Page 32 of Untamed Instincts

“Never hauled ass so fast in my life.” Ryker chuckled. “Too bad the demon realm doesn’t have transportation. I could have gotten away from him a lot quicker. But thankfully I was near the Black Lake so I could dive in and get my ass home before that demon could turn me into fried bear.”

“Yes, demon.” Quinton reached over and gently tapped his mate’s chin. “Close your mouth before you catch flies.”

Noah pointed a finger at Ryker, started to say something, but lowered his hand. “I’m going to put that information in a box, set it on the shelf next to the ‘stepdad’ thing, and examine it in about ten years.”

“Too bad,” Killian said. “I have a ton of stories about them, rabbit.”

Noah stiffened. Ryker groaned. Killian sighed and tossed his corned beef sandwich into the container.

Quinton’s gaze flicked between all three of their guilty faces. His sons knew he didn’t like secrets kept from him. But before he could demand to know what was going on, a knock sounded on the door.

They were on their feet in seconds, standing shoulder-to-shoulder as a barrier while Noah stood behind Quinton.

After that knock this morning that had resulted in pure mayhem, none of them were taking any chances.

Ryker leaned forward and cracked the door open, a growl rumbling low in his throat.

On the other side stood an elderly woman in a lime-green track suit, her pale blue eyes widening behind her thick glasses. In her hand was a plastic storage container.

“Oh my.” She looked between the three of them. “I came by to drop these off to Noah.” She held up the container, and then her gaze slid over Quinton suggestively, lingering on the sheet around his waist. “Aren’t you a strapping man.”

He heard his mate snicker behind him.

Killian gently eased the container out of her frail hands. “We’ll make sure he gets these, ma’am.”

She fluffed her white hair and winked at Killian. “I see your father knows how to produce some big sixes. I’m right down the hall.” She batted her white eyelashes at him. “If you need help being with a cougar, I have some hooch and jive.” She turned but looked over her shoulder, eyeing all three of them. “The bank will always be open for you fellas.”

Killian just stood there gripping the container against his chest, as if she’d short-circuited his brain.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Quinton nodded politely.

She blew him a kiss then walked away before he had a chance to close the door. He now felt the same as Killian. It was like getting hit on by someone from the Jurassic period.

Noah poked him in his sheet-covered butt. “Thanks for protecting me from my ninety-year-old neighbor.”

“Hey, you never know,” Quinton replied, finally snapping out of his shock. “Those old-timers can be tricky. I might have just saved you from an intense round of bingo…or worse, a lecture on the ‘good ol’ days.’”

“Did any of you understand what she said?” Noah snatched the container from Killian then popped the lid, the smell of warm chocolate chip cookies instantly filling the air.

Quinton absentmindedly grabbed a cookie from the container, refusing to translate, and Killian’s brain still looked stuck.

Ryker suddenly burst out laughing. He turned and grabbed a cookie. “She said my dad knows how to produce some strong men. If we needed help with a cougar, she has booze and weed.”

“And the bank?” Noah shoved a cookie into his mouth, his eyes rolling back as he groaned.

If his mate kept making those noises, the sheet was going to turn into a tent.

“She’s up for kissing or making out,” Ryker provided.

Noah grimaced. “I’ve never seen her flirt before. She’s not a cougar, she’s a tiger, though I don’t know why the term tiger would be used for someone in their nineties.” He ate another cookie.

“Because they eat their prey.” Quinton grabbed another one, too. They really were delicious.

“I think the word you’re looking for is nonagenarian.” Killian shivered. “Her cataracts eye-banged me. I feel so filthy.”

“Apartment 215.” Noah licked the chocolate off of his fingers as he eyed the rest of the cookies. “She’s got hooch and jive, big six. Go make a deposit in her bank.”

Ryker and Noah fist-bumped.

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