Page 19 of Lords of Ruin: Savage

It’s been years. Years since I last saw her, since life pulled us in different directions, since everything between us was left unresolved. But none of that matters in this moment.

I freeze and the second her eyes lock onto mine, the fire in them flickers—just for a moment—before the relief and sadness takes over.

Her lips part, and I barely hear her whisper my name before I move.

I don’t think. I don’t hesitate. I just run.

She meets me halfway, our bodies colliding as I throw my arms around her, clutching her tight. A sob rips through my chest as her arms wrap around me just as fiercely, holding on like she’s afraid I’ll disappear.

“Will,” she chokes out, her fingers digging into my back. “God, I am going to kick your ass. I can’t believe you--”

I shake my head against her shoulder, squeezing my eyes shut. “Don’t. Just—just let me have this.”

She nods against me, her own breath shaky, and we stay like that—clinging to each other, as if trying to make up for all the lost time.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” I whisper, my voice raw.

Her gaze softens, the distance between us closing once more. “I didn’t think I’d see you either.” Her fingers trace the outline of my jaw, the touch almost too gentle for the hurricane of emotions swirling inside me. “But here you are. And that’s enough for me.”

I nod, pulling her in again, burying my face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her—familiar, comforting, like home.

I pull back just enough to take her in, my eyes tracing over her familiar features. Jasmine looks the same—sharp, striking, effortlessly cool and a little bolder. Her golden blonde hair, once wild and untamed, is now braided into two neat plaits, but it’s the shaved undercut peeking out from beneath them that catches my attention.

It suits her—edgy, confident, unapologetic. Just like she’s always been.

Her blue eyes, intense and brimming with emotion, search mine, and for a brief moment, I see the girl I used to know, the one who had my back no matter what. But there’s something harder there now, a weight neither of us had before.

She arches a brow, sneering despite the tears still shining in her eyes. “What? Never seen a badass before?”

A watery laugh escapes me, and I shake my head. “Not one who still dresses like she’s about to fight the Devil and win.”

Jasmine huffs out a laugh of her own, tugging playfully at the hem of her leather jacket. “Damn right.” The guard in the back snorts and Jasmine practically growls at him. “Jackass, you are so on my shit list.”

I snort, making a ridiculous face at her, because that was Jasmine’s way of flirting—sarcastic, bold, and always with an edge of mischief. Some things never change. “Um… so, life updates, yes?”

Jasmine’s eyes go wide like she just remembered the most important thing in the world, and then she jerks a thumb towardthe guy standing beside her, a tall, broad-shouldered man with an easy smirk and an annoyingly good jawline. “Landon, meet my runaway bestie, Willow. Willow, meet one of my partners, Landon.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

Jasmine rolls her eyes. “Don’t start?—”

“No, hold on.” I cut her off, my confusion deepening as I look between the two of them. “He’s a guy. And last I checked, you were a lesbian. Like, from birth. You swore off men before we even knew how to spell ‘compulsory heterosexuality’.”

Jasmine snorts, crossing her arms. “First of all, rude. Second of all, I wasbicurious—” she wiggles her fingers dramatically, “—which means I had a question, and I sought an answer.”

I tilt my head. “And?”

Jasmine sighs dramatically, flipping one of her braids over her shoulder. “And thenyourasshole of a man?—”

“Jasmine,” Cast growls from behind me, his voice low with warning.

“Asshole,” she repeats pointedly before continuing like he didn’t say a word. “Assigned this guy to shadow me, like a bodyguard or some shit, which means I had to deal with himall the time.And one thing led to another… I tried it out, and surprise, surprise—Ilikedit.” She shrugs, shooting a sideways glance at Landon, who just grins. “Well,himand Connor.”

I blink again, still trying to wrap my head around this new development. “So, no girls?”

Jasmine gasps in exaggerated offense. “Yesgirls! Do you think I could ever abandon the fairer sex?” She sighs dreamily, pressing a hand to her chest like she’s in the middle of some great romance novel. “The last and love of my life is Brooke.”

Landon raises a brow, his smug smile deepening. “Hey, I thoughtIwas your favorite.” His accent—British, smooth, and filled with amusement—makes the words sound even more smug.

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