The hallway went dead silent. The air felt heavy, charged with the kind of tension that makes the skin prickle. Before Samuel could answer, the soft click of footsteps against the floorboards signaled they were no longer alone.
They both turned. Ruby stood at the end of the hallway, her purse already slung over her shoulder, her gaze flicking between the two men with a sharp, intuitive intelligence.
"Talking about me?" Ruby asked, her voice calm, though her eyes searched their faces for the truth they were clearly hiding.
Samuel cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably under Ruby's sharp gaze. "Seron is running one of Violet's casinos, Ruby. It's just a front for their illegal operations. If we call the cops, Seron's going to take the fall for all of it. He's the one on the payroll, he's the one holding the keys."
He looked at Max, then back to Ruby, as if it were obvious she wouldn't want that.
