Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem ( Elysia and Tarquin)

He wasn't afraid to take on Tarquin, not even a little!

Zane stormed forward, all puffed-up bravado at least until—

Before he even got close, Tarquin landed a brutal kick that sent him flying across the parking lot!

It was only when the fists actually started flying that Zane realized just how outmatched he was.

Tarquin moved fast-crazy fast. Every punch was solid, every move precise.

Forget fighting back-Zane couldn't even dodge. He caught punch after punch square in the face, barely able to keep his balance, when suddenly Tarquin swept his leg out from under him.

Zane hit the ground hard, knees first, with a sickening thud.

Tarquin loomed over him, face cold as stone. He didn't hesitate—another hard kick, this one straight to Zane's ankle.

There was a nasty crack, and Zane howled in pain. "Aaaagh—!”

Tarquin wasn't done. He landed a fierce kick to Zane's ribs, sending him skidding across the gravel.

Zane felt something snap-probably his ribs. He tried to catch his breath, but it was like breathing through broken glass.

Tarquin stalked toward him, expression thunderous.

Gone was Zane's earlier cockiness. All that bravado? Nowhere to be found. Just raw terror in his eyes.

"You...you—” he stammered, completely floored by Tarquin's skills.

Of course he was shocked. How could he know what Tarquin's past really looked like? Those "years abroad for physical therapy" were a total cover. Tarquin had served in the military, worn the uniform, carried a rifle, flown fighter jets and tanks —even survived a few years in some hardcore survival bootcamps.

And Zane? The guy took two boxing classes a week at the local gym and thought he was hot stuff. Ridiculous.

Tarquin stopped in front of him and, without a word, unleashed another flurry of punches and kicks-this time until Zane coughed up blood.

Finally, Tarquin stood over him, eyes icy cold.

"I never wanted to get my hands dirty dealing with you. But you just had to go and poke the bear, huh?"

"If I hear you running your mouth again, I'll cut out your tongue.”

"If you so much as touch Elysia, you'll lose your hand."

"Try and make a move on my wife again? That's a death wish."

"To me, you're not even worth the trouble. If it weren't for certain reasons, you'd be long gone."

Zane curled up on the ground, gasping for breath, not daring to talk back.

Tarquin shot him a look of pure disdain, then took a napkin from the bodyguard nearby and wiped his hands. He gave crisp orders:

"Call Winona. Tell her her husband's been hurt and needs to come home to recover. Deliver him to her-personally."

Zane's eyes went wide with horror. Send him to Winona? Why not just finish him off now?

“I—” he started, but the bodyguard cut him off with a punch that knocked him out cold.

Upstairs, Elysia sat hunched at her laptop, studying a video of mutating viruses. Her face was tense with concentration.

When Tarquin came in, she looked up in a hurry. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What about Zane?"

She wasn't worried about Zane, really-more about Tarquin accidentally killing him and ending up with a murder charge on his hands.noveldrama

"Sent him to Winona."

"What?"

Tarquin just shrugged. "Winona wanted to let off some steam, right? I figured I'd give her the chance."

Elysia blinked, then relaxed as she caught his meaning. "Nothing...bad will happen, right?"

Tarquin grinned, just a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Her husband's hurt. She'll take 'good care' of him. Trust me."

Elysia got the message and smiled. Honestly, Zane deserved whatever was coming to him.

Tarquin looked over at her laptop, eyeing the virus model on the screen. "Any luck?"

Elysia shook her head, frowning. "I'm stuck. To crack this, I'll probably need Grandma's help."

Tarquin perked up. "Your grandma in the mountains?"