Page 12 of Demon's Desire

Lucia flung it open. She couldn’t be more than five feet and was as old as Nico’s parents would have been. “Nico. About time you wandered over. Can you guess what I’m making?”

Nico couldn’t help grinning at the older woman. She had gray streaked hair and wrinkles around her mouth and eyes from a lifetime of smiling.

“Smells like your pozole. How can you stand over the stove on such a warm day?”

Lucia shook her head and pulled him inside. “It’s like you’ve never cast a cooling charm. Besides, I’m never hot anymore. Summer is the season for my light sweaters.”

The woman did have an impressive array of cardigans.

“I run warm, so I guess I can’t talk.” Nico followed Lucia to the kitchen. “Did you hear anything out in the hall earlier?”

Her manner turned shrewd. “No, why?”

“Nothing. I was wondering if someone came by my place.” Nico wouldn’t worry her if there was no reason to think whoever broke in was a danger to anyone else, and it didn’t seem likely they’d rob Lucia if they hadn’t taken Nico’s TV or anything obvious.

Nico wasn’t even sure if he’d been robbed. Trashing his place felt personal.

“I didn’t notice anything, but the music was on and I had lunch out on the balcony.”

Lucia had protections on her apartment. Probably more complex ones than Nico. Her children were always in and out, the grandkids too.

Of the two of them, Nico was the lonely neighbor, though he disagreed with that assessment. He had friends, just not oneshe invited to his place. That didn’t stop Lucia from looking after him like he was another one of her kids.

“Are you off to Emilio’s tonight?” Nico asked. He was Lucia’s son, who also lived in the neighborhood.

“He’s picking me up at four. You should come.”

Nico shoved his hands in his pockets. “Maybe next time. I have to stop in at work.”

“But it’s Sunday. Isn’t the shop closed?”

“It is. I need to check a few things, that’s all.” If The Herb Emporium had been broken into, he’d have to tell Harper. Nico hoped he wouldn’t have to. Harper didn’t need more stress after escaping his abusive coven.

“We love having you,” Lucia said as if she worried Nico thought it was a pity invite. “If you’d grown up across the hall, you and Emilio would have been great friends.”

Emilio was Lucia’s oldest child, and around Nico’s age. He had a feeling she was right, but Nico hadn’t grown up here. His parents had lived on the other side of the river.

“I’ll see if I can do next week.”

“All right.” Lucia turned toward the kitchen. “Don’t leave without your food.” She collected four containers of pozole, each a dinner-sized portion.

Nico took them. “Did you leave any for yourself?”

“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “You can put a couple in the freezer.”

“I will. If there’s space. Sorry, I forgot to grab the clean containers to give back.” He hoped they hadn’t been broken.

Lucia opened the door. “Don’t worry. I know where you live. I’ll be ‘round the shop to pick up my potions on Tuesday. That handsome young man still working there?” She raised her eyebrows, face the picture of innocence.

“Yes. Like I said, Harper isn’t going anywhere. And he has a boyfriend.”

Lucia pouted. “I suppose getting involved at work wouldn’t be like you. It’s been a while since you dated. Unless you’re keeping secrets?”

“No secrets.” Onyx’s scowl crossed Nico’s mind, and he blinked him away. “I’ll see you soon. Thanks for dinner.”

She watched him cross the hall. “You’re welcome.”

Nico went inside and put the pozole in the fridge. Luckily, the intruder hadn’t thrown the contents on the floor like they had with everything from his pantry.