Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 709

Tarquin frowned, "Who?"

"Declan."

Tarquin's eyes narrowed sharply!

He didn't speak, instead, he pocketed one hand and walked over to the smoking area, tucking his phone between his ear and shoulder as he lit up a cigarette.

Declan had been with him for a decade, mentored personally by Axel. He was one of his secondary bodyguards.

Axel was the only primary one.

Though there were several at the secondary level, those were his core team members.

And in his world, core team members meant brothers!

Declan's betrayal felt as if he had been stabbed in the back by his own brother.

Tarquin didn’t explode in anger. Instead, he furrowed his brows deeper, taking half a cigarette's time before asking, "Why?"

"The other side threatened him with his ex-girlfriend and kid, forced him to betray you."

Tarquin clenched his jaw in surprise, "Declan has a kid?"

"Yeah, his ex found out she was pregnant after they broke up. Couldn’t bear to terminate it, so she had the kid behind Declan's back. He had no clue until someone spilled the beans to him a month ago. He secretly met the kid, ran a paternity test, and sure enough, the child was his. The ex admitted it too."

That was all Axel had to say. The rest was up to Tarquin to decide.

After finishing the rest of his cigarette in two quick drags and lighting another, Tarquin asked, "The kid and his mother, they're with them?"

"Yeah."

After a brief silence, Tarquin said, "Use me as bait, set something up to get them out."

Axel hesitated, "Using you to save them definitely means setting up something life-threatening."

With the mother and child held hostage to manipulate Declan, any plan to demand their release would require significant leverage.

It would have to concern Tarquin's life to be considered sufficient.

"Don't worry about me; I won't die."

Axel's lips twitched, but he said no more.

Outsiders called Tarquin a merciless devil, born cold-blooded and brutal without a shred of humanity. But deep down, he was just like Elizabeth and Kendrick, inherently good.

"Something wrong?"

"Hm?"

"You've been smoking a lot; you must be stressed."

Elysia knew about his smoking habit and had been keeping him in check for his health. He had been complying, noticeably reducing his intake.

But now, seeing him revert to smoking heavily, she knew something was bothering him.

Tarquin offered a smile, "No, just the cravings hitting hard. Got carried away; I'll be more careful next time."

Seeing he didn't want to talk about it, she didn't press further, opening her arms instead, "Hug?"

Tarquin hesitated, "I smell like smoke."

"I don't mind."

His lips curled into an immediate smile as he embraced Elysia.

As she hugged him, gently rubbing his back, she murmured, "Just two more months till your birthday."