Sometimes there are things you don't expect to happen, at the same time there are people you never expect to come to your aid.
Ch 6: Predator in the Shadows
Two weeks had gone by since Heart and Alastor had their little coffee date slash interview. Besides the incident at the coffee shop, Alastor got Hearts' dress professionally cleaned and the stain was removed. It was brand new as if it had never been stained at all. Heart was grateful for the man helping her out. The last thing she wanted to do was get rid of one of her favorite dresses.
Heart was all unpacked in her new cozy home. There were still a few boxes here and there but for the most part she was all done. She loved her job so very much and it was the quaintest little town she was slowly starting to love. She had the best trio of family she could ever want, Kristen, her partner Rosie, and Alastor... especially him. He was so funny and generous to her, seeming to favor her over the other gals. The radio host seems to have his eyes on a certain new gal but she probably doesn't mind that.
The dark-haired woman was loving her new time in town. After being all unpacked and having her home feel like home, she couldn't picture herself anywhere else. Was wonderful to have her friend around and her new friends too. Especially Alastor as well because she got to see him almost every day and it was nice to have such a gentleman as a friend around. She even put his radio station on every day.
It was a Tuesday evening and Heart was waiting at the train car stop after the library closed at 6:00pm, Alastor wasn't there yet and the train car was almost there.
Heart looked at her watch. "He must have gotten held up at work again." She said sadly. She didn't know whether to stay and wait for him or to just get on. She didn't have much time to think about it as she saw the train car pull up.
Suddenly she hears rapid footsteps approaching and a man's voice she recognizes. "Hold the car please!"
It was Alastor as he was running up just in time with his coat on, holding his hat to his head and a small leather work bag around his person.
Heart stopped halfway onto the car to make sure she could hold it for him. She smiled as he got close and held his hand to help him into the car. He leaped onto the car with a smile, seeing Heart there.
"There you are." The woman greeted once she was fully in the car.
"In the nick of time my dear! Goodness me!" He said almost out of breath.
They both found a seat and sat next to each other. The bell rang to signal their departure. He still huffed and puffed a little trying to catch his breath. Then he adjusted his wild hair and sinking glasses back to their normal resting place.
"Had another late night at work? I know those gang activities have been spiking up lately." Heart wondered as she fixed her dress.
"Yes, I'm afraid so my dear, but I was able to get to you in time." Alastor told her as he booped her nose. "We kept getting reports and updates on their latest activity and couldn't go off air until we got the skinny on them." He informed her adjusting his bow tie
"That's understandable. You guys have been getting on top of the stories more than others." Heart told him as she listens to him on the radio every morning.
"Yes, it's disturbing these goons are getting bolder with their thefts and activities. The authorities are just being walked all over and stumped. Just when they seem to get the gang boom! They disappear or escape in some bizarre manner. It's quite the tricky puzzle no one has been able to assemble ..." Alastor sighed in slight annoyance and rubbed his temple after removing his specs.
Heart gave him a frown and put a hand on his arm and rubbed it. "They've been running you guys hard huh?" She noticed he seemed a bit tired.
"Ha yes and we aren't even the authorities." He laughed. Putting his hand over hers resting on his other arm. "No matter, I'm just always glad to see you after work is over and that you are safe and sound."
Heart chuckled softly at that. "As I am with you. I was worried you'd miss the car. Then you'd be sitting there longer. I'd feel bad."
"Oh, it wouldn't be too bad if I missed it. I have before and I just read or think until another comes." Alastor told her, being optimistic. "Never feel bad for me being late because of a silly man I am being a workaholic." He laughed and booped her nose.
Heart chuckled "I'd still worry no matter what. Just don't run yourself into the ground at work, ok? I need my favorite radio host I listen to every morning." She chuckled.
"Ah well I still take care of myself and allow rest thanks to your impeccable tastes and talent for finding just the right books for me. I thought I was the only one who knew me best but you are dear, have only known me for almost a month and yet it feels more than a lifetime." The man said with sincerity.
"Oh, I don't know about that." She blushes. "Sometimes I'm just good at what I do."
"A true talent is what you are doll, the cat's meow." He said a bit flirty and kissed her hand giving her a wink.
Heart's blush deepened a tiny bit, "Oh you do falter me all the time."
Heart didn't want to admit that the last two weeks with the man have been the best of her life. She didn't want to admit it out loud but...she was getting dizzy for the man. She just was afraid to really say anything about it
"You deserve it after all, quite the hard-working woman and compassionate no less. I wish there were more people like you Miss Wolfe." Alastor smiled at her softly, a small blush on his face now as well.
She giggled. "Well, if there were more people like me, I feel the world would be on a brighter end of things." The woman said as she played with the end of her dress.
"Absolutely correct ma Cherie, but there is only one you and I'm quite lucky you came into my life as a dear friend." He gave her head a pat.
Heart looked up at him with a soft expression. "I feel lucky. I could feel like the luckiest gal in New Orleans." She smiled.
"Perhaps you should go gamble then dear, you might put some of that luck to good use." Alastor jokes, giving her a nudge. "Say, Rosie had mentioned a night out for the four of us as friends, how about we put that into motion?" He asked with a glint in his eye.
"A night out huh? I honestly think I'd love that. What did she have in mind?" Heart wondered.
He got in a bit closer. "A speakeasy that Rosie manages on the side. It would be a perfect night of fun and to let our hair down."
"Oh, my that does sound fun." Heart said quietly. "I've never been to one you know." She said embarrassed.
"I see you're a bit embarrassed about that my dear and there's no need. You'll be with your friends who know the go around and will make sure you have a ball." He reassured her and then winked.
"If I'm with you and the others then I know I will." Heart says with a smile.
"That's the spirit! Let's see if you can handle your liquor then. We'll figure out a day and let Kristen pass the word on when she comes into work with you." The man said then the bell rings and the car come to a stop. "Ah here we are my dear let's be on our way." He stood up.
Heart nodded and stood up as well and they both headed off the car and to the street. "I look forward to this night out we have planned. I'm kind of excited." She cheered. Then she gasps. "What do I wear?" She worried.
"Ah whatever you wear dear it's going to be the cat's pajamas I'm sure of it!"
"Well thank you. I'll make sure to wear the ugliest thing I have." She says as a joke and soon laughed afterwards
"I bet you could make a tablecloth look like a dress my dear you're that stunning" he chirped with a giggle
She let out a breath and then giggled. "Now I'm going to try and do that just you watch." Heart then calmed a moment.
"Would you like me to walk you home as usual?" Alastor asked her.
"As for home, I should be fine today. I'll walk myself. You've had an exhausting day Al." She smiled
"Don't be too cheeky darling! I'll see you upon the morrow then I'm going to talk with Rosie and see if we can arrange a date." He said kissing her hand before they went their separate ways.
"Goodnight, Al." She says as she turned and walked towards her own home.
As Heart walked down the street, she started to have a nagging feeling in the back of her head that she was being followed. She thought nothing of it because she just thought it was Alastor as he probably still didn't trust her walking on her own. She gave an inward giggle and shook her head. What was she going to do with that man?
Unfortunately, someone was indeed tailing her but it wasn't Alastor... It was someone with far more sinister and evil intentions. As Heart passed by an alley, she was grabbed from behind and dragged in. A big hand clamped over her mouth and wrapped around her waist pinning her arms to her sides.
As Heart was pulled into the alleyway. She let out a small yell before the hand covered her mouth and she was breathing heavily as she felt the strong grip on her. She felt like crying but tried her best to hold them back.
The women struggled until a knife was held to her throat. "Quit your struggling you dumb broad and stay still or we'll bump ya off sending you to the big sleep." A male voice said and then turned her around to face him. He looks at her in the eyes. He was really ugly and smelled like cigarettes despite his tidy appearance with his pinstriped coat and nice ironed slacks.
The man then pushed her and she then felt another pair of hands grab onto her from behind.
"Keep her still Rizzo while I search her. If she ain't got much we'll take a little more for our compensation." The man said with a dark chuckle tracing the knife down the center of her chest to her stomach lightly.
"Don't worry Gino, this one's too pretty to let go." As the other gangster, Rizzo, said as he held her still. Gino began to frisk her and empty her purse.
Heart tried to struggle against the man holding her but his grip on her just tightened. She thought that these guys must be part of the gang activities that have been going on. She felt scared. She didn't care if they took her stuff from her purse. She was afraid of them taking her life or worse. That's the last thing she would want right now. Not after she just started a new life here not long ago.
After a minute or two Gino sighed in a disappointed manner, "Nothing good in your purse doll, which means we got nothin for our boss...after all that trouble... doesn't seem fair to let men like ourselves go empty handed, hmm? How about you stay and play a while?" He asked, gaining a grin on his face.
The man chuckled in his throat as the knife went closer to Heart. It now rested right above her chest. Then the mobster did a swift movement down after catching the fabric of her dress split it almost in two exposing her chest and stomach.
Deep in her mind Heart wanted this to not be happening. She didn't like exposing herself like this either, it was being forced onto her and it scared her. She tried to squirm away from them but it seemed useless. She wasn't sure what to do. She started to cry now and her tears fell fast. She couldn't scream either as her mouth was still covered. She didn't want this. Damn them all.
Just as Gino was about to touch her, he was suddenly tackled to the ground by a giant blur. The ally being so dark it was hard to make out any features. The mobster had no time to comprehend what was happening as he was starting to get the shit beat out of him. Rizzo saw this and let go of Heart, shoving her to the wall as he went to help his gang mate.
Heart saw the blur as she was then shoved into the wall. Her head hit the brick hard and she saw black a moment. She tried to keep herself standing but she was too stunned so she fell down. She covered herself as best she could and just put herself into a ball against the wall. Trying to not hear everything that was going on and to ease her headache.
The three of the strangers tangled and scraped in the alley. Grunts and huffs of breath were heard as well as punches received. Until Gino had received a stab wound to the stomach causing Rizzo to retreat. He ran down the alleyway, tripping a moment and let out a small yell. So much for sticking together.
As Gino still had the knife plunged into him, the man on the other end just smiled a creepy and scary smile then growled, "Never touch what is mine." The stranger growled in the man's ear and then thrusted the knife further in before pulling it out causing the mobster to collapse and bleed out. The man cleaned and tucked his knife away before he turned to the girl huddled up on the ground. He removed his coat quickly, draping it around her. "Darling? Darling are you alright?"
Heart was still afraid and tried to push off the man that was near her. She was scared to open her eyes and she wasn't hearing what the man was saying so the voice didn't connect. "No! No, don't touch me! Please!" She pleated as her tears still fell.
He flinched back a moment after draping his coat around her, then tried again to get through to the girl. The pore thing was so scared, "Heart? Heart ma Cherie it's me Alastor you're safe now it's okay."
Heart soon calmed down and just sat there and cried a moment as she finally heard his voice. She looked up at him and with tears still in her eyes. "Alastor?" She then saw him more clearly as she blinked tears away. "Alastor!" Then she wrapped her arms around him and cried more. "Thank you."
"Yes, my darling it's me, you're safe now... shhh... shh... it's alright. We can't stay here cher, come on, we have to go." The radio host said picking her up bridal style, making sure she was covered by his coat since her dress was still ripped, as he made his way home with her.
The woman wrapped her arms around Alastor's neck and hid her face in his shirt as they walked. She was still scared and crying but since he saved her, she calmed down a bit, but not until she was safe at home would she feel better about anything. She was also honestly surprised how strong he was, hopefully she wasn't too heavy for him.
They made it to her home and he got inside, locking the door securely behind him. Alastor went straight to the couch and placed her on it. He made sure that his coat was still covering her exposed front giving her decency.
When Heart felt the softness of the couch, she calmed a little but she was afraid to let go of him. "Stay with me...please." She softly cried out.
The brunet sat on the couch right beside the woman and held her, bringing her to his side. Filling her request of not leaving. She didn't look to have any injuries, but that can be addressed later, she needs to be taken care of mentally right now. "I'm here darling, I'm here. I have you and I'm not going to let you go understand me? You're safe now, they're not going to hurt you."
Heart put her face in his side and cried a little bit. She shook now and then. Eventually she calmed, her tears stopped and the scent of the man holding her was also calming. Almost like Hazelnut and wood. After a little while she pulled her face away and was just left with sniffles. "I was afraid they were going to violate me. I didn't want them to do that. I felt so weak having them take over me like that." She finally said sadly.
Alastor pet and stroked her head, then moving down her back to soothe her as she wept. He put a hand to her cheek tenderly, "I wasn't going to let that happen, they'd have to kill me first. I know you said you'd be fine by yourself but I had a weird feeling, the jitters as you say, and I followed you just to be sure you'd make it home and I'm glad I listened to my instincts." He comforted her.
"I'm honestly glad you did as well. I didn't know what I would have done if you didn't come." She said and a few more tears fell as she thought of the things, they could have done to her. "I think I should have you walk me home from now on with that gang around."
"I think that's a wonderful idea my dear, now will you be okay for a moment while I get you some water and the first aid kit to address any scratches or cuts you might have?" Alastor said.
Heart nodded and leaned off him slightly. "Actually, if you could make me some tea that would be much appreciated. The first aid kit is in the bathroom in the hallway here." She told him.
"I think tea is a lovely idea. Would it be alright if I had some with you?" He asked before he stood up.
"You are more than welcome." Heart agreed and just huddled on the couch, wrapping his coat more around her.
Alastor smiled and nodded softly. "I'm going to put the tea on them come back with the first aid kit, if you need me, please give me a holler." He said disappearing into the kitchen.
"Thank you, Al." She says as she looks up at him smiling softly.
"You're welcome." He replied softly to her.
The man found the kettle and filled it with water then placed it on the stove to boil. Next, he went to the bathroom and found the first aid kit returning to Heart "I'm back sweetheart, now, does anything hurt?"
Heart was a little nervous at first but soon took off Alastor's coat. "They cut me a little when they cut my top off. They also slammed my head pretty hard into the wall." She said shyly. "That's about all I can tell."
"Would you like me to take care of it... or would you like to? I don't want to invade your privacy dear. I'm fine with either." He asked gently.
"I'll let you do it. I'd have a hard time doing it myself. Plus, my head still hurts." She answers.
"Alright darling, I wanted your permission first." The radio host said, taking the necessary medicine and cleaning the cut that was near her stomach. After he cleaned it, he made sure to put antibacterial ointment on it before bandaging it up around her middle.
His hands were gentle and she honestly loved the feeling of them against her own skin. She tried to not blush as he worked, but he did touch a ticklish spot on her side and she giggled from it.
"Oh? Is someone ticklish over there cher?" He winked looking at her and brushed over it again for a second.
The woman chuckled and grabbed his hand lightly. "Yes, I am"
"Easy there I'm not going to do any funny business I assure you." He said to reassure her. "Now does it hurt anywhere else?"
Heart laughed. "I know I know. Was just having fun." She adjusted his hand in hers. "No, nothing else hurts. I'm fine."
"Alright then, I'll pack this up and put it back. I think I hear the tea kettle whistling. Be back soon my dear, I promise you." He booped her nose and disappeared back into the kitchen.
Heart giggled. "I'm going to go upstairs and get dressed into something else." She tells him.
"Berries darling! I'll be waiting here." He says from the kitchen.
Heart walked upstairs with his coat around her shoulders. When she got to her room, she put his coat on the bed and went to just put something comfortable on. Peeling out of what was left of her dress and she looked at it sadly with a sigh. She threw on a long purple nightgown and a robe. Once she was comfortable, she went over to the bed and grabbed his coat. She hugged the article of clothing close to her and gave it a sniff. It smelled exactly like him and it made her chest feel warm inside.
Heart didn't want to admit that she had fallen for the man. It seemed too soon to feel something like this for someone but at the same time it was hard to not fall for him. Part of her thought that maybe he liked her too, but at the same time...he could just be like that. Plus, he was a gentleman so he was nice to probably almost anyone. She snapped out of her haze and went to head back downstairs.
Meanwhile Alastor was sitting on the couch with tea ready for the both of them, he found a snack for heart as well. They looked to be her favorite. He also had cold water as well. He saw her emerge and come down the stairs...She looked so soft, like an angel descending from heaven.
The man's heart started thumping a little, "Keep calm Alastor what the blazes is wrong with you?" he thought.
Oh boy what's going on here? *Evil laughs*
