And so the three of us were here now, crammed into the back of this rickshaw thing, in the middle of this barely developed country looking for our girl. Where was she? My heart stopped in my throat as I looked over the thatched roofs of the village houses, the dilapidated cars, the dusty animals plodding by. Where was our beautiful brunette in all of this?
KARL
Ican’t say that I’m proud of what’s happened. Because instead of sticking it out, staying by our girl, my bro and I took off, leaving her on her own. Because yeah, we knew Tina was upset, that Kristian was gone on some official business, and that the brunette had nowhere to turn, no one to talk to about the dramatic revelations of the White Gala. And as ashamed as I am to admit it, my bro and I didn’t stick around either.
But my feelings were mixed. On the one hand, we had to leave. We had no jobs after all, and money would have become an issue sooner or later. It’s nice to live in la-la land, but Kato and I can’t stay there for long, it’s fucking wrong to let your best girl support you while you sit on the couch.
So we had to get ourselves jobs and to our surprise, had been hired immediately by a para-military outfit. I guess it makes sense. My twin and I are soldiers with specialized skills and anything goes in times of war, they’ll pay a pretty penny for ruthless dudes who know how to wield a fist.
But I still felt guilty about leaving, and I know my twin did to. We’d hightailed it out of St. Venetia with a thousand questions unanswered, leaving our woman nowhere to turn, forcing her to figure things out on her own. That was no way to treat a sensitive, nineteen year-old girl, especially since the ending had been so dramatic, filled with incredible ups and downs straight out of a movie.
So we were determined to do right by her now, find her in this jungle that was Cambodia. But WTF, why did she choose Cambodia? The answer only became too clear when we got to the hotel.
Because the Meridian was quite fancy, a French outfit left over from colonial days, an ivory-colored building which subtly resembled the White House, pillars at the entrance, a grand foyer and marble lobby. The café served afternoon tea, the concierge spoke perfect English, and it looked like there was a lavish gift shop off to the right.
“Is a Ms. Sterling staying here?” I asked the front desk. We’d been tipped off that there was a foreign girl here, a white girl with brown hair who was using the Meridian Hotel as her residence.
And instead of hemming and hawing, refusing to reveal the name of a guest due to privacy issues, the man at the front desk gestured to the left.
“Over there,” he said with a smile. “In that room.”
Really? That easy? The three of us looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Well, this was a foreign country, and when in Rome, do as Romans do.
So we made our way to the room, bursting in unceremoniously, our massive forms filling the small space, overfilling it given that the office could only fit a desk, two chairs, and a few occupants at its max.
And I was about to open my mouth, bark at the visitor, tell him to get the fuck out when we stopped in our tracks, stunned, unable to believe our eyes. Because Tina had stood up, revealing her figure … and she was pregnant, so beautiful, so fertile and gorgeous, that suddenly I knew everything would work itself out. No, scratch that, we’d make it work. No matter what the cost.
TINA
It was a surprise when the three men came storming in, tall forms dominant, arrogant, arousing still despite everything that had happened. I’d forgotten how magnetic they were, Kato, Karl and Kristian, the charisma rolling off them in waves, their hard, muscled bodies filling up the space, blue eyes taking in everything within seconds.
“Um, excuse me Annelise,” I said with a murmur. “Would you mind waiting outside for a moment?”
And the small woman nodded, eyes wide, slipping to the door.
“Miss Tina, you take as long as you need,” she said in broken English before disappearing, the door clicking shut behind her.
And I sat back down, letting out a small sigh of relief. Because I’m swollen with pregnancy, my belly huge at this point, and it’s tough to stand sometimes, my ankles are sore, my feet ballooned to the point where they look like they belong to a Cabbage Patch kid.
So I took a sip of water, letting the cool liquid trickle down my throat before turning to the men.
“What brings you here?” I asked civilly. My eyes scanned their stunned expressions, the way Karl’s pulse throbbed at his throat, how Kato reflexively clenched his fists over and over again, Kristian’s ominous frown.
“You’re working too hard,” growled Kato immediately. “How many hours a day are you putting in? Twelve? Thirteen? You’re pregnant, you shouldn’t be on your feet.”
“This place isn’t safe,” added Karl. “This a third world country, our baby can’t be born in Cambodia. We’ll take you back immediately, I’ll call the chopper.”
And Kristian was last.
“What the fuck, Tina,” he growled. “What the fuck,” was all he managed.
And I could see the rage, the shocked surprise, all mixed with a dose of elation on their faces, that they were going to be fathers.
“What, is this a surprise?” I said archly. “You know that we never used protection, ever. And we were going at it all the time, day in and day out, you’re virile men, I’m a fertile woman, this is an expected outcome.”
And the trio had nothing to say because it was true. Furthermore, I suspected that they’d wanted this all along, wanted me pregnant, to see me bloom with a child within, the fruit of their seed, their desire, their unquenched lust for me. And I threw a curveball next, something they never anticipated.
“I’ve gone to the doctor for a couple ultrasounds already,” I added, “and we know it’s two girls. Isn’t that wonderful? Twins again, just like I thought might happen.”