The sound hit hard. A sickening, final thud that echoed through the alley like a gunshot.
Ruby froze mid-step. "What was that?" she gasped, her hand flying instinctively to her stomach. Max didn't answer. He was already moving. "Stay behind me!"
The command snapped through the air as he pivoted, sprinting back toward the building. Ruby followed anyway. Of course she did. They turned the corner and stopped. The world seemed to tilt.
Miller lay sprawled on the pavement, broken, lifeless. The dim streetlight painted everything in harsh gold and shadow, making it all feel unreal. Too fast. Too final. "Oh my God…" Ruby whispered, her voice cracking.
Max didn't kneel. Didn't check for a pulse. He already knew. His eyes swept the alley instead, sharp, calculating, hunting.
"Damn it," he muttered. Then he moved again. Fast. Back inside. Up the stairs two at a time. The room was exactly as they left it. Too neat. Too quiet.
