Page 57 of Lords of Ruin: Savage

“Tomas,” I say coldly. “You’ve been seen with a young girl. You know who I’m talking about.”

His head snaps up, eyes wide, panic flickering. He knows exactly who I mean.

I place a hand on Willow’s shoulder, guiding her forward. “She’s going to help you understand what happens when men like you cross the line.”

Willow observes, learning. She needs to grasp the balance between pain and fear. I speak softly to her. “Break him. Make him confess.”

She nods. Approval stirs in my chest. She’s starting to understand.

“Tell her, Tomas,” I demand. “Tell her why you thought it was okay to lay your hands on someone who couldn’t even legally drink yet.”

Tomas swallows hard. “I—I didn’t know,” he stammers. “She was just… a pretty girl. I didn’t mean?—”

“You didn’t know?” I step closer. “Didn’t know you’re a predator? That you prey on young girls? You’ve done it so long you don’t even see the monster in the mirror.”

His face crumbles. The realization crashes over him.

“I didn’t mean it,” he whispers. “I thought… I was just having fun.”

“That’s the problem with men like you,” I murmur, leaning in. “You never stop to see the damage you cause.”

His eyes shift to Willow. The fear in them deepens. He tries to explain, to beg, but it’s useless. He’s caught.

Willow steps closer, silent, studying him. I give her space. She’s no longer just observing—she’s becoming part of this.

“Tell her everything,” I say.

Tomas stammers, voice thick with fear. “I—I never meant to hurt anyone?—”

“Enough.” My voice slices through the air. “You’re a predator. And now you’ll face the consequences.”

Willow doesn’t flinch. She reaches for the thin, gleaming blade.

Tomas jerks against the restraints. “Please…”

Willow approaches Tomas, unmoved. “You wanted to play with little girls,” she says quietly. “Now a woman will play with you.”

The blade glides through his shirt, drawing a thin line of blood. His breath hitches, body tensing. I lean against the wall, watching. The training has begun.

I watch her carefully, my gaze intense. She’s doing it. She’s tapping into a sinister presence within herself, and it’s exactly what I wanted to see. Tomas is no longer the one in control of the situation. She is.

She cuts again, deeper this time, and Tomas gasps, his body shuddering as the pain sinks in. He’s no longer begging for mercy. He’s pleading for his life, but Willow doesn’t stop. She’s focused, driven by a deportment I can’t name yet, but I know it’s taking her to the place she needs to be.

“You see, Tomas,” she continues, her voice quiet, but lethal, “sometimes people like you don’t deserve mercy. Sometimes... the only way to truly stop you is to end it.”

Her words hang in the air, and Tomas’s head drops, defeated. He knows it’s coming. He’s too far gone to save himself now.

I step forward, placing a hand on her shoulder, my voice low as I speak to her for the first time since she began. “Now, Tomas, what was the name of the girl you were with?”

Willow looks at me, her eyes cold, and there's the faintest flicker of pride, like she knows she’s crossed a line that can never be uncrossed. There's a presence in her now—something dangerous, something unspoken. It’s clear she’s no longer the novice who entered this room. She’s in control, and Tomasknows it too. He can see the transformation in her eyes, and it terrifies him.

Tomas's body slumps further into the chair, the fight draining from him. His breath is shallow, his muscles weak. His glazed eyes shift between Willow and me, his lips trembling. He knows his time is almost up.

“It’s time, Tomas,” I say softly, stepping back. “You’re going to tell us who you’ve been working with. Who is the mole? Who have you been feeding information to?”

I watch him carefully, knowing his confession is coming. Willow stays quiet, her gaze sharp, her presence as commanding as mine.

"It’s Ricardo’s daughter," he gasps, his words stumbling out. “The 16-year-old, Valentina.”

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