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

Elysia huddled in the corner, shielding the kids with her arms, her heart thudding with worry. She glanced toward the front door, waiting until the man had run off before she finally dared to speak.

Turning to Tarquin, she whispered anxiously, "You're sure he won't go blabbing out there?"

If that guy brought back a whole gang, they'd be in real trouble. Those guys had numbers—and worse, they were armed to the teeth.

Tarquin shrugged, confidence in his voice. "Don't stress. He won't dare. He's just a flunky, more worried about saving his own skin than playing the hero."

Elysia hesitated, still uneasy. But Tarquin went on, "Think about it. He just got threatened and let go-hardly something he wants to brag about. Besides, none of them actually escaped, so there's nothing for him to gain by talking."

He moved closer, kneeling beside Elysia and the kids, his gaze softening. "Look, your grandparents are just out. They weren't captured or hurt. You can breathe easy."

Relief washed over Elysia, and she nodded, exhaling deeply. Thank God the old folks were safe.

But her relief didn't last long. The next problem loomed, heavy as a thundercloud. "What do we do now? They've got over a hundred guys, all with guns."

The kids looked up at Tarquin, wide-eyed. Evan opened his mouth, closed it, then just stared, waiting for Tarquin to take charge.

Evan and White were practically kings of these woods-they knew every inch, every creature. They could've unleashed the wild animals on the intruders, but with so many armed men, the risks were huge. The animals would take heavy losses. Worse, the cabin-Grandpa and Grandma's pride and joy-might get wrecked in the chaos.

There had to be a better way. One that didn't put the animals in harm's way or destroy the house.

Tarquin's eyes narrowed, thoughtful. "We wait for now. When their boss comes back, I'll get the details out of him. Once we know exactly what we're up against, we'll make our move."

His voice was steady, almost cold. "These guys are

criminals cold-blooded, ruthless. Their fate's already sealed: either they meet their end in these woods, or they go face justice back in town. But it all starts with taking down their leader. Once we have him, the rest will fall in line."

Time crawled by. The sun set, and the world outside turned inky black. A faint light flickered on the porch but inside, they sat in darkness. The temperature dropped, and Tarquin shrugged off his parka, draping it over Elysia and Baby to keep them warm.

Elliot frowned, breaking the silence. "Dad, why isn't Brock back yet?"

Tarquin didn't seem surprised. His tone was calm. "That scar-faced freak's tough. Those hunters will have their hands full trying to catch him."

"Think the hunters will make it back?"

Tarquin nodded. "I think so. That guy doesn't know the full story-he won't go all out. He's probably stringing the hunters along, hoping to buy us a chance to escape."

Just as he finished speaking, a strange noise drifted from outside. It wasn't loud- no screams, just muted grunts, then the unmistakable thud of bodies hitting the ground.

One.

Two.

Three.

More...

Tarquin was instantly alert, rising to his feet and striding to the door. Elliot and Evan hurried after him, peering out into the darkness from behind his shoulder.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, loud and indignant, "Would you look at these freeloaders! The minute we leave, they think they own the place. Guess when the lion's away, the alley cats play king, huh? Who the helf do they think this land belongs to!" noveldrama