“I know what you thought,” she stated in a raw, husky voice. “You assumed I’m like Leigh. That it’s the dollar-and-cent worth of an item that’s important.”
It hit him then. She wasn’t Leigh. How could he ever have thought she was? It was like comparing an angel to a viper. Where Leigh had demanded and taken, Larkin had given him the most precious possession she owned—herself. And he’d thrown that gift back in her face. Accused her of the worst possible crime—being the same as her sister. Half sister. She’d given him her heart and he’d tossed it aside as though it were worthless, just as her mother had done.
“Don’t you get it?” she whispered. Pain carved deep lines in her expression. “This bracelet is my only connection to my father. How am I supposed to use it to find him when it looks nothing like he remembers?”
Face it, Dante, you screwed up.
And now he had a choice, a choice that was vanishing with each passing moment. One path led back the way he’d come. Returned him to where he’d been just weeks ago. The other option… Well, if he chose that one, he’d have to risk everything he’d always considered most precious. His independence. His need to control his world and everything within it. The barriers he’d spent a lifetime erecting to protect himself.
But the potential reward…
He looked at Larkin. Truly looked at her. That’s all it took. He burrowed the thumb of his left hand into the throbbing center of his right palm and surrendered to the inevitable. He’d risk it all. Risk anything to have her back in his life. And just like that, a plan fell into place. It would take days to accomplish, possibly weeks. It would take extreme delicacy and exquisite timing. But it just might work.
Now for step one. “I can put the bracelet back the way it was,” he offered.
Tears welled up and she brushed at them with a short, angry motion. “Forget it. I don’t want anything from you.”
She turned to leave, whistling to Kiko. Instead of following her, the dog darted forward, snatched the backpack in her jaws and took off at a dead run up the steps to the second story.
“Kiko!” she and Rafe called in unison.
Together they raced after her, finding her crouched in the center of his bed, guarding the backpack. She barked at the pair of them.
“Looks like she doesn’t want you to leave,” Rafe said.
“She’ll get over it.” Larkin approached the bed and picked up the backpack. “Let’s go, Kiko.”
Though the dog allowed Larkin to take the backpack, she hunkered down on the bed in a position that clearly stated she wasn’t planning to budge anytime soon. Okay, this could work to his advantage.
“Let her stay,” Rafe suggested.
“What?” Larkin turned on him. “Why?”
“You both can stay here until we get the problem of your bracelet sorted out.”
She instantly shook her head. “That’s not going to happen.”
Rafe wasn’t surprised. That would have been too easy, and something told him that nothing about regaining her trust would prove easy. “In that case, Gia has offered you a room while you search for your father. The only problem is that her place isn’t suitable for Kiko. Leave her here for the time being.”
Tears filled Larkin’s eyes. “It’s not enough that you ruined my bracelet? Now you’re taking my dog, too?”
Hell. “I’m not taking her,” he explained patiently. “I’m letting her stay until our business is settled.”
Her chin jutted out. “I thought our business was settled.”
“Apparently not. I still owe you for your time and the damage to the bracelet.”
“Forget it.”
“Somehow I had a feeling you were going to say that,” he muttered. “In that case, the least I can do is have your bracelet fixed so it’s returned to its original condition. Will you consider that a fair exchange?”
She looked doubtful. “You can do that?”
“Francesca can handle anything.”
“Francesca.” Her eyes widened at the reminder, filling with horror. “I forgot about the engagement ring.”