by Annie Buff
He saw Pretty Boy’s bike sitting in its usual spot, next to the double wide mobile home they brought in for him and Poppy, and their Daughter Noelle. It was going to be ground set to make it easier for Poppy when toting Noelle and the new baby. Pretty Boy was even drawing up plans to add on, so they would have adequate space. What Red didn’t see was his old pickup so he knew Ajax had gone to town, probably waiting for Tara to finish for the day. Izzy was being taken in by Krispy, who was spending his days there keeping watch so Ajax could hunt. They had rented a new building and opened shop so Tara could have her bakery.
Ajax had stopped by the Harley dealer before going over to Sweet Surrender 2. He needed a new bike and since he had time to kill he went shopping. He bought a Road King Special with the new Milwaukee v-twin eight engine. By the time he’d finished all the add-ons and paint Ajax was close to stroke level when he saw the price. He needed a new ride so he cut a check and arranged for delivery before he went to retrieve his love.
Tara was just finishing up her day and putting all her baked goods away for the night when the door chimed. She made the assumption it was Ajax, so when she caught the scent of stale cigarettes her full-blown panic set in. She was alone but she wasn’t going to be helpless again. She turned towards that awful, rancid smell.
“I know it’s you. Back for more? You won’t break me, I have way too much to live for now.” Tara heard him breathing. She kept still and waited for him to respond. The seconds dragged on like hours before he said a word.
“Tell your boyfriend he owes me and if it means taking you for his debt then that’s what will happen. Watch your back little woman, never know who’s lurking,” And then the laugh started. That evil, maniacal laugh that she’d heard twice before. Tara knew exactly who this was and what he was capable of so she stayed put, hoping he would just leave. Within just a few minutes the door made it’s chime again and the fetid smell was gone. Less than two minutes later the door chimed again and at that point she broke.
“Oh dear God please don’t hurt me again.”
“What the fuck you talking about woman?” Then Ajax caught the scent, it was faint but still there. “Oh Christ! Come here Beauty.” He had her in his arms as tight as he could without hurting her. Her attacker had been in the bakery and from the sounds of it, she knew and was terrified. Once she calmed enough to talk the questions had to be asked. “Beauty what happened, and what did he say?”
She explained how the door had chimed and she’d thought it was him. So, she didn’t think anything until she caught that stench. “That’s when I kinda freaked out. He didn’t see it though, I held my ground Noah. You’d have been proud of me, but whoever it is knows you. He said you owe him and if you don’t pay him he’ll take me for payment.”
Ajax knew immediately who had attacked Tara and that was the last straw. If he had any doubts about killing him before he surely didn’t now. Aries had almost destroyed him once before, it wouldn’t happen again. He took from Tara something that no man has the right to do and left her bloody and emotionally scarred. Aries was going to die. As wrong as killing was, this one was justified. “Ain’t nobody hurting you ever again Baby, I got you Tara. Don’t worry woman, I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch and I’m gonna do it in ways ain’t nobody gonna wanna see.”
Tara believed him. Even not being able to see his face, she felt it in his body. He was stiff as a board and shaking. Her Ajax was as mad as a man could be.
“You’re gonna need to close up for a few weeks.” Ajax continued. “I’ll pay the girls so they don’t have to worry about a job, but we need to keep you safe.”
Tara didn’t like that idea at all. Her bakery was her baby. “Do we have to? Cheyenne and Krissi can run the place, and we just reopened. I hate to close again and lose my customers.”
That much he understood but something had to give.
CIRCLING THE WAGONS
Ajax delayed closing up shop for a few days, giving her customers fair warning and letting them know it was only temporary. They could still take special orders that would be delivered. Then he made a few calls and had an industrial oven delivered to Red’s, turning his barn into a kitchen for Tara to bake in. The girls came every day to help. Izzy stayed at the compound so she always had someone right there.
Ajax called Magic, he needed all the hands he could get. Red said whatever he needed to put Aries in the grave. What he needed was Magic. Stone Sinners MC were close friends with Smoke and the Devils’. Ajax remembered meeting him at the ‘funeral’ for Renegade, so he made the call. To his surprise, Magic was quite willing to help in the hunt. He gave a timeframe for Sinners’ arrival. Next on his list was Smoke, but this required a visit. So, he and Tara headed over to the Devils’ property.
“Queen asked if I would bring you over with me.” Ajax told Tara. “She asked how we’re doing and said the baby wants to see his Aunt.”
The smile that graced her face just knowing she was going to get to play with the baby was priceless. Ajax knew he had to make this reversal work. One way or another he would give Tara a baby, at this point he wanted one almost as bad. He had made so many mistakes with his Daughter, but fate was giving him a second chance with Isadora. Ajax would be the Father he should have been if by the grace of God Tara got pregnant.
They’d been on the road less than five minutes when he saw them in his rear view. Six bikes with riders he definitely recognized; Bastards. He reached into his cut, pulling out his phone and called Red.
“Hey Old Man. You still want a business partner? Cause Bastards are on my six.”
Red didn’t answer, just hung up and Ajax knew help was coming. “Okay Beauty, we got company. I want you on the floor and do not argue with me. There’s a vest under the seat, put it on and stay down. I ain’t got no idea how this is gonna go, but if it goes south you keep down and listen to me. I’ll get us both out of this alive, I promise we ain’t dyin’ before I make you my Missus.”
Tara did exactly as she was told. She knew someone was following them. With what had happened the last time, she didn’t even think about questioning him.
The back window exploded as the first bullets flew and Ajax did his best to stay on the road. He reached back and shot through what used to be the rear window. This stretch of the road was straight and there wasn’t much cover so he just kept shooting as the six turned into ten.
“Fuck me!” he shouted knowing the odds weren’t good. The only way he could see was to spin the truck and use it for cover. Red had an ammo box behind the seat full of guns and ammunition but the only way to get it was to get out.
“Beauty hold on tight. Trust me Tara.” Ajax swerved and jerked the wheel hard right as he slammed on the brakes. The truck stopped exactly where he needed it to. He pulled her out the driver’s door with him. “Stay down please.” He shouted as he pulled the box out.
All Ajax could think was thank God Red was a gun fanatic because that Mack Ten was about to come in handy. He leaned over the truck bed and let the bullets fly. Tara stayed low with her hands over her ears. The booming of the gun was deafening. Ajax was doing a quick reload when one of the bikes blew up. Smoke was coming up the road with Renegade standing in the back of the truck with an M72 LAW rocket. Ajax threw his head back laughing, help was here and they’d live another day.
“Oh my God! Noah!” Tara was in shock at the deafening report. “What the hell is that? And why are you laughing?”
Ajax was almost in tears laughing. “That, my Beauty is Renegade. Nobody but Renegade would have one of those rocket launchers. Just fuckin Renegade!” Both Tara and Ajax had come out of this one unscathed and for that he was thankful.
The rest of the bikes turned tail and fled, none wanted to become another casualty of Renegade and his rocket launcher. Red came up the road with Pretty Boy at warp speed. Their Brother was in trouble and that meant all hands on deck.
Ajax kept Tara close while doing his best to answer Smoke’s questions. He had a few for Tara too
and the Cleaner wasn’t thrilled. She didn’t need to go over it again but for the President, he allowed it.
“I don’t think Aries’ attack on Tara last year was random.” Smoke explained after he’d heard some answers. “I’ve known him since I was a kid and he is the definition of son of a bitch. I honestly believe he did it because of her friendship with Peyton. Now that he knows she’s yours, it’s only going to get worse. Krispy stays with Izzy twenty-four-seven. If he knows about you and Tara, you can bet he knows who Isadora is too. We take no chances with our women.” That was standard with Smoke, he was the kind of man that cherished the women and children.
Ajax had heard the stories of Smoke and the war he waged against his Wife’s Father. He was definitely happy to be on the same side. Add Renegade and the other brothers into the mix, and they had a very lethal and cunning group of brothers.
Smoke ordered all the women on lock down, they were all to stay at their compounds unless they had ample security to go into town. Ajax knew that was going to piss his woman off, but he also knew Smoke made the right call. Aries was coming and the line had been drawn. It was time to kill or be killed. At this point Ajax wasn’t going down, he had a family and that meant fight until the bitter end. Aries was a dead man walking, it was only a matter of time.
They agreed that Smoke and the Devils’ would come to the Pound Clubhouse and work out all the particulars. So, Ajax figured it was time to take his woman home. She needed some time to decompress and a stiff drink. He needed a few slugs from his favorite tequila bottle after this assault. The only thing that had gone right was that nobody he loved had been hurt.
Ajax made sure the seat was glass free before he put her in the cab of the pickup and headed home. They talked about unimportant things like her wanting a puppy. He made a mental note to see what kind of service dogs he could get. A dog was a damn good idea. They would smell an intruder long before any bastard could get close to Tara.
Once back at the compound he left her to soak in the tub while Ajax conducted a little business with Red. He needed wheels that were a bit safer than the old truck. Smoke had his vehicles outfitted special with bulletproof glass. That’s what Ajax needed; something fast that was armored. He was partial to Bones’ old Cuda, so he wanted one like that but new. The Hellcat came to mind. Seven hundred horsepower seemed like a good number. When he finished what he had to, Ajax went to check on Tara who was still in the tub.
“You okay my Beauty? I’m so fuckin sorry about all this. I would understand if you couldn’t handle all this mess.” He would, but he would hate it. Tara was everything to him and her leaving would tear his heart from his chest.
“Noah, I’m not going anywhere, not ever. You’re kinda stuck with me.”
He leaned over the side to kiss her and before he knew it, Ajax was in the tub with her, his clothes soaked but that didn’t matter. With her legs wrapped around him he knew what she needed and that was him inside her. He threw each sopping wet piece of clothing over the side until he was as bare as her. There was no foreplay this time. She needed him and Ajax needed her just as fiercely. He knew he had to make the most of this night, Bones was doing his procedure in the morning and there would be no love making for a few days.
Tara arched her back and pushed against him, all but begging Ajax to be inside her. He had to give her what she silently asked for. Even in the water, he could feel her wetness and as he slid himself into her, the gasp was simultaneous. She was so warm, so slick and so damn tight it took everything he had not to pump as hard as he could just because it felt so incredibly good. Ajax watched her facial expressions, mentally noting what she liked the best. He found a slow deep thrust that made Tara bite her lip, that was the pace she liked the best. When he pulled himself almost all the way out and left just the head in, she pleaded with him for more.
“Noah! God don’t tease me, I need all of you now!”
Ajax slammed himself back in deep, so deep he felt his balls hit her ass and that gave him ideas. None that was feasible, but the fantasy was incredible. Ajax closed his eyes and just let his mind wander.
‘Noah God please! I need to know what your cock feels like in my ass.’
‘Baby you sure you’re ready for that? It might hurt you, Beauty. You want me to fuck your ass, then turn over baby. Yep like that. Spread yourself for me. Damn woman that’s a beautiful picture. Ready baby? Feel that? It’s warm ain’t it, that’s me lubing you up. Okay baby here it is, just relax and it won’t be as rough sliding in.’
‘It hurts but don’t stop. Oh God Noah yes!’
‘Damn Beauty you have no idea how hot it is watching my cock disappear into your perfect little pucker. Reach under and rub your clit. Yeah like that. We need toys so I can fill both your holes, make you come like you’ve never come before.’
‘Yes! Fuck me harder! Pound me. I need it! I want both filled! I’ve always fantasized about that. Two men fucking me and one watching, playing with himself and coming in my mouth.’
The picture in his mind was so clear Ajax was struggling not to lose it. He couldn’t imagine really sharing her with another man but in his mind, it was okay. Sharing had never been his thing. He left that to Jace and Falcon who seemed to enjoy it. Those two spent time at a club just for that, that was okay for them but not Ajax. He had his woman and unless she wanted that, it was never going to even be suggested.
Ajax kept that deep thrusting rhythm going, with each push the water splashed over the side but neither one even noticed the wet floor. All he could see was his woman shuddering under him and whimpering in his ear.
“Fuck yes baby.” Ajax panted. “Lemme hear how good I make you feel. Damn I love your moans.”
Tara couldn’t stop the noises she was making, Ajax just fit like the Gods had made him for her. Their bodies were like two puzzle pieces locked together and she was barely hanging on, when he reached down between them and began to flick her clit with his fingers she had no more resolve. Her orgasm hit hot and heavy made Tara bite his shoulder to keep the noise down.
There was something extremely erotic about being bitten, and Ajax needed no more inspiration. His body went rigid as he grunted, spilling himself deep within her. The aftershocks for both were just as intense, and they slowly came down from the endorphin high. At that moment Tara understood how much Ajax did love her. She didn’t know why it was this particular time, but for whatever reason, it was.
“One day, woman I’m gonna put a baby in you. I promise that.”
ICE, ICE BABY
The next day Ajax lay on Bones table. He was naked from the waist down, waiting for the first shot of lidocaine.
“Jesus Christ Ajax, you could kill someone with your dick. Damn man, you need to do porn. You’d make a fuckin’ fortune.” Bones ribbed him as he hit him with the first needle.
Ajax winced as it punctured the delicate skin next to his balls. Bones said it was a quick process, just a few hours to do it. But as much as Ajax liked tattoos, he hated needless. They chatted while the Doctor worked.
“Thanks for not asking Peyton to help this time.” Ajax imparted. “I ain’t shy, but if Smoke knew she saw my junk I’d be a dead man. So anyway, how long before Tara and I can have sex again?”
“That really depends,” Bones told him as he worked. “Usually it’s anywhere from five days to a couple weeks. Then we cross our fingers and hope your swimmers wake up and swim. We’ll check them in a few weeks to see, it can take a year for things to start working properly. I don’t guarantee this though. It’s been a long time and that is always an issue.” Bones stopped in the middle to sip on his coffee and laughed a little. “The only surgical room in town where the surgeon drinks his coffee while he works.”
Ajax laughed a little too. “Man, my shit is in your hands and you got a knife, no fuckin laughing.”
Bones still chuckled as he peered through magnifying glasses. The actual procedure was simple, just tedious with all the tiny vessels. From there on out the chatter w
as about the Bastards and Aries.
“You need two solid days of ice on your balls and no strain.” Bones instructed. “Seriously man, no strain at all. That means your ass sits here and does nothing. Tara can take care of you for a couple days, and your Daughter is here too. Let them help, if you blow your stitches I will not fix them. Feel me Ajax?”
That he did, this was on his list of top priorities. So, as much as it was going to kill him to sit around, he would do what the Doctor said.
Bones was spot on when he said four hours, putting the last knot in the stitches. Ajax knew once the lidocaine wore off he was going to hurt. The swelling had already started and he told himself this was for Tara. Having his shit cut the first time had not been pleasant. Having it put back together was even less fun, but for her he would do anything.
Bones drove him back to the Pound complex, not trusting the resident bullet magnet to make it the three miles home in one piece. As they drove down the gravel drive that lead to the complex Ajax noticed bikes he’d never seen before. Nice bikes too, a custom chopper and an old Pan Head like Smoke’s. They had visitors and from the sounds of silence, they were welcome.
Ajax saw the riders sitting with Red, one was Magic, the Stone Sinners’ President. The other he didn’t know, but it looked very much like he was flirting with Izzy and that wasn’t going to fly. She was barely twenty and in no way needed to get involved with a biker. Definitely not one who looked to be a good ten years older than her. He stepped out before Bones even had it in park.
“You remember Magic?” Red asked of him. Ajax reached out to shake Magic’s hand. Then he was introduced the other man. “This is Havoc, the VP of the Sinners.” Ajax didn’t mean to but he growled at him.