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

His phone suddenly rang after he finished speaking. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Whoever messaged him must've shared good news because a warm smile spread across his face, softening his entire demeanor. He typed a quick reply, still smiling, then pocketed his phone and stood up.

"I've gotta head out, folks. Today's chat is over. Trust me, we'll be like family soon. Just let me wrap up some things here, and I'll take you guys back to our place to find the treasure."

Seeing him about to leave, Evan quickly blocked his path. "You can't go!"

After all the effort to draw him out, Evan wasn't about to let him leave without uncovering his identity.

The man in black seemed to read his mind and asked with a calmness that belied the tension, "Evan, are you so eager to see my face, or is it more important to you that Emmett stays safe?"

Evan was taken aback.

The man continued, "I might not have the strength to fend you off right now, but don't mistake my calm for weakness. Sure, you could force me to reveal myself, but then I'd have to make sure Emmett pays the price."

Gritting his teeth, Evan retorted, "Then I'll just have to take you down now, so you can't ever hurt Emmett!"

The man just chuckled, "Oh, Evan, you're not as sharp as your brother. Who said I need to be the one to harm Emmett? Trust me, if you lay a hand on me, Emmett will be in trouble immediately."

Elijah's voice suddenly came through the earpiece, "Emmett's gone off the grid!"

Elliot and Evan's faces fell, and they demanded, "What have you done to Emmett?!"

"Relax. As long as I'm fine, the kid will be too," the man assured them with an unnervingly calm voice.

He then headed for the door, leaving Elliot and Evan frowning after him, neither daring to stop him again. They cared more about Emmett's safety than unmasking this mysterious figure.

As the man reached the door, he turned back, sighed softly, and said with a tone one might use to cheer up children, "Cheer up, lads. Here's a hint for you—I've been right under your noses all this time. Figuring out who I am shouldn't be too hard, huh?"

With that, he left, door closing behind him.

Evan was shocked. "He's been around us all along? Is he someone we know?!"

Elijah spoke seriously, "Seems like it."

Elliot, frowning deeply, was silent for a few seconds before he opened the door to check. The man had vanished.

"Let's check on Emmett first!"noveldrama

"Hey, I'm here. Blossom just woke up, and I went to check on her. What's happened?" Emmett's voice suddenly came through.

Elliot, Evan, and Elijah were speechless for a moment.

"Blossom's awake, not sure if she'll come over later. How long till you guys are back?" Emmett asked quietly.

"We're on our way back now! We'll have a team meeting soon. I've picked up on a lot of issues from what he said," Elliot responded.

With the mysterious man gone, staying put was pointless.

Before leaving, Evan asked, "What about Nola, that nasty piece? What do we do with her?"

"Leave her for now. She doesn't know who knocked her out; she'll wake up by morning all the same."

"Got it!"

The brothers quietly left the hotel, the man in black watching them get into a cab from behind a pillar, chuckling to himself with a hint of mockery in his eyes. It was as if he found it amusing that he'd almost been caught by a couple of youngsters!

The crisp sound of a lighter flicking to life came from behind him. Startled, the man spun around, only to see Tarquin standing a short distance away, casually leaning against a car, smoking a cigarette, and watching him through narrowed eyes.