Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
PHIL
The knock startled him.
He’d been about to dwell on the past, ruminating on that horrible night and how those tragic events had ruined his life. Sent him into a downward spiral of despair and guilt.
There was another knock, quick and sharp. Insistent. As though the person on the other side was eager to get inside the room. Phil stared at the door. His heart kicked. Who was at his door? Alex? Chris? Mia? What the hell did they want?
Wary, he stood and walked to the door.
With an exhale, he grabbed the knob, twisted it, and pulled it back, opening the door.
Shock pulsed through him, hot and electric. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know what to say. But, seconds later, he found his voice.
“What do you want? ”
Sarah stared up at him, her dark eyes pleading. “Can I come in?”
The question sent another wave of shock through him. “What?”
“I need to talk to you.”
Shaking his head, Phil stammered, “I don’t think?—”
“Please. It’s important.”
“Are you sure you want to?—”
“Be alone in the same room with you?” Sarah asked.
Phil frowned. “Considering what happened?—”
“That’s what I need to talk to you about,” Sarah said. “Can I come in?”
Against his better judgment, Phil stepped back, allowed her to enter, then faced her.
“Close the door,” Sarah said.
“Don’t think that’s a good idea,” Phil said.
Scowling, Sarah walked past him and closed the door.
Phil turned.
Sarah leaned against the door. there’s something you need to know.”
“What?”
Sarah walked to the settee at the foot of the bed and sat down. “You can’t trust Alex.”
“What are you talking about?” Phil sat next to her on the settee. “Why can’t I trust him?”
Sighing, Sarah said, “Alex didn’t invite you here because it’s been so long and he wanted to catch up.”
“Why am I not surprised,” Phil muttered. “Why did he invite me? Does it have something to do with why you’re here? Something to do with … “
“What happened that night at your party?”
Fighting the surging guilt, Phil sighed. “Sarah?—”
“Ashton, Foster, and Morgan is not doing well,” Sarah said. “The firm is nearly insolvent. Mia told me they might have to declare bankruptcy.”
Phil rubbed his chin. “How did things get so bad?”
“The firm was accused of misappropriating client settlement funds,” Sarah said. “Alex, Chris, and Jason are being investigated by the feds. Mia swears the allegations are false. She claims a group of disgruntled clients made up the story and lied to authorities because they were angry about the legal fees.”
Phil rubbed the back of his neck. “Again, I’m not surprised.”
Alex had always been violently ambitious. It wasn’t shocking that his ambitions poisoned him. Caused him to compromise what few morals and ethics he had.
“So Alex concocted this plan to ask you for an … investment.”
“An investment?”
“Alex needs money to keep the firm afloat,” Sarah said. “He planned to get it from you.”
“I’m not giving him money to save his law firm.”
“He didn’t think you would,” Sarah said. “So he was going to blackmail you. He was going to tell you that he has proof about what happened that night.”
“What kind of proof? ”
Sarah said, “A video.”
“A video?”
“The two of us in bed …” Sarah trailed off, looked away.
“That’s not possible,” Phil said. “Alex said he found the guy who took the footage and got the video from him. And then he gave that video to my father.”
Sarah stared at him. “Alex made a copy of the video before he gave it to your dad.”
“That son of a bitch …”
“Alex was going to offer you the copy in exchange for money,” Sarah said. “But all that’s changed. Alex has a new plan now.”
“What’s the new plan?”
“He’s going to kill you.”