𝑳𝒆𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅𝒚| ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ 2

Break of Character

A small whimper escapes my lips as I tug on the zipties binding my wrists together, they're so tight I can only just feel my fingers and if I don't keep wriggling them I'm sure they'll turn blue. Leon watches me from across the room, where he's chained up to the ceiling, unable to help me.

"Look who's finally awake, as predicted those eyes are so innocent compared to his." A man teases, walking into the basement with two men behind him, I scowl up at him, remembering his photo Leon showed me as he was working on the case at home. Daniel Volkov, leader of a notorious group of terrorists hellbent on 'righting' the world.

Daniel kneels down in front of me, his hand grabs my cheeks as I yelp, tears fill my eyes and the asshole smiles. "Get your fucking hands off of her!" Leon finally snaps, losing his cool composure.

Daniel raises a brow as he turns to Leon, looking between us. "Now you've just earned yourself another lesson," he smirks, then he suddenly pulls out a switchable and points the tip of it at my shoulder, "take some deep breaths honey." He coos as he slowly inches the blade into my shoulder. I scream out in pain, my vision blurs as blood begins to rapidly flow, Leon shouts, desperately tugging at the chains like a madman as I wheeze and writhe.

The blade stops and Daniel leans forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead as salty tears trail down my cheeks. "That wasn't even the fun part." He whispers, then just as slowly as before he begins to pull the blade out, and this time I think I pass out, vaguely hearing a fight break out, but I'm too far gone.

Maybe I'm dead. Or dying.

"Leon, you've gotta stop!" I hear an agent call out, I open my eyes to see Leon straddling Daniel, his fists flying as he beats Daniel to a pulp, his face is barely recognisable but the scariest thing is the pure unrelenting anger on Leon's face, he's a man on a mission and he's out for blood.

"Leon?" I whisper, despite the scuffle and the two agents now forcefully pulling Leon away from the body, Leon's head swivels to me and all anger is gone, its now replaced with pure worry and concern.

"Y/N, don't move, help is on the way, just...stay with me." He softly murmurs as he rushes over to me, his hands are covered in blood and they shake, he reaches out to cup my face but on instinct I flinch. Leon completely freezes, staring at me as if I've slapped him.

"I..." I whisper, numb from the pain, cold and once again everything is going dark. Leon's breathing picks up, his eyes dart to my injury then he says something over his shoulder to the two secret agents who were posing as bodyguards for Daniel, Leon's panicking.

Which means I truly am dying.

Ah shit.

********************************

I wake up to bright lights and the smell of disinfectant, and I gather that I'm in hospital, or at least some kind of medial bay. It's quiet and I try to sit up, but immediately strong hands carefully push me down, Leon's head comes into view, then he perches on the edge of the bed, now cleaned up and changed.

"Guess I'm not dead?" I whisper, my lips dry. Leon doesn't smile, he just watches me with a weird look. Regret? Worry? Anguish?

"The doctors said you'll be okay, the knife missed all major arteries, that asshole knew what he was doing....he just wanted to cause pain for the sake of-" Leon's fists clench, he scrunches his eyes closed and lets out a ragged breath. "You're gonna be okay." He then whispers, but it's sad.

I swallow, "We'll be okay. Maybe the boss will give you a well deserved vacation." I smile, Leon's jaw tenses as he stands and walks to the window, I can only see his side but I know he's conflicted about something.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Every morning I look forward to seeing your smile, hearing your voice, I laugh the most around you, I didn't have to pretend to be someone I'm not..." Leon begins, I sit up this time, grunting from the brief flicker of pain but grateful for whatever pain meds I'm on.

"Why does this feel like a goodbye?" I ask, my voice thick with tears, Leon gives me one look that says it all, but I shake my head. "Don't you dare. I know you scared yourself, I know what happed to me was terrifying, but we can't let this break us-"

"He could've killed you!" Leon raises his voice, his hands shake as he runs them through his hair, one strand falls over his eye as he shakes his head sadly, "I couldn't protect you, and I know you saw me almost kill him, that... I never wanted you to see me like that."

"He deserved it." I retort, attempting to cross my arms but the bandages are too tight, so I settle my hands on my lap instead and wring my hands together. "You just had a break of character for a bit, but you're human, it happens to all of us."

"Not to me. I'm a government agent, I'm supposed to be-"

"Fuck what you're supposed to be!" I snap, earning Leon's attention, "I'm not letting you walk away from me because of this, I don't care what you think, or what you assume, I'm not scared. Of you. Of your job. None of it."

Leon's lips tilt up into an almost proud smile, but it soon fades. "I can't put you in danger again, I've lost too much already."

"Then keep me close." I whisper as Leon walks slowly towards me, I lift my head as he cups my cheek, leaning down he presses his forehead to mine, clearly he knows defeat when he sees it.

"I promise I won't let anything like this happen again, if anyone so much as lays a finger on you I'll-"

"Alright, calm down." I laugh, pressing my lips to his as Leon's shoulders slowly deflate. "Though that protective streak of yours is kinda hot."

Leon wheezes out a chuckle as he slides onto the bed and wraps an arm around my middle, his head careful near my shoulder.