaned her back until she was laying down like before. She looked up at him as he licked her blood off of his lips. He smiled wide as he shrugged before he brought his own wrist to his mouth and broke the skin.
"Can't blame a man for testing the merchandise," he chuckled as he pressed his wrist to her mouth and his blood slipped down her throat.
"Good girl," he rumbled as a tear slipped down the side of her face.