Chapter 13

The weight of Alex's gratitude was a heavy burden to carry, but I felt a strange kinship with him in that moment. We were both haunted by our pasts, trying to navigate a future fraught with danger and uncertainty.

Alex followed me out into the hallway. "I'm hungry, how about you?"

I nodded, the tension around us dissipating slightly. "I could eat," I admitted.

Alex gave me a ghost of a smile. "Good. I know a place. It's a little dive, but they make the best beignets in the city."

~~

We left the mansion, the warmth of the early morning sun a stark contrast to the chill inside the club. The scent of the city woke me up as we walked the quiet streets of New Orleans. The wrought-iron balconies of the French Quarter cast intricate shadows on the cobblestone, and the distant sound of jazz floated through the air. It was a world away from the hedonistic cocoon we'd just stepped out of.

As we sat in the tiny café, surrounded by the locals who were already deep into their café au lait and warm,