Together: A Dark Romance Duet || Leon Kennedy x Female Reader

Chapter 22: Leon

"Finally, some peace and quiet," I say to the dark emptiness of the corridor.

I spit the blood from my mouth, the taste of iron fresh on my tongue after being knocked hard in the jaw. The creature responsible for nearly knocking me out with its tail lies unmoving at my feet, finally dead after chasing me relentlessly through the compact labyrinth of this underground lab.

"My condolences to your master." My blood lands next to the creature's body.

I'd recognized the glowing red eyes immediately, the massive robed figure standing at over eight feet—Ramón's lapdog. That's what found me and wanted me dead while I tried to restore the power down here. It wasn't easy taking the bastard down, but it was worth it. Knowing the creature is one less threat to her makes it worth the blood and sweat.

So, they know I'm alive. That didn't take long.

They know their attempt to eliminate me has failed again, just like it always will. As long as they hold her captive, I will be hunting them down, just like they're doing to me. I wonder when they'll realize nothing can stop me.

I catch my breath as I near the elevator that I'm positive will take me back to ground level. I made my way out of those depths and through this forsaken underground laboratory with little disturbances until that creature found me. But now that one mutated freak is down, they'll know for sure I'm alive. Maybe that will put an inconvenient pause in whatever plans they have for her, putting the focus back on me—exactly what she planned to avoid when it came to her little ploy.

Quiet rage simmers under my skin at the thought of her willingly putting herself in danger as she did. I didn't agree to it—her plan. I only told her how to stay safe, something she doesn't always know how to administer. She knows how to defend herself—that I'm confident in. Still, she's already making me regret letting her go instead of forcing her to submit to me and stay by my side. Then nothing would've happened, and she would still be right next to me, holding my hand.

Fuck, Leon, get it together. She's fine.

I enter the elevator, shoving the button before standing in place, waiting for the dated shaft to work.

There's no point in stewing on my choices now. All I can do is get to her as soon as possible—and give her the reward she deserves for making it through all this. I can't really blame her, either. She's exactly like I was at her age, spirited and keen on helping others no matter the cost. But the difference between us is I was a nobody at her age, a kid with no family willing to risk everything for his career. She's different—she has a life, her name means something. She has so much potential and a bright future ahead. I can't let her risk it all for me. If only one of us makes it out alive, there's no doubt in my mind it will be her.

A slight tingling begins in my right shoulder, one that I try to shake out until my bicep feels like it's being squeezed like the skin is stretching too tight over the muscle.

Gazing down at my skin, I find my veins turning dark, creeping down my arms with each passing breath.

A high-pitched ringing begins in my ears, a sharp pain searing through my skull from the inside. The pain shoots to my chest, and I double over, searching for the source of this invisible attack. The ground meets me as I clutch my heart, clawing at the agony under my flesh. No—not yet. I won't let it take me yet.

My vision blurs before fading to black, but I haven't passed out. I'm still conscious.

"Pitiful little lamb." I hear a voice speak in the darkness.

The voice is familiar, a deep octave. Within the darkness, a man emerges dressed in dark robes. "Your suffering can end, just as it has for our newest daughter—who has joined us in communion!"