The morning light filtered through the curtains in thin, golden needles, but the room remained draped in a soft, heavy quiet.
Max stayed still for a moment, just watching the steady rise and fall of Ruby's shoulders. He had expected her to be a wreck.
They had spent half the night parked on a dark shoulder of the road, eyes strained, watching Violet and Ace flee like shadows in the night. It was the kind of stress that settled into your bones, yet here she was, sleeping so deeply that the world outside didn't seem to exist.
He leaned in, his movement slow and deliberate so the mattress wouldn't groan. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering for a second to feel the warmth of her skin.
He reached for his tablet on the nightstand. The screen's glow felt harsh in the room. He tapped a few icons, his thumb hovering over a blinking red dot on the map. They were hunkered down in a farmhouse, miles from the main road.
