“Where did she see him?” I asked desperately.
“She did not write it down. She said that when she realized he was of another house, she quickly left his side because she fears he will tell Luuk.”
“Did she Famke?” I asked.
“She did not say, so I assume she did not,” Ilse said sadly.
“Goddammit, where did she go?” I wondered out loud more to myself than them.
***
Famke
Finally in the heart of Amsterdam, Famke, I thought grimly to myself. I had spent the first five days in hiding. I didn’t want to be caught and sent back to Luuk until what I had set out to do was done, then I would return of my own volition and accept whatever he decided needed to be done with me.
I hated Luuk more than I hated anything in the world and I hated that he made picking on Betje and Minikin into a fucking game because he didn’t like Kerstan. They were like little boys constantly trying to prove that their whores were better than the others, while we put in all the work and didn’t get shit for it.
I reached the fourth and largest house that lined the outskirts of the Red Light District and knocked on the door. My game plan was to pass myself off as a girl looking for work and see what I could find. I wanted to speak to this Kerstan person about how Amity died so that Betje and Minikin could find some kind of solace in this fuck hole of a situation we were all in. They didn’t deserve to be there at such young ages. I had fucked up and got too far into drugs and gambling and so yes; I owed a debt and I would work it off, but I would not allow them to be used any longer than they had to be.
I waited patiently. A few minutes passed before an elderly woman opened the door and I immediately thought I was in the wrong place.
“I’m sorry. I was looking for work and possibly a place to live, but I think I’m in the wrong place,” I said turning to leave.
“What kind of work?” she asked in a surprisingly strong voice.
“Um, well I’m really good with my hands among other things.”
She stared at me through narrowed eyes for a moment before telling me to wait where I was and closing the door in my face. I shrugged and turned my back to the door reasoning to myself that I would wait five minutes and move on. Three minutes later the door opened again and I looked over my shoulder.
Wow. The man that was leaning in the doorframe was gorgeous to say the least and the way his lips curved as he smiled was enough to make my panties wet.
“You were looking to speak to me?” he asked in a Dutch accent.
“Are you the owner here?”
“I am.”
“My name is Famke,” I said turning to face him fully. “I’m looking for a place to stay and possibly to work for the roof over my head and meals. Are you taking anyone new?”
He chuckled and turned to his side, leaning his back against the doorframe and putting his hands into his pants pocket. He was wearing a black vest with a dark blue long sleeve button down shirt underneath. The sleeves had been rolled up to above his elbows and as I looked down I noticed his immaculately shiny black shoes.
“What do you think you would be doing for me here, Famke?” he asked, glancing at me with an amused look.
“Whatever you required of me,” I replied.
He nodded in approval and motioned for me to come into his home. I followed him silently, jumping when the door slammed shut, and kept my wits about me. When I had first been taken to Luuk, I had been drugged no more than two steps inside and woke up naked and shackled in a dark room.
As we walked past another elderly woman he said something to her that I didn’t understand. She nodded and walked quickly away.
“Do you belong to another house? Will I have to barter for you?” he asked me as we walked down the long hallway toward a heavy wooden door.
“No.”
“Good,” he said pulling it open and stepping in. I walked in curiously behind him and found myself in a large room with half naked girls sitting around on beds chatting excitedly.
“Looks like we’ve got a new girl!” the leggy blonde with the Scandinavian accent called out. I nervously looked at the man who was standing next to me. He shook his head in disapproval at the outburst, but nothing more.
“This is Famke; she will be joining our house,” he said nodding at me.