Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1418

The mysterious caller said,

“I’d love to come, but I can’t risk it. If I show up, you’ll just nab me. Way too dangerous.”

Tarquin didn’t reply. He lit a cigarette, took a slow drag, and stared out the window.

“Is it you?” he finally asked.

The caller shot back, “Is it who?”

Tarquin said, “My dad treated you pretty well back in the day. You used to be a real patriot, too.”

The mysterious man let out a low, creepy chuckle.

“Patriotism? Please. I love money more. Why don’t you take a guess who I am? If you get it right, I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

Tarquin said nothing. He wasn’t about to say the name on his mind—not until the last possible second. What if he was wrong? It could put him in the crosshairs.

He took another puff, tapped the ash into a coffee mug, and kept his tone steady.

“If you want the real Gen-8 virus, you’ll have to come see me in person. No show, no deal.”

The caller replied,

“But you haven’t even found it yet. Once you do, I’ll come running.”

He sighed,

“I’m sorry about your parents. Really. But don’t blame us for being ruthless. They were the ones who went too far!”

“We spent decades on this research. Poured in a fortune. You think we’d just let them walk off with it?”

“And we sure as hell weren’t going to let them leak anything back to Zhinora.”

“They were way out of their league, trying to play hero!”

Tarquin’s jaw tightened, his eyes dark.

“You don’t get to talk about my parents. Aren’t you a Zhinorian too? Aren’t you worried this virus could wipe you out as well?”

The mystery man laughed. “Who told you I was from Zhinora?”

“So, is she faking it, or do you have some new genius on your side?”

“And last time you went to Darkfort City, I doubt you were just there for a hike.”

“Elysia, along with Elliot, Evan, and Emmett, disappeared in those woods for five years. Not only did they survive, but they all came back with some serious skills.”

“What’s really in those woods?”

Tarquin wasn’t surprised at the questions. In fact, it reassured him. If the guy was fishing for info, it meant he hadn’t found anything out on his own. Grandpa and Grandma’s secrets were still safe.

Tarquin kept his voice calm.

“If you want answers, do your own digging.”

The caller chuckled again.

“Digging’s a pain. I’d rather just ask you. We could trade—info for info. You tell me what I want to know, I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

Tarquin asked, “And what could you possibly tell me?”