Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1832

Tarquin met his gaze, his voice laced with venom.

"The first strike was payback for Lowell. Your people put a knife in him back in Border City. Consider that debt settled!"

"The second strike is a warning. I know you're tied to the Golden Triangle scum. If you dare interfere in Axel's business, I will end you myself!"

With that final threat, Tarquin gave him one last look of sheer contempt, turned on his heel, and walked toward the hospital entrance.

The man's voice echoed after him.

"So in your heart, Lowell and Axel mean more to you than I do?!"

Tarquin's jaw tightened. He didn't look back, just kept walking.

"Heh..." A bitter, self-deprecating laugh drifted from behind him. The man's voice was growing weaker.

"I know you'd never ask me for help with the cartel. That's not why I risked everything to come see you. I came because I knew you were hurting..."

"I heard Axel was dying. I was terrified that if he actually didn't make it, it would destroy you!"

"I came to distract you, to try and bring you some comfort, and this is how you treat me..."

"I had a dozen chances to kill you, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. But you? You plunge a knife into my gut without a second thought! Without a shred of hesitation!"

"We haven't seen each other in forever, and the first thing you do is gut me twice! And for what? For Lowell and Axel!"

"Don't you know how insanely jealous I get over those two?!"

"God... Tarquin, is whatever we had really gone? Can we really never go back?"

He coughed violently, his voice dropping to a raw whisper.

"You used to care about me more than anything in the world..."

Tarquin's fists were clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, grinding his teeth to force himself to stay composed.

The second he was out of the man's line of sight, his entire facade crumbled. His breathing turned erratic, frantic.

A suffocating lump formed in his throat, his eyes burned, and an agonizing tightness seized his chest!

He didn't return to the ICU. Instead, he headed straight for the roof...

Tarquin's reaction to seeing that man was entirely too calm. Suspiciously calm.

By all accounts, seeing Wyatt Gonzalez should have triggered an explosive rage!

After all, Wyatt was the one they had long suspected of being part of the mysterious syndicate!

Tarquin and Wyatt shared a deep, complex history, but also a massive, blood-soaked rift.

Tarquin should have lost his mind, beaten him to a pulp, pinned him by the throat, and interrogated him!

He should have demanded to know why he betrayed him!

Asked if all the horrors he committed were just for a payday!

But instead, Tarquin had simply stabbed him twice with unnerving calm, showing zero emotional outbursts and asking zero questions.

It was extremely out of character.

"I'm fine," Tarquin said, his voice as flat as glass.