Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1691

The president of the Thyania Martial Arts Association shook his head at Punikon's grandfather, his face grim. Punikon's grandfather looked at the members of the Stevenson family who had stood up and gestured for them to sit back down. He turned to Tarquin Bradford. "Since you're so arrogant, I have nothing more to say. Do you dare fight me in a deathmatch?" This was exactly what Tarquin had been waiting for. He nodded immediately. "Of course, I dare." The crowd looked at him with contempt. "He's got a death wish!" Punikon's grandfather asked, "Do you know the rules? Once we sign the deathmatch agreement, even if I kill you in the ring, I bear no responsibility!" Tarquin said, "You don't have to tell me. I signed one with your son. I know the deal." Punikon's grandfather's jaw set. He turned to an aide beside him. "Go prepare the contracts." The aide withdrew and quickly returned with the papers. After signing, Punikon's grandfather handed the contract to Tarquin. "You'd better think this through! This is your life on the line! All you have to do is put on a show in the ring, and you can walk away. Your life is the most important thing!" Tarquin ignored him and signed his name without hesitation. The agreement was in triplicate: one copy for Tarquin, one for Punikon's grandfather, and one for the president of the Thyania Martial Arts Association. Tarquin took his copy and left, ignoring the furious crowd. As soon as he was back in his car, Lowell burst out, "Those guys are a complete disgrace. I'm embarrassed for them! They don't have an ounce of a true martial artist's honor!" Tarquin said, "There are scumbags in every walk of life. It's nothing to be surprised about." Lowell sighed, then asked, "So, what's next?" Tarquin put the agreement away, in a surprisingly good mood. "After they clear out, we'll come back for him later tonight. First, let's head back and check on Elliot, Evan, and Elijah." ... When Tarquin got back to their place, the three little guys were huddled around a computer, whispering and studying something. Tarquin asked, "What are you looking at?" Elliot immediately looked up at him. "We're looking at the contestant profiles. Daddy, why did Punikon's grandfather want to see you?" Tarquin took off his jacket and walked over. "He wanted to intimidate me." Elliot’s expression turned skeptical. "Did he want you to throw the fight for them?" Elliot was sharp; he guessed it right on the first try. Tarquin nodded. "Yes, but I refused." Elliot didn't understand. "Didn't you know what they wanted when you went? Why did you risk going over there?" Tarquin said, "Even if they hadn't invited me, I would have found a way to meet them." He mainly wanted to get his hands on that contract. With the deathmatch agreement signed, he could proceed with the next phase of his plan. Elliot asked, "Any news about Bernard?" Tarquin shook his head. "I'll tell you as soon as I hear anything." He leaned over to glance at the computer. "Did you guys hack into the tournament's internal system?" Elijah nodded. "We're analyzing the strength of the competitors. There are quite a few powerful fighters this time." Tarquin looked at Evan and reminded him, "I'm letting you compete, but you can't get hurt. That's what we agreed on. If you get injured, your mommy will have my head." Evan was deep in concentration, his eyes glued to the computer screen, lost in thought. He hadn't heard Tarquin. Elijah nudged him, and he snapped out of it. "What?" Elijah explained, "Daddy said you can compete, but you absolutely cannot get hurt." Evan immediately looked at Tarquin. "Don't worry, I won't let myself get hurt." Tarquin's expression darkened slightly, a sense of unease creeping in as he looked at Evan. He felt like Evan was hiding something from him, but he couldn't figure out what it was...