Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1371

That morning, Zane had just reached out to someone and told them to meet him in his hospital room. Axel got wind of it almost immediately.

Not wanting to spook anyone, they decided to lay low and wait. Only after the mysterious visitor left Zane’s room did they dig in and start their investigation.

It didn’t take long to find out: the hit on Tarquin had come from someone in Wayborn.

Wayborn was a semi-autonomous region on the edge of Mariana Land, just across the border from their own country. The place was a mess—full of scam call centers, black market organ dealers, and every kind of sleaze you could imagine.

Criminals flocked there. Human trafficking, drug smuggling, contract killings—Wayborn was a hellhole, no better than the infamous Ghost Towns you read about in the papers.

Tarquin frowned. “So the guy’s with the Bauer family?”

Axel nodded. “The guy calling the shots goes by Thunder on the streets. He mostly runs scams and organ deals—plus, he’s got a hand in the sex trade.”

“He’s the one who had his eye on Winona. That’s the only reason she got away with just a scratch and wasn’t hurt worse.”

“He’s got ties with the Bauer family, but I can’t say for sure if they’re in on the hit. What I do know is Thunder’s definitely involved.”

The Bauer family was Wayborn’s top dog, pretty much running the whole region. Every shady character in Wayborn owed them something.

If it was just Thunder causing trouble, they could handle it. But if the Bauers were involved…

Tarquin’s face darkened.

“If Thunder had the guts to take this job, he’d better be ready for the fallout. He can disappear for good.”

If those lowlifes across the border didn’t get the message, they’d just keep coming—thinking Tarquin was easy prey.

“I get it. I’ll handle it,” Tarquin said.

“Not this time,” Axel shot back. “I’m going.”

“It’s not just for you. It’s for me, too.”

Axel’s eyes burned with determination.

Tarquin scowled. He knew Axel had been itching to get to Mariana Land. Axel had unfinished business there—a ghost from his past, and a grudge that ran deep.

But Mariana Land was a death trap. Going after revenge there was like walking into a lion’s den holding a steak. The odds of making it out alive were next to nothing.

Tarquin fell silent, jaw clenched. He knew Axel had carried this pain for years—the wound still festering in Wayborn, waiting for him to come and rip it out.

Axel had been following Mariana Land’s underworld for ages, laying the groundwork for this day.

Tarquin lit a cigarette, took a drag, and finally asked, “Will you make it back alive?”

Axel hesitated, saying nothing.

Tarquin’s voice turned cold. “If you’re not sure you’ll make it back, don’t go. I’ll break your damn legs myself and keep you locked up here in Jindale City.”

He’d rather see Axel crippled than dead.

Axel frowned, silent for a few moments, then said quietly, “I’ll make it back. I promise.”

He looked dead serious, like he was swearing an oath.

Tarquin flicked his ash, his expression softening a bit. “A real man keeps his word.”

“…Yeah.”