Page 27 of Djinn in Love

When he tried to turn around and walk right back out the door, he saw that his brother had already shut and locked it. Milo leaned back against the wood, crossing his arms over his chest, looking as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

It was an ambush. Plain and simple.

Jasper turned to face his mother, who sat on the small sofa near the window. A charcuterie tray, a bottle of red wine, and four glasses sat on the coffee table.

“Come sit down, Jasper,” his mother commanded, gesturing to one of the club chairs that faced the couch.

“No, Mom. You said you had an emergency with the wedding, so I rushed over here to help and it’s clear that you don’t need any help from me.”

“Jasper, sit down. I want to know more about Veronica.”

Knowing she wouldn’t leave him alone until he did what she wanted, he sighed and flopped down in the chair facing her. A few seconds later, his brother mirrored his position in the chair to his left.

Wearing a prim expression, his mother filled the wineglasses exactly halfway and passed one to him and one to Milo. “Cyrus, my love. Get in here and drink your wine.”

“I told you that I didn’t need to be involved in this conversation,” he called back. “I can learn what I need to know by speaking to the young woman. There’s no need to interrogate Jasper.”

His mother rolled her eyes and sighed. “Cyrus, get your ass in here now!”

Though his father was in the other room of the suite, Jasper could hear his heavy sigh. There was a rustling sound, probably the newspaper, and a grunt, then his father appeared. He trudged toward the couch and accepted the glass of wine his wife held out to him, staring down into it.

“You don’t think this conversation calls for whiskey?”

“Zip it, Cyrus.”

“Leila, you just?—”

“Zip. It.”

Jasper lifted his glass to his lips and drank half of it in one gulp. Swallowing, he picked up the wine bottle and poured more. “You get five questions. And I can choose not to answer two.”

“Ten questions and one abstain,” his mother shot back.

“Seven questions, two abstains. Final offer.”

His mother knew him well enough to understand that he wasn’t bluffing. If she didn’t agree, he was out of here. Their gazes locked and fired, but he wasn’t backing down.

Finally, she sighed again. “Agreed.”

Negotiations over, Jasper leaned back in his chair. “Go ahead.”

“How did you meet?”

“Milo didn’t tell you?” he asked her.

His mother’s lips pressed together hard. “He didn’t even tell me he knew the name of your date until this morning. And he said it was Veruca. Not Veronica.”

Milo snickered until Jasper backhanded him. “This isn’t the set of Willy Wonka.”

“I know, brother, but her last name is Salt. I couldn’t resist.”

Jasper rolled his eyes at his brother’s juvenile attitude.

“Well?” Leila asked. “Are you going to answer my question?”

“I met her at Mystical Matchmakers.”

“Oh, is she one of your matches?”

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