Page 29 of Djinn in Love

“And you both need to tone it down a bit this weekend,” Jasper continued, pointing to both his mother and brother.

“What did I do?” Milo asked.

His mother just gasped in affront.

“I’m serious, Mom. I know you’re curious about her, but don’t fawn all over her. And for the love of God, don’t tell her that she’s the one!”

“I would never,” his mother said, pressing a hand to her chest.

Jasper and Cyrus shared a look of commiseration.

“I won’t!” she insisted.

Hoping she meant it, Jasper turned to his brother. “Milo, I know you live to give me shit, but I don’t want you to include Veronica in it. She’s an only child and she’s shy. She’s not usedto dealing with family dynamics like ours. The way we bickered when we got here made her tense. I could feel it. So, for the weekend, take it easy. Give her time to get used to us.”

For once, his brother wore a serious expression. “I won’t do anything to make her uncomfortable,” he agreed. “And I’ll do my best to keep our more…eccentric relatives in line around her.”

Jasper smiled at his brother. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry,” his mother interrupted.

Surprised, Jasper turned toward her, his brows near his hairline. “What exactly are you apologizing for?”

His mother’s expression was sheepish. “About the room. If I had realized…” She didn’t finish her sentence, shrugging.

Knowing she would never outright admit that she hadn’t bothered to arrange for another room, Jasper sighed and let it go. “It’s okay. There’s a pull-out couch. I’ll be sleeping on it this weekend.” He rubbed his hands over his face, missing the devious gleam that flashed in his mother’s eyes. “There is something I need to talk to you about Veronica, though. Normally, I would let her tell you herself and in her own time, but I’m going to need your help and understanding this weekend so I’m giving you a head’s up.”

His mother nodded, sipping her wine.

“Veronica is an empath. She’s usually upfront with people about it, so it’s not a secret. I know she wanted to tell you herself, but I’m circumventing that, so you need to keep it under your hat. She’s used to people treating her differently when they find out. And people often feel like she’s going to invade their privacy because of it. Or at least that’s what she thinks.”

“I won’t tell a soul without her permission, and you know it won’t affect how I treat her.” Jasper believed the second half of her statement, but not the first. Leila could be discreet when it came to business dealings, but family gossip? He didn’t quite believe her.

“How is she going to do this weekend with so many people here for the wedding?” Leila asked.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. She said she should be fine, but that sometimes she gets tired from shielding so hard. I’m going to keep an eye on her. We’ll go back to the cabin or find an empty room if she’s getting overwhelmed or fatigued. So, don’t give me, or her, any shit about it. Okay? She’ll feel badly enough.”

His mother’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, I won’t give you shit. Maybe if you spend enough time in your room, I’ll get a grandbaby sooner rather than later.”

Jasper rolled his eyes and looked to his brother and father. “You need to keep your tempers in check. And keep your mental shields up.”

On the whole, the entire family was fiery and fierce. They tended to lose their tempers quickly and easily. There were often shouted disagreements at any family event, quickly followed by hugs and backslaps, because the conflicts burned out as fast as they flared. His father and brother were often guilty of starting them and then standing back to watch the mayhem that ensued.

Milo, for once, didn’t give him a sarcastic response. He just nodded.

His father, on the other hand, said, “I don’t know why you’re telling me this. Your mother is the one who loses her temper the most.” He gestured to his wife.

Leila smacked him on the arm. “Cyrus!”

Jasper leveled a look at his dad, which had the older man grinning and saying, “Okay, okay. Best behavior.”

They chatted for a bit longer about the weekend and the party that evening. Jasper teased his brother about having such a circus for a wedding since the itinerary was a full page long, which meant his brother socked him in the bicep. When he mentioned that the party was starting in two hours, his motherwent into a tizzy and all but ran them out of the room, stating she would need every bit of that time to get ready.

Jasper was glad because he’d been thinking about Veronica almost constantly since he entered his parents’ suite. He wondered what she was doing. If she was able to take a nap and rest. If she was taking a bath. Which led to his thoughts to the image of her naked. Not the place his mind should be when he was talking to his parents and brother.

He headed back to the cabin, careful to be quiet when he entered. The space was silent when he entered. No television or music playing. He walked through the living room and glanced down the short hall, seeing that the door to the bedroom was open. The room was dim, and he could see the edge of the bed, but nothing else.

Had she left?

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