Chapter 51 — A Friend's Warning

"Green eyes, short brown hair, around six-foot-five, really fit, and uh... He's got a small scar on his left eyebrow. Married to a tall brunette. Evonne Jablonsky Roiz."

"Yeah. It's him. His wife's nickname is Evie."

"Really?" Jessi covered her mouth.

"They almost got divorced, I heard."

"Yeah. He told me that, too. Some angles, you and him look alike." She got up from her bed, her breathing and heartbeat going fast all of a sudden.

It was just a hunch. Just a crazy idea that sprung up when she got home after that eventful funeral service for Jenson's mother. Not so crazy, apparently. She didn't expect to hear Kel confirming it herself: that Jenson's uncle and boss was actually her hard-to-find half-brother, Magnus Roiz.

"Shit." Kel sighed on the other line, her hushed voice sounding breathy. "What're the odds..."

"Yeah. That's just...crazy." Jessi clasped her own hair as she paced by her bed in her dim room, her phone still pressed onto her ear. "And I don't know if I should tell you this, but he made me sign an NDA."

"What?" Kel practically shouted over the phone. "NDA? Why? Magnus made you sign one?"

"I dunno..." Jessi scoffed. "Maybe he thinks I'll tell on his precious 'investments.'"

It was practically how the man worded his relationships with Jenson and Darren. As cold and selfish as it sounded, she understood why. People like Magnus just enjoyed money and power more than anything else in the world.

"Tell on Jenson and Darren? Why? NDA? What does he think you know?"

"About that girl..." Jessi muttered. Well, she trusted Kel enough, and Kel wouldn't tell anyone else about her problems. "That blonde girl Darren was seeing."

"Why? What about it?"

Jessi hesitated to say more and stood next to the window, checking the street below her apartment. Busy like always. But nothing unusual.

"I thought Darren's single?" Kel asked.

"He is, but he was seeing this girl from Phoenix. Then the accident. She died of an overdose. Happened months ago."

"Okay... Does he have anything to do with her death?"

"I'm not sure. Jenson didn't say, but they had a fight about it. Maybe...Darren was there when she overdosed."

"Magnus also found out?"

"Yeah. They're pretty close," Jessi murmured. "Jenson calls him his boss. They talk on the phone quite often."

"What else did the NDA say?"

"It was pretty general."

"He forced you to sign it? Magnus?"

"Not really. I just...felt like I should."

"Look, Jessi," Kel muttered with a long sigh. "I don't mean to intrude or anything, but...do you trust Jenson?"

Jessi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I know you're good friends and all. But, do you trust him that much?"

Jessi sighed to herself, unsure and quite nervous. Did she trust her boss? Yeah. Most of the time. But some things about his recent behavior just bothered her. Lately she just felt as though he was hiding a lot of secrets. Maybe dark secrets she shouldn't know about.

"Hey. Did something happen? Just recently or...during your quarantine?"

"I'm not sure if..." Jessi bit on her lip and sat on the floor. "Just don't tell anyone. Okay? Please. I've never told anyone about this, not even Mom."

"Sure."

"That night, before he drove me to the hospital, he came back to the office around dawn. He was upset and just— I was hiding in the other room. I waited for him to fall asleep. He was sleeping on the couch. Then I checked the things in his bag, the one he took with him. I-I think I saw blood on his shirt, but he wasn't injured anywhere."

"Blood?" Kel whispered. "Wait— Did it smell like blood?"

"I dunno. I couldn't smell anymore by that time. It rained hard that night, and he didn't say where he was before that. I asked, but he didn't say much. I just had...a bad feeling about it."

Those odd words Jenson mentioned hours before also triggered some suspicions in her. He sounded like he was on the phone ordering a hit on someone.

"Y'know, Jess..." Kel sighed again on the other line, her tone quite reluctant. "He may be nice to you all the time, acting like he's a friend...but don't get too attached to him. Okay?"

"How do you mean?"

"Magnus is...um...he's got lots of money and connections, and in high places, I assume. And Ilya, his father—I mean, my biological father, too—is actually...a big-time drug lord in Serbia and Russia. But I'm not saying Magnus got his money from...y'know, drug dealing and all that. But, just be careful."

"What?" Jessi held her breath.

Magnus, a drug lord's son? Did Darren and Jenson know?

Shit. Most likely.

"I don't know if they're on speaking terms again, 'cause I heard Magnus and Ilya had a falling out years ago."

"Why?"

"Money issues. Inheritance. That sort of thing," Kel murmured, scoffing afterwards. "I don't really care."

"You think Jenson knows about it? About Ilya?"

"Oh, he definitely knows. He called me a lot of times, last month and the month before that. Till I blocked all of his numbers. I guess he used your phone, without you knowing, then found my number."

"What? He called you?" And multiple times?

"Yeah. I didn't tell you anything 'cause Enzo and Miles wanted to make sure that it was actually Jenson or one of Magnus' guys. After I told Enzo, he called Miles. Then they concluded that, um, Magnus told Jenson to contact me and look for me."

"Shit." Jessi sighed, just bewildered by everything. "Why didn't you text me?"

"Sorry. Enzo wanted to be sure first. Then two of his security staff reported that someone was lurking around his house a couple weeks ago. Was Jenson here in New York recently?"

"Yeah." Jessi got up to glance out the window again, feeling quite paranoid all of a sudden. "He said he had to take care of some business over there."

"Confirmed, then."

"Hold up." She gripped her phone. "Why would Magnus tell Jenson to find you?"

"He said, Magnus wants to bring me to Serbia. To talk to Ilya in person."

"Why not just call you?" Jessi made a face. "So, it's really your father who wants to see you in person."

"Yeah." Kel sighed on the other end. "To talk about the will."

"You never agreed? You don't wanna meet up with Magnus? Or see your dad?"

"Ilya's sick. He could still be in the hospital. Or maybe he hired his own medical staff so he could stay home."

Before Jessi could think of a reply, her shrill message alert tone interrupted their conversation. She just got a new text from the last person she wanted to talk to today.

Ugh. Why did he want to talk to her? What for? Wasn't he supposed to be hanging out or having dinner with Charmaine?

"Hey, loves. Talk to you later."

"Okay. You need to finish packing?"

"Yeah, and he's downstairs."

"Who?" Kel asked. "Jenson?" Her usually soft, calming voice sounded much louder now.

"Yeah. He just texted me."

"Downstairs? Why's he there? At your apartment?"

"Don't know. Maybe he just wants to ask about my flight. I mean, after Magnus talked to me, I just left the cemetery. Jenson tried to call, but I ignored it." Jessi scowled and deleted the new message. "Maybe he just wants to talk about some work thing before I leave tomorrow."

"Remember what I said. Okay?" Kel mumbled, her tone filled with concern now. "Record your conversation if you have to."

"Why?"

"Just in case."