VENOM • LRH

1. we meet again

WE MEET AGAIN

"go check again."

"but i- "

scarlett interrupts him quickly, pointing a finger at the exit door. "go. check. again."

she had heard someone in the club whisper amongst themselves a rumor of someone who used to work for luke being on the east side of san francisco tonight.

luke hemmings.

the name that fucking taunts her daily, his name is on a constant loop of repeating in her head, reminding her of the godforsaken things he's done to her past. the past that's stained with crimson blood she wishes to wipe clean.

but heaven knows that it takes a miracle to completely wash out a blood stain.

their night started in a dark, dingy back alley, the night was busy to drown out the quiet groans of the man she had in her grip with the barrel of her gun pressed to his temple.

scarlett had heard of him a few months back, that he had worked for luke at some point in time. so she tracked him down all over the coast of southern california until she finally found him here in san francisco.

his hands were clammy and forehead dripping with a sheen of sweat that is dripping down the side of his neck, as she had him digging his knees into the concrete below him. her hand clinging to the front of his shirt as scarlett tries every tactic to get the info on luke's whereabouts out of him.

"where is he?" she digs the gun into his temple a little harder. making sure he knows, this isn't a game. but if he wants to take it that way. she knows she'll win. "tell me before i pull the trigger and leave you here to rot."

the man swallows hard before dragging his eyes from her legs in front of him up to her face, pain shooting through his back where she had kicked him to the ground. "i already told you." he spits. "i. don't. know."

"fucking, useless." scarlett throws the man to the ground. stopping on his hand with her boot to hear him cry out in pain. only imagining it to be the one who she dreams about every day, digging her gun into his temple, just to pull the trigger in front of his scared eyes. to watch them finally go blank.

but that day hasn't come yet, and won't for a while.

you see, their grandparents in the thirties were in this same sort of situation, it's been passed down for that many years. leaving the gang for the next child. and scarlett happened to be the oldest child, her parents were hesitant to leave it to her. no woman has ever been in charge before, so they have her a choice. and being the girl she is she happily took their offer.

luke and scarlett's grandparents were friends, not like the dammed enemies that their grandchildren are. but they made a rule, that everyone has stuck with since; it's prohibited for a gang leader to kill the other until they are at least twenty one years of age.

their grandparents wanted the leader to live out some sort of life before you have your enemy take it away from you in the blink of an eye. but god, do they wish they could break that rule.

six months until luke is twenty one and seven for scarlett. the break is a little against her side, but scarlett knows she can hide for a month. she has to, she refuses to die at the hands of luke hemmings.

not like her sister did.

four years ago her younger sister was walking down the streets of san francisco much later than she should have, but she had no other way to get home. she got lost, took a wrong turn. and right there, he killed her. she interfered with his plan. and he had no choice. but to get rid of her.