Page 25 of Good Girls Beg

The house itself was huge. Two stories, probably a basement, right on the water. If I counted how many steps it was from the back door to the beach, I’d guess less than a hundred. The place must have cost a fortune. The only thing that looked worn and tired was my car parked in the driveway. The poor thing looked as out of place as an elephant in a ball pit. Or a piece of rusty metal in a crown of diamonds.

Leaving my bags in the car, I started toward the front of the house, my shoes crunching on the tan colored pea gravel driveway.

I half-expected someone to open the door before I got there, but they didn't. Were they watching, waiting for my arrival? I couldn't see anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't.

I stepped up the painted concrete front steps to a huge door, surrounded on either side by seeded glass.

I held my breath and knocked on the door.

I considered the possibility no one lived here, or if they did, they weren't the three masked men. We had a contract, but it still might be an elaborate prank. Should I turn around right now, get back in my car and leave? Where the hell would I go? My fathers deserved their privacy and I wasn't going to screw Lyra around by turning up on her doorstep.

I could⁠—

The door opened slowly, without a creak. A woman I guessed to be in her late sixties stood inside. Her clothes were casual. Her smile suspicious.

"Mr. Egger said you'd be along," she said. She stepped back, gesturing for me to come inside. "You can wait in the library."

If they wanted to win me over, the presence of a library was a good place to start. You can tell a lot about a person by how many books they have, and the condition they keep them in. Dog-eared pages and cracked spines were a sign of chaotic evil, for example.

"First door on the right. I'm Shannon. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

Before I could respond, she disappeared toward the back of the house, her feet barely making a sound on the hardwood floor.

"Okay then,” I said to myself. "Library, you say?"

I peered into the doorway of the room she'd indicated.

My eyes widened. The room was full with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and, yes, ladders that reached the upper shelves. The shelves were packed with books, everything from thrillers to the latest romance novels.

I squinted at one. Had that officially been released yet? I pulled it out and started reading. When I reached the end of the chapter, I looked around before sinking into an oversized chair under the window. I tucked my legs into me and went on reading.

This might not be so bad after all.

"Enjoying that?" a voice asked.

I recognized the voice as Mr. Middle before I looked up.

My breath caught in my throat. He wasn't only big, he was attractive. Dark, wavy hair matched his olive complexion. A slightly too-large nose sat under dark brown eyes. His full lips were turned up in a faint smile. A dimple in his chin peered out from amongst a fine layer of stubble.

I guessed he was about a decade older than me, maybe in his mid-thirties.

"Mr. Egger, I assume.” I placed the book down on my lap, my finger between the pages to mark my spot.

"Hel," he said.

I blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

He pulled a chair over and perched on the edge of it. "My name. Helmut Egger. Everyone calls me Hel."

"Oh." My face heated. That made a lot more sense than the assumption I was about to jump to. "My fathers passed on their thanks for what you're doing for them. Sort of.”

"But?" He looked at me sideways. He must have seen the apprehension on my face. I doubted I was hiding it very well.

"But they think the money came from crowdfunding and I'm staying here because you offered me a room to rent," I admitted. “I hated lying to them.” I couldn't remember having done it before. Having to do it now didn't sit well with me, not even for the good reason I was doing it. "They'd worry about me if they knew the truth.”

That might be an understatement. If they knew what was really going on, they'd probably drag me home and insist I live with them again. An arrangement that wouldn't work for anyone.

"They don't need to worry," Hel said. "You're a grown woman. You've made your choice. They'd understand that.”