Page 8 of Hooked on a Demon (Leeside Witches #3)

Eliana

“S o what are you having, lil’ foot?”

“You do realize I’m twenty-eight, and I haven’t been into dinosaurs since I was like six, right?

” Eliana says. She was never a fan of that nickname.

It’s not her fault that she fell in love with The Land Before Time when she was young.

She became obsessed after seeing it for the first time and insisted on watching it every day after kindergarten for a year.

She watched it so many times that the DVD was nearly burned out.

Of course, that fascination meant that she was quickly labeled lil’ foot after the main dinosaur, and the name has stuck. For her entire life.

She rolls her eyes at him before walking around him to approach the counter. He snorts behind her, clearly amused with himself. They’ve always been like this: Eliana, the younger sister, trying to be friendly and get along, while Everest, the older brother, is always teasing her.

“I’ll have a peppermint hot chocolate, please.

” She steps aside, letting the boys order, and moves to step back to pay, but Declan taps his card before she can get to it.

“Thank you,” she says softly. She barely makes eye contact with him, afraid that looking at him will make her cheeks appear more rosy than they already feel.

Fuck, being in his proximity is making her insides warmer than her hot chocolate.

Her drink is the first to be ready. Picking it up, she moves to one of the tables along the far wall, trying to put a bit of space between her and the handsome demon.

Wait. Why is he here?

She tilts her head back, realizing her error in not asking if Everest was alone. They must have been together when she insisted Everest come out.

After a moment, they settle at the table with her, their drinks in hand.

Everest takes the seat across from her, but fuck her when Declan sits next to her.

His leg brushes hers as he settles, sending little sparks up her body.

Wanting to keep her cool, she subtly shifts away, putting what little space she can between them.

She catches his curious expression as he looks at the new gap between them.

Oblivious as always, Everest leans forward, putting on his serious face. “So, what kind of trouble are you in?”

Eliana rolls her eyes. “I’m not in any trouble.”

“Bullshit. Something has to be up for you to be so insistent to see me.”

“Nothing is wrong. Did you ever think I simply wanted to spend some time with my big brother?”

He laughs. Full-bellied, booming laughter.

“Really?” she asks.

Wiping tears from his eyes, he says, “Yes. You never want to casually hang out. You’ve been home for two months, and I’ve barely seen you.

And with your car in the shop, I figure there’s something wrong.

” He shifts his eyes, narrowing them at Declan before returning his attention to Eliana, “Do you need money? Do you need help finding a new car? Is there a dead body in the trunk?” His gaze flicks to Declan again as Everest silently mouths something to her about not letting Declan know, and he’d help hide the body.

She laughs at him lightly before waving him off. There’s that protective mode he seems to like so much. Even joking about hiding a fictional body shows the lengths he’d go to. Which is part of the reason she never told him about her ex.

Eliana sips her drink, trying to put some thoughts together while ignoring how Declan is watching her.

It feels somewhere between curiosity and hunger, and she’s avoiding looking over to see which one is more prominent.

Instead, she puts her mug down and leans in, placing a hand on top of Everest’s.

He sits upright, his brow furrowing as if preparing himself for the bad news.

“Ev. I love having you as a big brother, and I love so much that you care about my well-being—in your own roundabout, jackass sort of way—but I promise you, there is nothing wrong. The car is going to be fine. Declan has reassured me that it’s a simple fix and I don’t need money from you.

I can also promise there are no dead bodies to worry about.

I missed the past few family dinners and felt like I hadn’t seen you in a while.

That’s it. I swear.” She leans back, wrapping her hands around her drink, though it is much cooler now.

She takes a sip, watching him digest what she said.

While she waits, she catches a movement from Declan out of the corner of her eye as he slides his phone back into his coat pocket with a look of frustration, creating a troubling crease between his brows that she’d love to smooth out with her thumb, easing out whatever concerns he may have.

Eventually, Everest swallows and nods, drawing her attention back to him. “Alright then.” He sips his drink and says, “Did you hear about Mom’s boss?”

With the moment between them over, he becomes his animated self again.

When she shakes her head in response, he launches excitedly into a story about their mother’s boss being caught stealing money and how it was a whole scene trying to get the woman out of the office.

As the story unfolds, they all fall into fits of laughter, and it is right then, when she hears Declan’s deep rumble, that it fills her body with life.

It works its way to her heart, settling in as it finds its home as if it has always belonged there.

It’s something she hasn’t felt in some time, and seeing the light that now dances across his features, she knows that she’s going to need to hear this sound again. And soon.

They spent longer than she thought they would at the Taster’s Delight, but she’s not mad about it.

Yes, seeing her brother was fun. But the highlight was watching how Declan’s eyes crinkle when he laughs and how wisps of smoke periodically circle him when he’s relaxed.

Admittedly, she’s not spent much time around demons or other magical creatures.

But there’s something about seeing him so at ease as magic floats around them.

It adds an interesting contrast to the happy image, knowing that there’s power under the surface, waiting to be set free.

“Thanks again for buying my drink,” she says, standing with him outside of the truck while Everest scrolls on his phone in the cab.

“It’s no problem.” He looks down at the ground, shuffling his foot. “Anyway, your car should be ready tomorrow afternoon. I’ll give you a call if anything changes.”

“Thanks, Declan.”

“Anytime. Have a good night, Eliana. It was nice to see you again.”

The way he says her name makes her feel all warm and fuzzy, like a warm blanket fresh from the dryer.

She hasn’t dated since she ended things with her ex.

Not that she thinks anyone would blame her if they knew the truth.

She promised herself after she left Hollybrook that she would take time to be alone.

To spend time discovering who she is or at least who she wants to be.

But with how he’s looking at her right now, there’s a not-so-small part of her that wonders if Declan might be the one to help her find herself again.

She watches Declan while he climbs back to the truck, noting the way his broad shoulders shift with each step, and how his jeans hug his well-formed ass and thick thighs.

Thank you, football.

Everest is too busy looking at his phone to have noticed anything that may have passed between the two of them. Declan climbs back in the truck, barely having enough time to close the door before her brother yells out, “See ya, lil’ foot!” and speeds away.

Shaking her head, wishing that stupid nickname would go away, Eliana turns and enters her apartment building.