Chapter 6

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"Will you stop!" Dominic hissed through clenched teeth at the gazing Alana before him, whose heel he had been bumping into, every few seconds.

Alana looked over her shoulder at the fuming man behind her. This had been the fourth time that he had stepped on her heel, but she had been too scared of him, and otherwise too preoccupied with the scenic view of the town's square, to make any comments about it.

It was like he had been purposely walking half a centimeter behind her-as if he thought that keeping a close distance would prevent any attempt of her running off among the crowds.

She scoffed at the thought. As if she was stupid enough to try.

"Sorry," was Alana's feeble response as she continued to walk ahead.

Alana observed her surroundings. The whole environment was...quaint. Tall buildings decorated the sidewalks, their- no doubt- once shockingly colored walls now slightly faded, like a fancy dress left hanging in the closet too long; wrinkled but still beautiful.

Small shops and slightly larger stores were stretched out in patterns, some of them quite old while the others were obviously freshly renovated. One word that could easily be used to describe the place was...picturesque.

The blaring echo of horns and trumpets being sounded caught Alana's attention, and she immediately focused her admiring gaze on the large crowd of people marching in the middle of the street- singing and dancing as they went- dressed in multicolored costumes of all styles and designs.

Alana had always wanted to join a parade ever since she was a small child, but she never got the chance to do so, since her mother had always claimed that large crowds and noise made her dizzy.

She smiled, grateful for the opportunity to rekindle a side of her humanity. A chance that she will only be provided with for one last time. She wanted to do nothing but open her mouth and take in all the fresh air that she could manage to inhale.

"In there," Dominic instructed with a nod of his head towards an old, rundown building situated at the end of the walkway. The place appeared to be an old convience store, with a section of it being used as an auto repairs shop. A sign marked 'Rosco's Body Shop' hung low at the entrance.

"Ahah!" the cheerful voice belonging to a small, balding, old man, behind the front counter, exclaimed. "Just the guy I've been waiting to see."

"Is it now!" Dominic smirked at the older man. Rosco has been a good networker and a man whom Dominic had come to trust with his life.

"You got that damn right! I almost thought you wouldn't show, and you know how I get. Now, where is it? I-" Rosco's statement was cut short as his gaze was instead directed at the raven haired beauty, standing behind Dominic. "Who's this beauty?" he asked, his smile broad and suggestive- gold tooth glistening.

Dominic turned his attention toward the subject of Rosco's interest. Alana froze at the sudden attention. "Just a...friend," Dominic answered.

The man turned to her, a cheeky smile stretched across his face. "Well 'Just a friend', the name's Rosco and it's always nice to see a new face around these parts. Especially a face as pretty as yours."

Alana fidgeted under his gaze. The man was old, but she could tell that he was pretty intimidating in his younger years. Heck, he intimidated her even now! He gave off this dangerous vibe.

Alana noticed him out stretch his overly tattooed arm, offering his hand for her to shake, but hesitated.

He let out a barking laugh. "Someone's pretty timid, isn't she!" he voiced to no one in particular. "Come on love, I won't bite! It's just a friendly gesture from a friendly, old man."

He smiled, and Alana finally shook his hand.

"Well that's a mighty grip you have on ya'. Dom, I think we've got a keeper, eh?" he directed his words at the man who had been keeping a close eye on them.

"You know I don't play keeps," was his dry response. "Come on Rosco, we've got business to tend to. Your flirting days have been long over!" he teased. Rosco laughed.

Rosco signaled Alana, pointing to a section, across from where they stood, provided for seating. "You can take a seat there, younglin', while Mr. Grump and I settle matters."

Alana did as was told.

"So the documents came today..." Dominic's voice got lower as he walked away. Alana couldn't help but wonder what documents they were talking about.

From where she sat, she saw Dominic pull out a medium sized, brown envelop that had a black and silver symbol on it.

Alana did a double take.

She recognized the symbol. She just couldn't remember where she saw it. Resting her head against the wall behind the chair on which she sat, she let out a puff of breath, frustrated with the fact that after two minutes of racking her brain, she still came up blank.

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks.

It was the same sign that she had seen at her old neighbour's house. He even had it tattooed on his arm. It was like it was some kind of emblem. An emblem that she only associated with him. Until now.

Then she considered the possibilities. 'No way!' she thought. Joe would never hurt her. Yes, he was creepy most of the time, but never would he have the heart to cause her harm, and to the extent of killing her. At least that's what she would like to think.

Her eyes closed, and she was transported back to that day she had the confrontation with him in her garden.

"Alana!" the stern, masculine voice shouted from across the stretch.

Alana looked away from her current task of watering her rose garden, to the direction from which the sound came.

She could see her neighbor, Joe, stomping towards her with fury in his eyes and an angry scowl decorating his bony face, his hard, work boots clunking against the pebbled footpath.

He looked like a man on a mission, and Alana couldn't help but wonder what she had done now.

"Good morning, Joe! Nice morning isn't it?" she tried to engage him in a friendly conversation. A clichéd and crappy one, but one nonetheless.

"Cut the crap, Al! We both know that I don't give a DAMN about the weather!" he growled.

Alana was taken aback by his hot response. She knew that he was grumpy and creepy- she once caught him staring at her through her window, from his window, while she got dressed. However, when Henry had confronted him, he had sworn that he wasn't- but never had she seen him this bitter.

"Okay!" Alana said as she adjusted herself and turned off the watering hose. "What can I do for you then, Joe?"

"I've gotten word that you are considering putting the Loft on lease. Is that true? You can't do that, my family has been going there for ages. It's tradition! You cannot just up and dispose of it, because you can't deal with it anymore!" the man lashed out at her, not even waiting to see if she would confirm the rumors. He was trembling with rage, his crooked nose flared.

"Joe, it's a family decision. And, I know that your family has had history there, but that's besides the point. I love the Loft too, it has been my pride and joy, and the same for generations before me, but what sense does it make to let it go to ruins?" she began to explain, but, on second thought, she added, "You know what, Joe, I made the decision in the best interest of my family's property, and quite frankly, it is none of your business what I do or don't do."

The Loft had been in her family for years, but after her parents died, she felt that it was best to give the responsibility to someone who had the time to maintain the place.

"You are making a mistake, you hear me? Selling the Loft would ruin my family's tradition. We look forward to going there every Christmas. I cherish my family's happiness, Alana, and I would kill to keep them that way. I mean it. So consider that, before you make any more stupid decisions." He twisted his frame and stomped back to wherever he had come from, leaving a bewildered Alana in her yard.

Dominic had been constantly checking on the girl who sat in the corner of the room, seemingly lost in thought, making sure she had remained in place, as was instructed.

Alana reopened her eyes and sat up in her chair. There was no reward in dwelling on something that was only putting the blame on innocent persons, she thought. She looked ahead, her eyes immediately catching something in the distance. When it was clear that Dominic wasn't looking, she moved.

"So the dealership is to be closed by when exactly?" Rosco asked, skimming through the leaflets in his hand.

"By Friday the latest, I guess," Dominic answered. "We've got to arrange with the droppers as to where and when we..." Dominic trailed off as his eyes, out of habit, scanned the room. "What the hell!" he exclaimed as he did a double take of the now empty seating area.

"What's wrong?" Rosco asked as he tried to peep over Dominic's shoulders to see what had caused his friend's suddenly panicky state.

"What the fuck! I can't believe this. Hold on, Ros!" Dominic held up a finger at his friend, bouncing on his heel as he did so, before taking off toward the door that was used both as an entrance and an exit.

He doubted Alana would've been hiding underneath the cars in the shop, so he'd headed straight for the door.

He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. He knew he shouldn't have brought her along, but he never once thought she had it in her to run off.

Fuck!

He stopped at the door and did a quick scan of his surroundings. The parade was still in full swing and the crowd had increased drastically. Cars and trucks now joined in the march.

Dominic spotted the top of a mop of black hair belonging to a girl, moving swiftly as it blended in among the crowd.

"HEY!" he shouted, working on first instincts. He took off down the street, following the girl's movements as he continued to shout.

Walking along the side walk was extremely difficult since the whole place was packed with spectators. The sidewalks were sectioned off from the main street by bars, with guards protecting each end, making the walking space very limited.

"Hey!" the second person shouted at him for bumping into them as he weaved through the crowds.

"Sorry," he muttered out of courtesy. After the next two minutes and three more bumps into people, Dominic had reached a close enough distance to the girl for her to hear his call, above the loud music.

"Hey! STOP!" he roared. The girl turned slightly and glimpsed him reaching out towards her, before turning back around and taking off in a sprint.

"Stop!" he shouted, his feet moving on their own, and in no time he was chasing Alana through the crowded street.

On first sight, one wouldn't dare associate the elegant woman with sports, so one could only imagine the shock that Dominic had as he watched the woman sprinting down th streets, weaving and dodging adults and children, cars and buildings alike as she went. Dominic was very athletic but he still felt the burns in his heels.

Taking on a different route, Dominic took to the middle of the road instead, with the hope of cutting her off at the end of the street.

He quickly reached the intersection that signified the end of that street, and was lucky enough to had reached just in time to see the girl slowed to a jog- no doubt satisfied that she had lost him- as she passed by.

With one hard grab, he shoved her into the side of a parked car, mentally preparing himself to hand over his wrath. He turned the squirming girl around so that she now faced him.

His face dropped. "You're not Alana!" Dominic exclaimed, confused.

"No shit, Sherlock! Is this how you treat all women you see in the street?" the Emo looking girl expressed, obviously out of breath. Dominic too, took a moment to catch his breath.

This didn't make any sense. "Then why did you run?"

"Why wouldn't I when some creep was chasing me around town!" was her sassy response.

Dominic was at a lost for words. He stepped back from the girl, letting go of her like she was hot metal. "I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else," he told her, before he turned around and walked away.

Maybe someone at the shop saw something. Surely, she couldn't have just disappeared.

"Weirdo!" he heard the girl scoff but paid it no mind.

On reaching the body shop, he made a beeline for the back shelf, hoping that Karr- one of the welders- could help him out. He couldn't afford to mess up so badly.

As he rounded the shelf, he crashed into a smaller, softer frame. He couldn't help the look of confusion and relief that masked his face. "Alana?" he breathed.

"Um, yeah?" was her soft reply.

"Where were you?" he growled, quickly getting over his relief.

"I went to check out the records collection over there," She innocently pointed toward the display shelf.

Dominic could've slapped himself. Of course she wouldn't have dared ran off. He could feel the smile forming but replaced it with a scowl. "I told you not to move!"

"I know, and I'm sorry. It's just-" Her explanation was interrupted.

"No need," Dominic calmly stated. She was relieved. "Just know, you will be punished."

And her face dropped.

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