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

After Ridley led Zane away, Keaton snorted.

"Why are you even wasting your time with that clown? If it were me, I'd just squash him like a bug."

To Keaton, Zane and Tarquin were leagues apart.

With Tarquin's brains and resources, getting rid of Zane would be child's play.

Tarquin narrowed his sharp eyes in the direction Zane had gone, a hint of cold amusement in his gaze.

"It's not me playing games with him. Winona wants to blow off some steam, and when she's done, we'll finish him for good. Besides, you're underestimating him. He's a lot more dangerous than he looks."noveldrama

Keaton raised an eyebrow. "He's actually a big deal?"

Tarquin nodded. "Let's just say, most of the trouble the last few years in Burmalia involving Americans can be traced back to him."

Keaton's eyes widened. "He's mixed up with those Burmalia crime syndicates?" Tarquin gave a derisive snort.

"To put it nicely, they call it a 'strategic partnership.' Truth is, he's just their lapdog, paid handsomely to do their dirty work."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Tarquin replied, “Zane is their guy here in the States. He runs a bunch of criminal gangs for them. He's the middleman, smuggling people out-treats humans like product. Every head is just another paycheck."

Keaton's jaw tightened. The Burmalia gangs had ruined countless American lives over the years.

Some were lured over with lies, others kidnapped outright. Either way, once they landed in Burmalia, it was hell on earth.

If you were lucky, you'd get beaten, tortured, locked up, treated worse than livestock.

If you were unlucky, well... they'd harvest your organs and leave your body in a ditch.

Burmalia was infamous-a real hellhole.

Anyone who could work with those monsters had to be ruthless.

And smart-otherwise, you'd never climb to Zane's rank.

Keaton shook his head. "Guess I underestimated him. I forgot-he's not just street-smart, he's got the brains too. What's your plan?"

Kidnapping Winona wasn't enough to put Zane away for life.

But if they could dig up his Burmalia connections? He'd never see daylight again.

Still, bringing all that to light wouldn't be easy. Zane wasn't working alone—it was

a whole web of gangs and Burmalia's worst criminals.

Tarquin's eyes glinted, cold and merciless. He didn't hesitate.

"Leave no loose ends."

Anyone who'd even think about touching his wife deserved to disappear- permanently.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Elysia was patching up Winona's bruised knuckles with some ointment.

She scolded gently as she worked.

"Next time, don't be so reckless. Why

not just grab a baseball bat or-

something? You go around punching people with your bare hands-doesn't it hurt?"

Winona winced as the ointment stung, but she grinned.

"Doing it myself is so much more satisfying. Swinging a bat just isn't the same!

Ugh. And you should've seen me when I ran into Sarah-I was furious."

"Every time I see her, I realize just how stupid I've been."

"I mean, I'm supposed to be the queen bee, right? Winona, the internet's favorite badass. And I got played by that sleazeball

couple almost ended up dead l.ne

because of them! God, it's

no

embarrassing. So freaking embarrassing!"

Elliot piped up, trying to comfort her.

"It's not that you're dumb, Blossom. It's just that Zane's a real piece of work. If he weren't a criminal, he'd probably be running a Fortune 500 by now."

Zane had seven PhDs under his belt, all from top universities, in everything from engineering to psychology.

And he wasn't even forty yet. The guy was terrifyingly accomplished-if only he'd chosen a different path.

Blossom rolled her eyes. "If he wasn't so impressive, you think Winona would've given him the time of day back in college?"