out!”
“Obviously not!” Noah took a deep breath and tried to think. “Did you—follow his trail?”
“I can’t shift in the middle of menswear! His trail went cold outside—as much as I could smell of it. I’m not Will. I don’t have wolf senses. There was too much other stuff getting in the way. But they had security cameras. I checked with the manager.”
“Please tell me he just ran off again,” said Noah, even though he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Nope.” Tyler’s voice turned grim. “Looks like two of our favorite bikers picked him up. They weren't wearing vests, and there weren’t any bikes outside, so I wasn’t paying attention to them.”
“And security didn’t notice someone being kidnapped?”
“I didn’t see anything on camera. No gun, no knife. He just went with them. He didn’t look happy, though.”
“Shit. Shit,” said Noah with feeling. “Get back here, we’ll figure something out,” he said shortly to Tyler, then hung up.
He’d already started to put together some semblance of a plan, but this shattered it. It forced him to go on the defensive, which the military had taught him wasn’t a good position,
“Bikers took the kid,” Noah told Gabe, running a hand through his hair and blowing out his breath in frustration. “What do they want?”
“He owes them, right? Must be that. ‘Give us the money or the kid bites it.’”
“I was supposed to be keeping them safe,” said Noah.
A headache had started to form behind his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to think. The bikers shouldn’t control the situation. There had to be some way they could get the upper hand again. Will’s wolf could probably track them by scent, and if they stuck him in his shifted form in a backseat with the window rolled down, he could be mistaken for a dog. Probably. It was a half-baked, stupid plan, but nothing else was coming to mind. And time was of the essence. He turned to Gabe and opened his mouth.
Just then, Elise came rushing through the front door, her phone clutched to her chest and her face as white as a sheet.
“I just got a call from the Wild Dogs.”
Chapter Five
Elise
When Elise had first answered her phone, she had been greeted by an oily voice. She dimly recognized hearing it before, but couldn’t place it.
“Hello, Elise. Do you remember me?” His voice had a thin veneer of politeness that covered a darker menace underneath. It made her heart rate pick up in fear.
“Should I?” she challenged. Her voice wobbled.
He laughed, and that laugh she remembered. The not-quite-bark. This was the guy she’d been calling Gold Earring. Lyle , that was his name.
“We met yesterday,” he said, sniggering again. Elise shuddered. “Although it feels like I’ve known you for much longer… don’t you think?”
Elise was repulsed, and it showed in her voice. “No! What’s wrong with you?”
His voice changed in an instant, from disgustingly over-intimate to angry. “You should be careful what you say to me,” he hissed. “Or you might be sorry.”
“Sorry for what? I don’t think so.” Her eyes flicked to the office, where Noah was. She stood up. Her sketchbook fell to the ground, forgotten.
“I have your brother.”
Those four words stopped Elise short. A cold hand clenched over her heart.
“What?” All the heat had gone out of her voice, and only fear was left. She knew Lyle could hear it.
That horrible laugh again. He’d regained the upper hand, and he knew it. “I thought that might be compelling.”
Elise tried to recover. “He can’t be with you. He’s…” She looked toward the office again. “He’s right here, perfectly safe.”
“No,” he said, almost gently, and she knew he was telling the truth.
“What do you want? Is it the money? Just give me a little time…”
“It's like I said. The interest is running up.”
Elise wanted to scream at Cecil. This is why you don't
“Obviously not!” Noah took a deep breath and tried to think. “Did you—follow his trail?”
“I can’t shift in the middle of menswear! His trail went cold outside—as much as I could smell of it. I’m not Will. I don’t have wolf senses. There was too much other stuff getting in the way. But they had security cameras. I checked with the manager.”
“Please tell me he just ran off again,” said Noah, even though he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Nope.” Tyler’s voice turned grim. “Looks like two of our favorite bikers picked him up. They weren't wearing vests, and there weren’t any bikes outside, so I wasn’t paying attention to them.”
“And security didn’t notice someone being kidnapped?”
“I didn’t see anything on camera. No gun, no knife. He just went with them. He didn’t look happy, though.”
“Shit. Shit,” said Noah with feeling. “Get back here, we’ll figure something out,” he said shortly to Tyler, then hung up.
He’d already started to put together some semblance of a plan, but this shattered it. It forced him to go on the defensive, which the military had taught him wasn’t a good position,
“Bikers took the kid,” Noah told Gabe, running a hand through his hair and blowing out his breath in frustration. “What do they want?”
“He owes them, right? Must be that. ‘Give us the money or the kid bites it.’”
“I was supposed to be keeping them safe,” said Noah.
A headache had started to form behind his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to think. The bikers shouldn’t control the situation. There had to be some way they could get the upper hand again. Will’s wolf could probably track them by scent, and if they stuck him in his shifted form in a backseat with the window rolled down, he could be mistaken for a dog. Probably. It was a half-baked, stupid plan, but nothing else was coming to mind. And time was of the essence. He turned to Gabe and opened his mouth.
Just then, Elise came rushing through the front door, her phone clutched to her chest and her face as white as a sheet.
“I just got a call from the Wild Dogs.”
Chapter Five
Elise
When Elise had first answered her phone, she had been greeted by an oily voice. She dimly recognized hearing it before, but couldn’t place it.
“Hello, Elise. Do you remember me?” His voice had a thin veneer of politeness that covered a darker menace underneath. It made her heart rate pick up in fear.
“Should I?” she challenged. Her voice wobbled.
He laughed, and that laugh she remembered. The not-quite-bark. This was the guy she’d been calling Gold Earring. Lyle , that was his name.
“We met yesterday,” he said, sniggering again. Elise shuddered. “Although it feels like I’ve known you for much longer… don’t you think?”
Elise was repulsed, and it showed in her voice. “No! What’s wrong with you?”
His voice changed in an instant, from disgustingly over-intimate to angry. “You should be careful what you say to me,” he hissed. “Or you might be sorry.”
“Sorry for what? I don’t think so.” Her eyes flicked to the office, where Noah was. She stood up. Her sketchbook fell to the ground, forgotten.
“I have your brother.”
Those four words stopped Elise short. A cold hand clenched over her heart.
“What?” All the heat had gone out of her voice, and only fear was left. She knew Lyle could hear it.
That horrible laugh again. He’d regained the upper hand, and he knew it. “I thought that might be compelling.”
Elise tried to recover. “He can’t be with you. He’s…” She looked toward the office again. “He’s right here, perfectly safe.”
“No,” he said, almost gently, and she knew he was telling the truth.
“What do you want? Is it the money? Just give me a little time…”
“It's like I said. The interest is running up.”
Elise wanted to scream at Cecil. This is why you don't
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