Page 33 of The Weekend Getaway

Shaking her head, Grace said, “I want to go home.”

Chris frowned. “What?”

“I want to get off this island,” Grace said.

“We can’t leave,” Chris said, worried Alex might think he had left when he shouldn’t have. Alex expected Chris to be loyal. What would Alex think if Chris left? As a founder and senior partner in the firm, it was Chris’s responsibility to help Alex and Jason deal with the issues and problems the firm was facing. And he wanted to wait for Alex to return so he could find out more about the situation with Phil. He didn’t doubt that Alex was able to persuade Phil to back off and back down. If anyone could convince Phil that he shouldn’t ruin their lives, Alex could.

“We have to leave,” Grace said, voice lowered, mania in her eyes as she clutched his forearms. “We need to get off this island before we end up dead like Alex …”

CHAPTER 29

SARAH

“Anyone want eggs?” Mia asked.

Sarah glared at her, annoyed by her casual, breezy, laissez-faire tone. Leave it to Mia to pretend that everything was fine when things were falling apart. Leave it to Mia to make you question if things were as bad as you thought they were.

Fifteen years ago, Mia had convinced her to go along with a plan that Sarah hadn’t trusted. An idea conceived by Alex that was, supposedly, in Sarah’s best interest, according to Mia. “Alex is trying to make sure you get what you deserve,” Mia had said. “And after what happened to you, don’t you want that?”

Sarah had wanted justice.

But justice didn’t pay the bills.

“Alex says you need restitution,” Mia told her. “Not revenge.”

Pushing distressing memories away, Sarah glanced at Chris and Grace over near the stove, whispering furiously. What was going on with Grace? Why did she think Alex was dead? Grace’s claims were about as credible as Mia’s.

Sarah thought about what Mia told them, how Alex and Phil had a late-night chat and made amends. Did Alex speak with Phil after she talked to him? When had she talked to Phil? What time had she gone to his room last night? Sarah couldn’t remember. She hadn’t glanced at her watch, or at any clock. She hadn’t been thinking of the time.

She’d been thinking about Phil’s safety.

Alex wants to kill you.

Phil’s reaction had been strange. Thinking about it now, he’d been intrigued but oddly resigned. As though he wasn’t surprised, or worried. As though maybe he’d expected that Alex would choose violence and plot murder, considering Phil’s threat to destroy Alex’s life.

Where was Phil?

Sarah eyed Mia’s Bloody Mary. She could use a drink. But maybe just a glass of vodka. She’d skip the tomato juice. Sarah didn’t believe for one minute that Alex had ferried Phil to the mainland in the speedboat. And yet, both men were missing this morning.

A chill passed through Sarah.

She didn’t like thinking of Alex and Phil as … missing. As though something bad had happened. But where was Alex? And where was Phil? Could Mia have told the truth?

Sarah stared at Mia, who was standing in the open refrigerator, selecting ingredients to make breakfast. She wassure Mia had lied about Alex and Phil going to the mainland. So what was the truth?

Alex wants to kill you.

A thought invaded Sarah’s mind, one she couldn’t ignore. Did Alex make good on his plan to arrange an unfortunate accident for Phil? Did Alex really take Phil to the mainland or was that a ruse? A red herring designed to?—

“Stay here if you want!” Grace said, pushing away from Chris. “But I’m leaving this island before I get my head cut off!”

“Grace, honey, please!” Chris pleaded, helpless as Grace stormed out of the kitchen.

“Just how much did Grace have to drink last night?” Mia quipped, a smirk playing at the edge of her mouth.

Rolling her eyes at Mia, Sarah told Chris, “I’ll go up and check on Grace. Maybe I can calm her down.”

CHAPTER 30

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