Black Dahlia (The Dahlia Trilogy of The Gilded Flower Series Book 2) Read online

  He takes a step back and looks into her eyes. “No matter what ends up happening, I’m your friend, I will be here for you.”

  Dahlia nods, knowing full well the truth in Kai’s promise to her. His wide grin breaks the silence that falls between them. Grabbing her ass, he whispers, “I believe we owe each other a special farewell.”

  Dahlia pulls him back toward the bed and presses her body into his.

  Chapter 33

  “It’s about time you called, D,” Lily says in a tense voice.

  “What the hell is up your ass, Lil?”

  “Besides being worried that my sister would take a bunch of sleeping pills while she was alone on an island grieving for her lost husband, oh, nothing.”

  “You didn’t really think I would go that far, did you?”

  “You should’ve seen yourself. Although on second thought, you probably don’t need that image in your head.”

  “You’re sounding way too snippy, Lil. Don’t tell me Alejandro turned into a sociopathic control freak as soon as you moved to Miami.”

  Lily chuckles. “Alejandro is great. It’s just . . . Gustavo is proving to be a big pain in the ass.”

  Dahlia shrieks, drawing the attention of a few people in the airline lounge. “What has that bastard done now?”

  A loud announcement over the speaker drowns out Lily’s response.

  All she can make out is, “Where are you, D?”

  “Hong Kong. Insanely long layover. I’m bored as fuck.”

  “You want to tell me what you did while you were away? Vi mentioned there was some cute guy.”

  “I’ll tell you about Kai later. What’s up with Vi? She was a hot mess when she left.”

  “I don’t know. I called her the other day to give her some news, but she rushed off the phone after two minutes.”

  “What news?”

  “Alejandro and I are engaged!” Lily says excitedly.

  Dahlia smiles, genuinely happy for her sister. “Oh my God, Lil, that’s great.”

  “It is. I can’t talk about it now. I have to go into a meeting. Just tell me where I can find you.”

  Dahlia looks out the window of the executive lounge onto the tarmac, wondering the very same thing.

  She closes her eyes and says, “California. I have to take care of some things. Then I’ll let you know what I decide.”

  “Okay. If you need me, call, no matter what. Promise?”

  “Yeah, alright.”

  “By the way, the engagement party will be some time next month. I didn’t want one, but Alejandro’s mom insists. It’ll be a small affair. Please say you’ll come.”

  “Of course, Lil. You’re my sister. Anything for you.”

  Chapter 34

  “Dahlia, dear, it’s so wonderful to see you again.” Pearl hugs Dahlia as she steps into the foyer. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing alright,” Dahlia replies.

  Pearl takes Dahlia’s hands into hers and steps back. She looks Dahlia over. “I’d say your vacation did wonders for you. You look healthy.”

  Dahlia nods. “It was good. It was nice to spend time with Lily and Vi.”

  “I’m sure, honey. Well, come on in.” Pearl leads Dahlia up the stairs into the living area. The house has been cleaned since Dahlia left, but everything was still in its place. No, she could never live here again, she affirms to herself.

  “You said you wanted to talk,” Dahlia prompts, preferring not to spend any more time in Shane’s place than she has to. It was his home, and hers only briefly.

  “Oh, yes, of course. Thanks so much for coming up from L.A. I was surprised when you mentioned you’re staying in Santa Monica. What took you there?”

  Dahlia shrugs. Perhaps because it’s a city for lost people. “I’m not ready to go back to New York just yet, so I enrolled in some art classes in the fall at UCLA. I’m thinking about getting back into photography.”

  “Oh, my, I love that. Those pictures you took of Shane are remarkable.”

  “Thanks, Pearl. It means a lot.” Dahlia looks out the window at the ocean.

  Sensing Dahlia’s discomfort, Pearl says, “The lawyers will be here soon. I figured it would be easiest to take care of the paperwork while you’re visiting. That way the transfer of ownership can go to Troy and me as soon as possible. I know you’d rather not deal with this matter any longer than you have to.”

  Dahlia nods. “I’m glad it will stay in the family. Troy will make Shane proud.” She swallows back his name. “Sebastian didn’t want to stay on as partner?”

  Pearl shakes her head. “No. It was too much responsibility. He asked we maintain his sponsorship and buy him out.”

  “Do you need money for the buyout?”

  “Of course not. Shane was always very generous with us.” Pearl lays a gentle hand over Dahlia’s.

  “Before the lawyers arrive, I wanted to give you this. I found it while I was going through Shane’s desk a couple of weeks back. I was holding onto it until I saw you.”

  Pearl lays a plain envelope on the glass table. Dahlia glances at it, seeing her name written on the outside in Shane’s script, the edges yellowed with time.

  “What is it?” Dahlia asks, fingering the envelope.

  “I didn’t open it. It’s yours.”

  Dahlia’s heart begins to beat hard against her chest. All these weeks of making her peace with Shane’s death, and now she has to confront it all over again. Yet another reminder that he isn’t here to say what he wanted to in person.

  “I’ll open it later, if you don’t mind,” she says, placing the envelope in her purse.

  Pearl shakes her head. “Not at all.” She opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by the doorbell. “That must the lawyers. We’ll talk more later.”

  Epilogue

  Dahlia reads the letter over again, the paper wrinkled from the many times she’s folded and unfolded it, the ink smeared from the tears she shed when she read it the first, second, and even third time. After that, the tears had dried up. She couldn’t cry anymore—until now.

  She notices the date written in the top right hand corner. A piece of the paper had been folded down, obscuring it before. He wrote it two years ago. Dahlia can hardly remember what she was doing then, but Shane was already clean and becoming a successful entrepreneur.

  Shane lied. He didn’t have the courage to tell her before, and he died before she could confront him, giving him the last word, the last apology. She crumples up the letter, her tears turning to rage. How could he have kept the truth from her all this time?

  My Dearest Dahlia. Those words roll around her head. The time they spent together, yet he never told Dahlia about her.

  She’s still alive. It’s the line that threw Dahlia into a tailspin. Their daughter is still alive, and he could only try to tell her in a letter that he never sent? And all the worse, Dahlia’s own mother had also lied and told her the baby died at the other hospital.

  Dahlia wipes the tears with the back of her hand. The Old Woman was wrong. She was betrayed. Not by one person, but two.

  The flight attendant walks quietly up to her to announce their descent into Teterboro airport. “There’s a thunderstorm moving over the New York area, so it will probably get a bit bumpy.”

  Dahlia nods and whispers, “Thank you.”

  She looks out into the night sky, her rage growing greater by the minute. Now Dahlia knows where she’s supposed to be.

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  Acknowledgements

  There are so many things that go into writing a book that have little to do with sitting down and writing. First it’s the inspiration, an idea, or even the inkling of an idea that is sparked by experience, a memory or dream, or a person. I want to thank my husband, first and foremost, for sharing numerous adventures with me that have inspired my stories, as well as his tireless support. I’d also like to thank my children. While more often than not they keep me from w
riting, they inspire me every day.

  Aside from ideas, there are the friends who make you feel as if anything is possible and that how you execute it, however messy and awful, is the most terrific thing you’ve ever done. Sara and Lisa, you two crazy bitches make me feel invincible.

  Of course, I seem to find crazy bitches wherever I go. Karen and Lucia, you two troublemakers have made my years in New York City memorable. Promise me to never share those pictures.

  Then there is that one friend who not only tells you that what you do is wonderful—even if she thinks otherwise—is willing to go along for the ride. Suzann, I will be eternally grateful to the universe for sending you to me. Thank you for holding my hand and encouraging me every step of the way.

  Sonja, we’ll always have Paris . . .and Chicago, and New York. Thank you for all the profound experiences we had together.

  And of course, the family who’s had my back since I took my first steps. Of course you weren’t surprised to find out that I write those kinds of books—and I wouldn’t presume they’d read them. That my sisters-in-law do read them means the world to me. B and K, thank you for being a part of my family and for reading my books.

  Last, but certainly not least, my deepest gratitude to my fans, readers and bloggers who feature my books. This series is for you! I am incredibly humbled and grateful to you all for your support and your kick-ass reviews. There are so many books out there. That you’ve found mine and enjoyed them enough to write a review or buy these books means the world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  About the Author

  Vivian Winslow was born and raised in Southern California. Before becoming a writer, she made a career out of moving around the world every couple of years thanks to her husband’s job. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two elementary school age children, and is grateful to finally have a place to call home for more than two years. New York is the perfect city to indulge her love of shopping, the arts and especially food. If she’s not at home writing or running around the city with her kids, you’ll most likely find her indulging in pizza on the Lower East Side or having a cocktail at her favorite bar in Alphabet City. That said, she’s still a California girl at heart and would gladly trade in her heels for a pair of flip-flops to catch a sunset on the beach.

  You can connect with Vivian at:

  http://www.vivianwinslow.com

  https://www.facebook.com/vivianwinslowauthor

  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8183361.Vivian_Winslow

  https://twitter.com/VivWinslow

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