Dyed and Gone by Beth Yarnall

Author:Beth Yarnall [Yarnall, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: An Azalea March Mystery
Publisher: Story Siren Publishing
Published: 2016-01-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

On my way back to our hotel, I called Juan Carlos and told him to meet me at Vivian’s room. It wasn’t three o’clock yet, but I didn’t care. We needed to talk. Now.

I knocked on Viv’s hotel-room door. I could hardly control the anger mixed with joy, and the overriding sense of relief that she was safe. I’d held on by a thread, and now here I was, just feet away from her.

She answered the door wearing a thick terry-cloth hotel robe, her wet hair combed back from her face.

Anger pushed its way forward first. “We need to talk.” I barged right past her into the room.

“Hello to you, too.”

“I need you to tell me everything. No more lies, no more half-truths. Start from when you first met Dhane.” I waved a shaky hand. “Go.”

Vivian adjusted the lapels of her robe. “Can I get dressed first?”

“Talk and dress. We don’t have much time, and you’ve already wasted so much of it.”

“You’re mad.”

Hell, yes, I was mad—furious. I was caught between wanting to shake her until she felt half the panic and fear I’d been carrying around and hugging her hard enough to leave my imprint on her. I settled for sarcastic. It was what I did best. “Really? Ya think? Why ever would I be mad, Viv?”

She pulled some clothes from her suitcase, avoiding my gaze. “I shouldn’t have lied, it’s just…” She dropped down on the edge of the bed, her head bent toward the shirt she twisted in her hands. “I made a promise. And as usual, you asked too many questions.”

“Nuh-uh, this one’s on you. You’re not blaming me for what’s happened here. And it doesn’t matter anyway, I already know Dhane’s real name. I know about his parents and the fire, Trinity, all of it.”

She looked up at me, surprised.

I folded my arms over my chest. “The police know about it, too.”

“I guess they would.” She got up and started to dress. “If you know that much, then you should probably know the rest.”

James came out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel on. “Oh, shoot!” He immediately ducked back inside.

“Nice chest, James,” I shouted.

“Hang on, let me get him some clothes.” Vivian pulled a few items from another bag and gave them to James.

As she made her way back, relief slammed into me. I dove for her, wrapping my arms around her tightly. “You scared the crap out of me.” My voice cracked and tears stung the backs of my eyes.

She hugged me just as hard. “I’m sorry,” she whispered in my ear. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Bending over her, I tucked my face into her neck. We’d always been close. Closer than I’d ever been to my own sister. “How could you lie to me?” I pulled back to look at her. “Why, Viv?”

She drew me over to the bed. We sat with our bodies angled toward each other. It was the first time she’d met my gaze since she’d told us that stupid story of how she and Dhane met.

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