Page 84 of The Weekend Getaway

“What makes you think Mr. Richart will pay us?” Jason asked.

Alex continued filming. “He’ll pay us. He doesn’t want his family’s name dragged through the mud. Doesn’t want his son exposed as a violent rapist.”

“Blackmail is a crime,” Jason said.

Annoyed by the misguided righteous indignation in Jason’s tone, Alex glared at him. “Rape and assault is also a crime.”

Jason looked down.

“Phil should pay for what he did,” Chris said. “Sarah didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

Still glancing at Jason, Alex said, “No, Sarah certainly didn’t deserve to be sexually assaulted while she was unconscious.”

“What kind of sick fuck does that?” Chris asked, shaking his head.

“Hell if I know,” Alex said, stopping the video, then saving the content. “What about you Jason? Any idea what kind of depraved bastard would rape a girl while she was knocked out, unaware of what was happening, unable to say no?”

Jason said nothing.

Alex put his phone back in his pocket, then exhaled. “Okay, this is what we all need to remember. What we are doing should be realized as our opportunity to solidify our futures, as I said before. Guys like Phil, who’ve had everything handed to him, will be fine and flourish regardless of what we do. And remember this, as well … Phil’s ancestors have done vile and unethical things, worse than what we’re planning to do, so we don’t have to feel bad or guilty … “

CHAPTER 75

PHIL

“You’re going to kill yourself?” Phil gaped at Jason. “Seriously?”

“If I take enough of this, and I will, I won’t wake up,” Jason said, removing a small vial filled with liquid from his pocket. “I’ll just float away, gently passing from life to death, heading straight to hell where I belong.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Phil asked, disturbed by Jason’s flippant nonchalance. “You don’t have to?—”

“There is no other fate for me!” Jason roared, stalking toward Phil, crouching in front of him, like a rabid beast eager to pounce.

Phil recoiled.

“I am so tired of living with this fucking guilt!” Jason said, pressing his fingers into his eyes, shaking his head as he moaned and growled. “For fifteen years, all I have thoughtabout is what happened that night at your party and how I wished to God I could go back and … “

Phil said, “What if I … forgive you?”

Jason dropped his hands from his face. Scowling, he said, “You can’t. I don’t deserve it.”

“But—”

“Shut up …” Jason sighed, then stood, and started to pace in front of Phil, arms crossed, hugging himself. “Forgiveness won’t help.”

“I don’t think you should … hurt yourself,” Phil said, slightly surprised that he meant it, even though he was trying to keep Jason talking until he could squeeze at least one hand from the rope.

“And if I don’t then what?” Jason scoffed, walking toward the headless bodies propped against the cave walls. “I go back to being a lawyer? Yeah, right. I’ve killed four people. And, sure, they deserved to die, but I’ll go to prison. Maybe even get the death penalty.”

“Nobody has to know what you did,” Phil said.

Jason glared at him. “I know what I did. And there’s proof of my crimes.”

“Proof?”

“The villa has interior surveillance cameras,” Jason said. “I checked out the specs of the island and the villa before we came. So, I’m on video killing Alex, Chris and Mia. I think it’s appropriate, considering the video Alex made of you lying in bed with Sarah, covered in bloody sheets.”

Shock ricocheted through Phil. “Alex made that video? He told my father?—”

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