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

It took Tarquin a long moment to finally speak.

"You guys are... Quincy, right? Are you really Quincy?"

Elliot nodded again, more seriously this time. "Yeah. We are."

Tarquin just stared at him, stunned into silence for a good while.

Quincy. The Quincys. The name still echoed among the old guard of artists and fashion icons—absolute legends. To put it simply, even someone as proud as Grandpa Emmett would show them nothing but the utmost respect.

And Bernard... well, Tarquin didn't even have to ask about him.

He'd known it the moment he laid eyes on him.

That wild, brazen kid who made headlines for storming the ring in seven different countries-that was him!

Back then, foreign fighters had mocked Americans, calling them soft, and Bernard couldn't take it. He'd taken on challenger after challenger, fists flying, and showed the world what a real lion's strength looked like.

He was young, ridiculously strong, and so fierce that fighters from half of Europe and the States called him out, denouncing him for breaking the “spirit of sportsmanship" and spreading rumors he must have been doping to be that good.

His feats sent shockwaves around the world.

He died young, but even now, his name is still spoken with reverence in martial arts circles.

Anyone who practiced, everyone who ever dreamed of being somebody, admired him, envied him, wanted to be him.

Tarquin took a deep breath. These people-every last one of them—were legends.

Elysia's grandparents? Certified, world-renowned legends.

And every single one of them was supposed to be dead.

Not just Grandma, but all the grandpas too. They'd all supposedly died years ago. Who would've guessed they'd been living it up in the mountains all this time? Tarquin couldn't help himself. "So... why'd they fake their deaths?"

Elliot answered, "Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma said they'd spent half their lives working too hard and worrying too much. They just wanted a break, so they decided to retire somewhere quiet."

"...That's really the reason?"

Elliot could tell what his dad was thinking. He'd wondered the same thing.

He was quiet for a moment, then added, "I never pushed them for details, but I haven't noticed anything weird. They really do seem to just relax-doing what they love every day. But I can't say for sure that's the whole story."

Tarquin frowned, thinking it over.

All these top-tier legends suddenly dropping off the map, just because they were tired?

It made sense, sort of... but it also felt too simple. Too convenient.

If there was more to it, what could it be?

Elliot might be just a kid, but he was sharp-sharp enough to know something didn't add up.

Tarquin let it go for now. No point overthinking what he couldn't solve.

He said to Elliot, "I'm heading out for a bit. You and Elijah stay here

Great-Grandma and your mom Keep an eye on Emmett and the baby, okay?"

Elliot nodded, already knowing what his dad was up to. He handed Tarquin a wristband.

“Dad, take this. There's no cell signal in these hills, but you can use this to stay in touch with us."

Tarquin looked at it. It looked like an ordinary fitness tracker.noveldrama

Elliot explained, "Gerald and Howard built this together. You can call us with it, and it'll show everyone's location. There's even a heat-sensor tracker, so you can keep tabs on people."

"...Nice!"

Tarquin slipped the band on, slung on his backpack, and left Howard's cabin.

Inside the backpack: a stash of sedatives.

He didn't head straight for the hunters. Instead, he checked the tracker to find Evan and Bernard first.

When he found them, the old man and the little boy were running wild, having an absolute blast.

Evan spotted Tarquin and leaped down from a tree. "Dad! What're you doing out here?"

Tarquin saw him all sweaty and grinning, and pulled out a tissue to gently wipe his face, smiling fondly.