Page 28 of Good Girls Beg

The room resembled the bedroom I grew up in. The small, cozy room in my dads' house. The place I always felt the safest of anywhere in the world. The one place I could retreat to whenever the world had me off-balance.

I sucked in a breath, then another. Forced the surprise and disorientation back, clearing my head and allowing me to think rationally. Calmly.

As I stepped into this room and looked more closely, I realized there were significant differences.

Yes, the bedspread was my favorite color, blue, but it was darker than anything I ever had before. The timber bed was made from a darker wood. The desk in the corner matched, but the chair that sat in front of it looked a lot more comfortable than my small, rickety desk chair.

Lamps sat on tables on either side of the bed but their bases weren't in the shapes of teddy bears, like I used to have. These resembled clay pots, glazed blue. I recognized the workmanship as a local potter from downtown Saltgrave.

"Lucky guess," Hel said with a shrug. "You'll find a closet over there. We had a few things delivered for you." He was holding something back.

I glanced at him sidelong, then stepped over and opened the closet.

'A few things' was an understatement. The large closet was packed with clothes, jeans, shirts, skirts, even a dress or two. Everything still had a tag hanging from it. My eyes widened at the numbers written on one of the dresses. It wasn't from Walmart, that was for sure.

"Oak guessed your size."

Of course Oak had. Out of the three of them, he was the one who had hands-on experience, albeit short.

Hel opened a drawer in a dresser beside the closet. Inside were piles of underwear and socks, also with tags attached. Several of the socks had teddy bears on them.

I lightly touched the teddy bear necklace that hung around my throat. A gift from my dads when I turned sixteen They always found excuses to buy me little bears, as if I could forget what my name was.

I decided not to ask what Hel had as a reminder of his own name. I hadn't seen a door to a basement yet, but I was certain it existed.

"Which one of you has the bear fetish?" I asked, teasing lightly, hoping like hell Hel had a sense of humor.

That brought the hint of a smile to his face. "Just trying to make you feel at home.” He was still holding back, but I couldn't figure out why. What more was he going to spring on me? As far as I could tell, the only lock on the bedroom door was on the inside. They couldn't lock me in, but I could lock them out.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "You own Egger Security, don't you? The logo is also a bear." I wasn't sure if he'd confirm that or respond evasively. He'd gone to such lengths to protect his identity that he might not want to reveal everything all at once.

"Coincidence," he said without blinking. "My father had a thing about them. They represent power and protection. And you know what they say." He stepped over to adjust the curtains before turning back. "Women always choose the bear."

"Is that your company tagline?" I peered into the bathroom that was attached to the bedroom.

A clawfoot tub, tucked right under the window, was big enough to lie in comfortably. The shower was big enough for four people at least. The matching double vanity stretched across the other side of the room, leaving more space than I'd ever need for my toiletries. Not surprising. I caught sight of a few of those in the shower and beside the sink: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste. All of the essentials. Was there anything they hadn't thought of?

"No, but maybe it should be," he said. His gaze lingered on me. Was that what he wanted? For me to choose the bear?

Right now, I felt like a fish out of water. I reminded myself all I was doing was living here. They told me I had no obligation beyond that. I didn't need to choose him or any of them. Although, I couldn't deny Hel was attractive.

I still didn't know why he wanted to do this. Why me? So far, I hadn't seen any signs of other women here, apart from Shannon.

I opened my mouth to ask, but Hel was stepping toward the door.

"I'll leave you to get settled in," he said. He raised a finger and pointed toward the desk. "There's a new laptop for you in the top drawer, and a phone.” Before I could say anything, he was gone, closing the door behind him.

"Thanks," I said to the wooden door.

I had a laptop, but it was old. In spite of that, I didn't know how I felt about accepting a new one. I stepped over and slid the drawer open, then gaped.

The laptop was still in a sealed box, but I knew the model. State of the art, top of the line. If this device didn't do something, I didn't need it. Same with the phone.

"This is too much," I said to myself. Could I accept a gift like this?

Honestly, I suspected the question was, could I refuse? I had a feeling they wouldn't be returned to the store if I did. Hel would leave them somewhere convenient until I changed my mind and accepted the gifts. He didn't seem like a man who took no for an answer.

I chewed my lip and decided I'd repay them for the devices. I'd make a list of everything they bought me and return the cost when the year was out, if not before. I wouldn't have a new debt hanging around my neck.