Page 73 of Twisted Kings

I closed my eyes for a moment and thought about calming things. The sound of the ocean. The feel of sand between my toes. The scent of salt on the breeze.

“Um, the problem is…” Fuck, why was it so hard to say the words? “The problem is…I think I might be…”

“Knocked up?”

“What? How did you know?”

She huffed in a way that spoke of extreme exasperation at my lack of functioning brain cells.

“Isn’t it fucking obvious?”

“Not to me, no.”

“Ugh. Think about it. Four hot, virile guys - note I’m not including Milo in this, as I assume you’re not fucking him, but feel free to give me the deets if you are - it stands to reason they knocked you up.”

Once again, she’d left me scratching my head. “So because I’ve had sex a few times with more than one guy, you assume I’m pregnant?”

“Of course. Even my ovaries sing like sirens when they’re all in the same room, and I’m not sexually in thrall to them. I mean, not gonna lie, they are each pretty, but frankly, there are way too many red flags for my liking. Also, Declan would fit me with a chastity belt if I so much ashintedI fancied some of Kyril’s man meat. Which I don’t, for the record. I’m sure it’s lovely and all, but I prefer English sausage, not Russian sausage.”

The conversation stalled for a good few minutes while my brain processed her verbal vomit. As always, she never ceased to surprise me with some of the shit she came out with.

“Well, good to know you don’t want to bang my boyfriend.Boyfriends.”

“Nope, all yours, girlfriend. So, you were saying… oh yes… knocked up.”

“Maybe,” I hedged.

She laughed. “Yeah right. You’re preggo, my friend.”

“I need to be sure.”

“You need a test. Got it.”

“Yeah. Can you get me one?”

“Course.” She said nothing for a few moments, but I could hear her moving around and then the faint murmur of a man’s voice. Shit, had Michael heard our conversation? I fucking hoped not. If he said anything to the guys, I was screwed. Oh wait. Too late. That had already happened.

“There’s something else I need to talk to you about as well…”

The guys were all sitting around the breakfast table when I walked in. Verity was up and dressed, much to my shame. Once again, I’d left someone else to care for her. If there was a ‘Worst Sister’ award, I was first in line for it.

All five of them looked up with expressions ranging from curious to worried. I wondered if Dario and Cassian knew about my undignified head-in-the-toilet session. Hopefully not. Nothing killed romance faster than spewing chunks.

Not that I was planning to get naked with Dario.

“So, what’s the plan today?” I nonchalantly poured myself a coffee while ignoring the mutant elephant in the room.

“I thought you were ill,” Kyril pointed out, cocking one eyebrow in a way that made it blatantly clear he didn’t believe my earlier excuse.

“To be honest, I don’t feel amazing,” I replied.No word of a lie there. “But I can’t sit around all day doing nothing. Maybe some fresh air will help.”

“Can we go walk on the beach?” Verity piped up eagerly. She was desperate to go exploring, but the weather had been vile the last few days. The tail-end of an Atlantic storm, or so Milo had informed me.

When I peered out of the window, blue sky greeted me. The wind had died down, and for once it wasn’t raining. I’d take that as a win.

“The tide is going out, so you’re safe,” Milo piped up, reminding me of an earlier conversation about high tide and imminent death.

“Yes, but you need to finish your breakfast and then brush your teeth.”

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