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“I would’ve promised him anything in order to get you all back,” she said icily. “Anything.”

A long moment passed. We stood there in the silence, facing off. It must’ve looked terrible, like us against her. Hell, it felt terrible.

“Listen,” Sammara finally said. “I know there’s good reason not to trust Markus. And you’re right to be wary. But I’m also a believer in second chances.”

Something small moved in the bushes, like a chipmunk or a squirrel. Sarge’s ears perked straight up. A split-second later he was running off after it.

“I ran into Dawn while you were gone,” she continued. “And I sort of… well… I sort of gave her a second chance.”

My eyes went wide. “Dawn?”

“Yes.”

“The one who robbed you?” Briggs asked incredulously. “The one we had to help you steal everything back from, in the dead of night, like thieves and—”

“YES.”

Now she did look a little angry. Or maybe it was more along the lines of frustration.

“Maybe she’ll burn me again,” Sammara said with a shrug. “If so, that’s on me. I’d deserve it. But there’s also a good chance Dawn learned her lesson. That she’s suffered enough for what she did, and she realized that making it better — making it right again — would bring her a lot more happiness than continuing down the path she was on.”

No one said anything. Dawn! Of all people! I still couldn’t believe it, even when as she spun to face me.

“Ryan, do you love your father?

”

I swallowed hard at the question. Right away I knew what she was going for.

“Yes,” I had to admit.

“And your sisters?”

My thoughts floated fondly to Jennifer and Mariah. My two half-sisters were beautiful, funny, caring. So well-adjusted. And I was making up for so much lost time with them, too! With them and my father, Gabriel. The father I’d missed out on — and who’d missed out on me — for just about our whole lives…

That is, our whole lives until Sammara.

“Of course I love them,” I said.

“Well you wouldn’t even know them if not for second chances,” Sammara pointed out. “By contacting your dad, you opened yourself up to the possibility of getting hurt. But instead you found love, respect, happiness.” She looked at me pointedly. “And all because you took a chance.”

Damn, she was convincing. She should’ve been a lawyer.

“Maybe Markus is like that,” she said, shifting her gaze back to the others. “You heard what he said about his dealings with Goddard. How it went south quickly, how it snowballed before he knew what was happening. How he couldn’t get out from under it until it was too late.”

Dakota looked uncomfortable. So did Briggs.

“Yes, but—”

“He’s got every reason in the world to hate Goddard too,” Sammara jumped in. “Maybe even more than any of us. Remember, this man took Markus’s good name. Indirectly, he took his company as well.”

“So you’re saying we should just… what? Give Di Spatia back to him?”

“Temporarily,” she nodded. “Yeah.”

Sarge came bounding back, covered in thistles. His little nose looked packed with mud.

“And if he burns us?” asked Briggs. “If he keeps the company, and jumps right back into bed with Charles Goddard? What then?”