by Annie Buff
“Bones can talk you through what he’s doing if you want, I pretty much can too at this point.” He said with a smile. This was not his first rodeo and he was sure that it wouldn’t be the last. Unfortunately, in this life bullets happened.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
After Bones took care of Ajax, he worked on Tara’s arms; picking tiny bits of road debris from her skinned-up limbs. She closed her eyes, feeling what he was doing and in her head she could see it. Tara did that often, she still knew what everything looked like and she could close her eyes and see again. Ajax placed a kiss on her forehead. Leaving her in Bones’ capable hands, he went to go find Red. He needed the old truck for a day or two, until he bought a new bike.
“I won’t be far, just need to find the Old Man and ask a question. Bones will bring you to me when he’s done. Okay Beauty?” She nodded, keeping her eyes closed as the Doc kept working.
Red was sitting out by the fire pit with Smoke, the two Presidents were discussing the shooting. Old Red had a beer in hand, Smoke sat sipping on his Bourbon and chain smoking. Ajax hadn’t had a cigarette in a week but after the night’s events he bummed one and lit up. He didn’t want to interrupt the discussion, so he sat waiting. Smoke handed him the Bourbon and Ajax took a decent pull off the bottle. Just one, he had to get Tara home safely and the last thing this night needed was him getting pulled over for being intoxicated.
“How’s Tara?” Red asked during a pause in the parley with Smoke. He was definitely concerned about their favorite Baker. She had made an impression on all of them, and everyone loved her.
“Shaken up, and she’s got road rash. I did the best I could to keep her from getting hurt, but seems I did a shit job. Fuck! That beautiful woman will probably never get on a bike with me again.” Ajax lay his head in his hands. He was beyond angry about all of it, he just wished he could place that laugh. It was an evil one and he knew it, that cackle was unique and it was pissing him off that he couldn’t remember who the hell it was.
“Don’t think that’s the case Ajax.” Smoke addressed him after listening to he and Red. “You did a damn good job keeping her safe. No broken bones, no gunshots. Just some scrapes, and that my friend is a good God damn outcome in our world. I remember when I got my Wife shot, try that one on for size. I saw the blood on her, and I froze. Falcon was there and I was fucking thankful, because without him and his right hook to my jaw…” Smoke shook his head laughing, remembering his prospect punching him in the face.
“Smoke’s right, Baldy.” Red picked up where Smoke left off. “You did right and she knows that. I saw how concerned she was about you. That girl likes you, so don’t fuck it up. She’s a good one Ajax, better than you deserve. But that’s not my call. For whatever reason Tara wants you, God help her.”
Ajax agreed on that, Tara Jo was far better than he deserved so he had to be better. Be the kind of man worthy of her affections, worthy of her love. He was already falling, it was just a matter of time before he was in so deep he would never recover. She was the kind of woman every guy dreams about so he would be her knight.
Red handed over the keys to his old Ford so Ajax had wheels. He took one last drag on his smoke when he saw Bones walking Tara out. She looked exhausted, it was time to take her home.
He met her on the porch. “How you feeling my Beauty? Arms any better?”
He saw a glint of a smile as she nodded. “Bones used some special antiseptic that stopped the sting. He gave me some sort of pill, and boy do I feel good.”
Ajax looked at her once more, realizing she was stoned from the pill. He glanced at Bones and saw him mouth the word ‘Vicodin’. Ajax silently chuckled. Tara Jo was higher than a kite, but he knew it would help her sleep.
“He gave me a few more pills for later. Bones said I might hurt tomorrow, but wait ‘til I’m done for the day because it might make me goofy. Am I goofy Noah? I feel fan-freaking-tastic. Can we go dancing?”
That made him lose it, busting out loud laughing. His Beauty was definitely stoned off her ass. “We can definitely go dancing, but not tonight. My shoulder isn’t feeling too swift, how bout we go next weekend?”
That seemed to suffice her, for exactly two minutes. “Can I drive home? I drove the bike! I did great and it was so much fun. Wait, how are we getting home? The bike blew up. Are we walking? I don’t think I can walk that far, is it far?”
This time it wasn’t just Ajax laughing, Red and Smoke got a kick out of how high the painkiller had made Tara. Bones pulled him aside for some last minute instructions. “She might have a hangover from the Vic. I’ve honestly never seen anyone so silly on one pill so my guess is she doesn’t take meds very often. Keep an eye on her. No stairs by herself or we’ll be setting a bone or stitching her up. Cool?”
Ajax nodded and went to retrieve his Beauty, who had wound up between Red and Smoke. Her head was on the Old Man’s shoulder and she was humming. He had to laugh, he had never seen anyone quite as stoned on so little drugs.
Ajax knelt in front of her, still laughing. “You ready to go home my Beauty? I need a shower and you need your rest.” He said, while taking her hand and leading Tara to Red’s old truck.
He put her in the old Ford and headed for the bakery, it was about thirty minutes away from the Devils’ property. Ajax glanced over every couple of minutes, she had her head against the window and she was sleeping. Tara made soft mewing noises as she slept, he couldn’t help himself as he reached over and touched her face. He would get her home and take her to bed. Then set himself up on her sofa and try to figure out who it was that shot him.
As he opened the back door to the bakery he found a note addressed to the ‘Security System’, letting Tara know she had a special order for a Corporate party. Ajax assumed one of her workers left it as a reminder before leaving for the night. It was signed ‘Izzy’ and he guessed that was the one he hadn’t met yet. He would have remembered that name. It wasn’t your average, run of the mill name. It had to be short for something and he was guessing it was Isabelle or Isadora. It made sense.
Once he had her settled, Ajax took a quick shower and popped open his laptop. Going to work scouring the net looking for not just his shooter, but public records of similar attacks to Tara’s home invasion. There were way too many assholes in this world, he found dozens of assaults like her’s. He would have to ask her more about it if he was going to narrow it down. Ajax also needed Jace from the Devils’. Being a former cop, he had connections that Ajax didn’t.
He must have fallen asleep with the computer on his lap because the crashing sound it made when it hit the hard wood floor woke him with a start. Ajax jumped and then grabbed his shoulder in pain. He hadn’t taken any pills, just in case Tara needed him. About now he was wishing he had taken at least some ibuprofen. He stood immobile for several minutes, letting the throb subside before tip toeing down the hall to check on her. It was just after three in the morning and she hadn’t moved since he put her to bed.
Ajax had a sneaking suspicion he would be opening her bakery this time. Tara was always early but the girls showed up well before opening, and they knew what to do. He lay back down until five, took another quick shower and went to start the coffee.
Cheyenne showed up at six, and Ajax explained why he was there instead of Tara.
“That’s okay,” she told him happily, “I’ve opened before and I know what needs to be done. Can you start opening the cases while I bring things out? Then once we have all the goodies in the case we make the flavored coffee and ice tea. After that, it’s just orders and the phone. Krissi will be here at seven, so I won’t be alone and Izzy comes in at nine. We got this.” She was a good employee and Ajax felt better about leaving Tara to sleep.
At nine, when Izzy came in Ajax almost fainted. It was Lisa, well not Lisa but almost an exact replica of his ex-girlfriend. It was an eerie feeling to be staring at this ghost. This young girl had no idea how much she looked like Lisa. Maybe she was a distant relative or maybe he
was just plain losing it. “Excuse me?” He asked her, clearing his throat.
She looked up at him and smiled. “Hi Mister Security System. Did y’all get my note? The Principal of the High School wants a big order for some parent night. And where is Tara? She is always here for these things.”
“She’s upstairs lying down.” He told her, then asked, “Do you know Lisa Bridgeway? You look exactly like her.”
The look of utter surprise graced the young woman’s face. “Oh, my, gawd! You knew my mom? I’ve been trying for years to find someone that knew my parents.”
Ajax knew instantly this girl in front of him was his Daughter, but he had no idea how to tell her. What if she hated him for getting her Mother killed, and getting her kidnapped? Raised by God only knew who. And how did she survive when her Mother had been murdered?
There were so many questions flying through his brain, but he asked none. “A long time ago. I met her when we were teenagers.” How could he tell her anything else right now? The shock would send her reeling, he himself was on the verge of a total freak out. Ajax had put off having the talk about his past with Tara, but now it was inevitable.
“Will you tell me about her sometime? All I really know about my biological parents is they were killed in some biker war. I don’t even know my Father’s name. My adoptive parents didn’t know it; just my Mom’s.”
She had questions and he understood that, Ajax knew he owed her the answers. Once he spoke to Tara, he would talk to Izzy and tell her everything. He just hoped it wouldn’t make her hate his guts. This young woman in front of him was his Daughter, and even after being separated for all the years he still felt that fatherly love for her. He also knew he had to be careful. If the Bastards found out she was alive they’d come gunning for her again. Or worse.
Ajax took a minute out back in the alley to collect himself, smoking a cigarette and trying to muster up the nerve to have this talk with Tara. He also needed to ask Bones a question, but that one wasn’t nearly as important as Tara and his Daughter being alive. Red was the only person in his present life that knew what happened, so he pulled out his phone. Ajax had to talk to someone and old Red was the one elected.
“What’s up, Baldy? Tara okay?”
“She’s fine, look Red something happened this morning and I’m gonna flip my shit. I really need you to listen okay?”
Red must have heard the panic in his voice, because the serious man emerged. “What’s wrong Ajax? Talk to me.”
“Ghosts man. She’s alive Red and I’m gonna lose my mind. My Daughter is alive.” Ajax heard the phone crash to the floor, he was aware what he said was impossible, but it was real. Renee Ann had stood right in front of him as Isadora Sunday and said, ‘Hi’.
“That ain’t possible Ajax. We all saw what the Bastards did to Lisa, why would they keep Renee alive? You sure you didn’t hit your head last night?” Red tried talking sense into Ajax.
He wasn’t losing his mind, well at least not about this. Izzy was his Daughter, and he needed someone else to see her. “Red I’m not crazy, come down here and look at her. I asked if she knew Lisa Bridgeway and she told me that was her biological Mother, so she’s mine man. Please Red!” Ajax was pleading with him but it didn’t matter, he needed the Old Man to see her.
“On my way. Does Tara know about this? About the past?” When Ajax didn’t answer the Old Man knew. She was about to find out and Red hoped it wouldn’t change things. He could plainly see how much Ajax cared for her.
Ajax paced in the bakery kitchen waiting for Red to show up, what he got was Tara gingerly making her way down the stairs from her apartment. “Oh, wow I haven’t slept that late in years. I feel like hell.” She was sore and had a Vicodin headache. Some people didn’t handle narcotic pain meds, and it seemed that she was one of them.
“You looked so peaceful, so I let you sleep. Me and the girls got it handled.” He assured her.
Tara listened to him. Somehow his voice had changed. Something was wrong and she had to know where they stood. “Noah what’s wrong with you? Are you upset with me?”
Ajax shook his head out of habit. “Fuck no woman. Why would I be mad at you?” He had no idea why she would be asking him this.
“You sound different and I have to know. I already like you so much more than I should, so if this is done please be honest with me.”
“This will never be done Beauty, not unless that’s what you want. Tara, I am eternally yours if you want me. You’re right though, something is wrong but it has absolutely nothing to do with you. We need some privacy for this.” Tara nodded and unlocked her office door. About that time, they both heard Red’s voice.
“Old Man should sit in on this. He needs to hear it too.” Red opened the kitchen door, seeing them both. He stayed quiet and just followed them into Tara’s office. Ajax took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice before he started down a very old road.
“I was twenty-two when it all went down. My High School sweetheart and I had a Daughter when we were both twenty. I didn’t want kids, and was adamant about it. Lisa caved and agreed, but without my knowledge she stopped taking her birth control and got pregnant. I was just starting out as a Cleaner and was doing work for some really bad dudes. I was young, and a selfish S.O.B. So needless to say, I was a shitty Father to Renee. And an even shittier boyfriend. Lisa wanted a ring, but I didn’t love her so we split up.” Red listened as Ajax told Tara everything, he’d always heard Ajax just abandoned the child and her Mother. Now he was hearing the truth.
“Anyway, after a while the club I was working for wanted me to take a patch. The Brazen Bastards wanted a full time Cleaner. But I didn’t wanna patch, especially with them. I was God damned sure I didn’t want to clean up for them anymore after the last mess I had to deal with. Blood don’t bother me but what they did to those people got to me, I was done. They went after my Daughter, and her Mother. They thought it would sway me to change my mind, I still refused them, so they took them both. Lisa came back in pieces, and I never saw the body of my Daughter.” Ajax had tears streaming down his face remembering the day it all went down, the day he left Texas and never went back.
“Oh God Noah! I am so very sorry you went through all that. It wasn’t your fault you know. You didn’t hurt them. Those horrible men did and I am so thankful you shared this with me.” Tara stood in front of him and held her man. Ajax was her man now. This cemented their relationship with him telling her this dark part of his past.
“You’re not afraid to be with me after that?” He asked her.
She wasn’t afraid at all. He had proven himself the previous night by keeping her alive when the shooter came after them.
“Well here’s the kicker of it all.” He told her. “I thought all these years my Daughter was dead, she’s not! She walked in here this morning at nine for work. Isadora is Renee and I have no idea how to tell her I’m her Dad. I knew the minute I saw her, she looks just like her Mother, and I lost it. I need help Tara. How do I do this?”
“Holy shit Noah! Are you sure?”
He nodded as he shook. He was positive it was her. He was scared shitless to tell Tara all this, even more so, to tell Izzy who she really was.
“Okay then we do this together, Noah.” Tara’s voice was soothing as she went on. “I’ll help you talk to her. The one thing I know about Izzy is she always wanted to know where she came from. She won’t hate you, not at all. She’s a very inquisitive young woman, so she will want to know everything. Even if it’s bad. Tomorrow after we close I’ll ask her to stay and help me with something. We can do it then, okay?”
Ajax just sat speechless at this incredible creature in front of him. She hadn’t batted an eye at what he told her. That blew him away. There was one more thing he had to get out. “After this shit storm, I rode for a long time. Not caring about anything or anyone. I decided I couldn’t risk another child’s life so I got snipped. Went and had a vasectomy, but now with you; I’m regretting it. There won�
�t be any children if you stay with me, I want you to stay. Dammit woman I wasn’t gonna get all fuckin sappy but here it is, I love you Tara and I want you to be my Old Lady.” Ajax watched Red smile and step out, leaving them to some privacy.
Ajax pulled her into him so she was straddling his lap, she didn’t object. Tara actually initiated the kiss, nipping on his lip ring. He had instant wood, his dick was always semi hard around her but the biting on his piercing finished it off. He knew she felt it. It was difficult not to, and when she scooted up the friction made him hiss.
Tara wanted him, she wasn’t sure if she could but she damn sure wanted to try. She felt all the blood rush south and her lady bits were throbbing. She had been fantasizing about sex with him for days on end.
“Tara…”
She knew what he was going to say, she beat him to it. “I wanna try. I can’t promise; but Noah I want this, I want you.” She told him as she leaned in for another kiss. Again, nipping on his lip ring, Ajax was thinking how good it would feel when she found the barbells in his nipples. They had always been sensitive, and the piercings made it much more intense. He did the bar under the head of his dick for his partners, but he found it made masturbation more enjoyable.
“Not here, upstairs.” He said as he picked her up and carried her to the apartment. Ajax set her down on her bed, letting her sit up so she could make the first move. Ajax wanted to strip her down and dive between her legs and just feast on her. But he knew that was the wrong move. She had been horribly violated, and if they were going to make love it had to be at her pace.
“What if I can’t yet?” She asked timidly.
He could see she was afraid of disappointing him. What she didn’t understand was that she couldn’t. Ajax was so enamored with Tara the sex almost didn’t matter. If he had to stop then that’s what he would do.
“My Beauty, all you gotta do is say stop if it’s too soon and we stop. Tara, I want you in a way I’ve never wanted a woman. But I can wait. Holding you is the most important thing.” Ajax could see her smile and reach out a hand. Tara ran her hand down his stomach and over the waistband of his jeans, tracing his dick.