Page 33 of Untamed Instincts

Killian snatched a handful of the cookies and tossed one into his mouth, still watching the door as if he were afraid she’d return.

Quinton grabbed the container and pulled it out of Noah’s hands.

“Hey, give that back.” Noah scowled.

After eating two of them, Quinton eyed his mate and said, “No more cookies for any of you until you guys tell me what you’re hiding from me.”

* * * *

Harris paced his living room, mumbling, “Come on, pick up.”

Calling Layne wasn’t something he wanted to do. Harris felt like he was betraying Noah, but he wasn’t going to sit back and watch his best friend ruin his life.

And since when did Midnight Falls have biker gangs? That was news to Harris. Sure, a lot of residents drove motorcycles, but the men who’d shown up at his house were wearing leathers and looked as if they would have fit right in on Sons of Anarchy.

It was just a television show, but that was the only reference Harris could think of.

“Hello?” Layne said when he finally picked up.

“Why did it take you so long to answer?” Harris demanded in a panic.

“Dude, I’m at work. The only reason I answered is because my boss kept giving me dirty looks.”

“I think Noah has lost his mind,” Harris continued, ignoring Layne’s comment. “He showed up at my house in a panic, saying he’d gotten mixed up with some dangerous men, and then a gang of bikers whisked him away to destinations unknown.”

“Are you talking about my little brother?” Layne sounded confused.

“No, I’m referring to the Noah who built that big boat and turned it into a zoo,” Harris snarled. “Of course I’m talking about your brother and my bestie. Jesus. When we told him to get laid, I didn’t think he’d find a biker gang to deflower him!”

“Our meek little Noah? The same guy who’s clung to his virginity for twenty-five years? The same guy who ducks into the closest business when he sees ‘scary’ teenagers walking toward him?”

“The same guy who can’t watch horror movies because they freak him out for a good month. Yes, that Noah!” Harris shouted. “Stop making me clarify who I’m referring to and get your ass over to my house. We need to track him down, kidnap him, then deprogram him before it’s too late!”

Harris rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead, wondering where he’d gone wrong with Noah. He’d just seen the guy last night at the bar. Something had to have happened after he and Layne took off.

The scary biker who’d approached Harris’s porch had said someone had suffered blood loss. Noah had crawled out of a window to get away. Why hadn’t Noah let him call the cops?

“I already told you I’m at work,” Layne whispered loudly. “I’ll be over as soon as I get off.”

“When is that?” Harris stopped pacing, wishing his massive headache would go away. They’d been friends for twenty years, and not once in all that time had Noah done anything dangerous or illegal.

The guy even refused to jaywalk for fear of getting a ticket and being labeled a criminal.

“In two hours,” Layne replied. “Are you sure Noah is involved in a biker gang?”

Harris gritted his teeth. “I was standing right there on the porch the entire time.”

“Then why didn’t you stop him?” Layne sounded pissed. Sure, the guy finally believed him and now wanted to blame him.

“Maybe because there were five of them and were built like the Hulk,” Harris shot back. “Do I look like I can take down one Hulk, let alone five of them?”

Sometimes Layne completely baffled him. Harris had said biker gang, right? How on earth did Layne expect him to stop Noah from leaving with them? By giving them a stern lecture?

“Jeez,” Layne groaned. “Okay, I’ll be over after work, and then we’ll figure out what to do.”

That would give Harris two hours to work himself into an even worse tizzy. “Come straight here. There’s no telling what kind of brainwashing they’re doing to him.”

“Just do me a favor,” Layne said.

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