Diego grins. “Cute look. I like it.”
The coat check attendant sidles up to me and says in a stage whisper, “Just try not to get any stains on the hairband, okay? It’s my favorite.”
I balk. “Stains?”
Stifling a laugh, Diego leads me away. “I’m pretty sure she thinks we want them for something kinky.”
“What, like role-play?”
“Who knows?”
A million thoughts run through my head in the space of a second. “Are you into that?”
He taps the corner of my glasses and gives me a slow smile. “I think I could be.”
I think I could be too, but I don’t say so.
We stop by the bar, where Diego orders a drink. While the bartender is distracted, I snag a circular tray and a little black apron from behind the bar. I tie the apron around my waist and transfer the spell supplies and my purse into the pockets. When Diego brings his drink over, I pop it on the tray. Waitress costume complete!
Diego uncaps a vial of lavender oil and dabs some on the side of my neck before doing the same to himself. I close my eyes and breathe in slowly, letting the piney herbal scent overwhelm my senses. It’s imperative that we stay calm while casting the banishing spell, and hopefully the lavender will help.
“Ready?” he asks me.
“As I’ll ever be.”
I start to walk away from the bar, but Diego stops me. He grabs the drink, sets it aside, and pulls me in for a kiss.
It’s over before I even realize it began, and I stare up at him, blinking in shock.
“What was that for?”
“Because I’m worried about you,” he growls. “And I know it won’t do any good to tell you to leave and let me handle this.”
“You’re right, it won’t.”
“But the fact remains, we’re about to face off against a demon, and we might not walk away from this. I couldn’t do that without…shit, I’m sorry, I should’ve asked to kiss you first.”
“Diego.” I put a hand to his chest. “I’m glad you kissed me.”
A brief smile flashes across his face, and then his dark brows come together in determination. “We’ll do it again after we survive this.”
He means if we survive this, but I don’t correct him. I just nod and follow him to the VIP lounge he rented out for Matteo’s bachelor party.
Honestly, it’s a shame Matteo is checked out, because this is the Brujo Bro party to end all Brujo Bro parties. Diego’s two younger brothers are getting lap dances, his cousins are downing shots, and all of Matteo’s other friends crowd around the stage where a man and a woman pull off some impressive pole dancing routines.
Noticeably absent are the camera operators. I nudge Diego with my elbow. “No cameras.”
His eyes narrow as he scans the scene. “I noticed that too. I figured the demon doesn’t think they’re needed, since he’s present.”
“Or maybe it’s stretched too thin? Between keeping our families under surveillance, along with the cameras at Caro’s party, the spell must require a ton of energy to maintain.”
“Let’s hope that’s true. If the demon is weakened, then maybe we stand a chance of pulling this off.”
He’s right. It’s dangerous to work strong magic around humans, away from the safety of Isla Bruja. And if it’s risky for us, maybe it’s risky for the demon, too.
Diego’s hand brushes mine, and I take more comfort from the soft touch than I should.
“I get it, you know,” he says quietly.
