Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1830

With the backing of the entire nation, the Bauer cartel would be forced to second-guess any move they made!

Plus, it would give Axel the ultimate leverage to finish his revenge.

While neither of them was afraid of those monsters, allying with the government was the smartest play on the board.

No matter how powerful an individual was, they could never outgun a sovereign state.

With the nation acting as their shield, their chances of a safe, successful retaliation skyrocketed.

Soren immediately caught on to Tarquin's logic and didn't hesitate.

"Consider it done! I'll take full point on this!"

"I originally called just to get the facts, planning to personally squeeze the Bauers so they'd back off from you."

"They know better than to treat my warnings like empty threats."

"But I was only thinking about keeping you safe. I had no idea this involved Julian's boy!"

"With Julian's legacy attached, this changes everything!"

"On a macro level, Axel is a martyr's son. The nation will absolutely not abandon him!"

"On a micro level, the entire law enforcement network practically worships the Rhodes family, especially the task forces!"

"If they find out Julian has a surviving heir, they'll lose their damn minds!"

"They'll do whatever it takes, risk everything, to protect and help him!"

"And Warrick is a top-tier target anyway. The feds want his head on a platter just as badly!"

"So leave Axel's situation to me. I've got this."

A wave of relief washed over Tarquin. For years, they had planned this in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to execute a stealth assassination.

But that door was permanently nailed shut now. They had to face Warrick head-on.

Warrick was on high alert, meaning their revenge just got infinitely harder, and the danger to Axel was at an all-time high.

During the drive back, Tarquin had been obsessively calculating their next move.

After running through every scenario, he concluded that bringing the government into the fold was the only way forward.

He needed to escalate Axel and Warrick's feud.

"Long time no see, Tarquin!"

Tarquin's expression hardened, shock flashing through his eyes.

The bodyguards hidden in the shadows swarmed instantly, forming a protective wall in front of him!

The man casually leaned against the streetlamp, completely relaxed, and shot him a mocking grin.

"You've hired a bunch of useless guard dogs, Tarquin. If you were actually relying on them, you'd be a corpse by now. Good thing your reflexes are still sharp."

The bodyguards glared at the man, tense and ready.

They knew an enemy when they saw one, but without Tarquin's direct order, no one dared to strike.

Tarquin's face was a mask of pure fury.

His jaw was locked tight, his icy glare fixed on the man. His chest heaved as a surge of adrenaline hit him.

The man just smiled.

"Just playing around. I wasn't really trying to hurt you. Don't take it personally."