House of Venom

A Killer and an Enemy

DAMARIS MONROE

"Do you live under a rock? That's how well you know our most wanted list?"

The Captain's booming voice reverberates across the room, echoing off the walls and piercing my ears like a thousand needles. I can feel the eyes of my colleagues, lurking outside the door, fixated on my every move. The weight of their judgment hangs heavy in the air, suffocating me with its intensity.

"I'm sorry, sir. I got under the influence of distraction."

"Maybe you need a vacation, then? A forever vacation?!"

"No, sir."

"That's what I thought."

The Captain's weathered hands, lined with age and experience, move up to his head, rubbing his white hair with a sense of weariness. His face, etched with the scars of countless battles, shows a hint of exhaustion as he gazes out the window.

His stance is one of authority and power, his hands resting confidently on his hips as he surveys the world outside. The room is filled with a palpable tension as the Captain's next words will dictate the fate of all those present.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Dami. I did not give you permission to go undercover, and you still did it, thinking that I won't find out."

"How did you find out?"

A heavy sigh escapes the Captain's lips as if carrying a weight of regret and melancholy. He slowly turns to face me, his eyes carrying a deep sadness that seems to pierce through my soul.

"I assigned someone else to go undercover."

"What? But this is my case!"

"Yes, it is, but you know I will never assign you on such a mission."

For a moment, the room falls silent, as the Captain's gaze locks onto mine. I can feel the weight of his emotions as if they are radiating out from him in waves.

"You can't do this to me."

"I'm doing this for you. And such dangerous encounters are not what I promised to your father."

A scowl begins to form on my face, as the Captain turns away from me and heads back to the window. His words have struck me like a grenade, exploding in my heart and leaving me reeling with pain.

I can feel the wound in my soul open up once again, raw and exposed, as the Captain mentions my father. It's a wound that never fully heals, a constant reminder of the loss and heartache that I've endured.

"Dangerous encounters?"

"He is a murderer, Dami. A mass one. He worked with this guy named Kai for many years, who is in search of over a hundred deaths. And this one... this one is no better. He has to face charges of over twenty deaths. We kept track of them for the longest time, and just before we could act on it, they separated. And we lost the track of Aaron four years ago."

"Aaron?"

"Yes. Aaron Davis is your new friend."

The sound of the name "Aaron" echoes through my mind like a sweet melody, evoking images of a handsome face and a beautiful soul. As I close my eyes, I can see the image of Aaron, his dark brown eyes gazing at me with a mixture of tenderness and passion. I can feel his hot breath on my neck again, sending shivers down my spine.

"Keep yourself out of the streets or I'll assign the case to someone else."

"But why? This is the perfect opportunity to catch Aaron and find the master of brothels."