Sight Unseen: The Devils Dawg Pound book 2 Read online

  Table of Contents

  1: THE BAKERY

  2: CLEANING HOUSE

  3: FLAVOR OF THE WEEK

  4: THE CLEANER, THE BAKER

  5: COMMITMENT

  6: MI AMORE

  7: BLAST FROM THE PAST

  8: BUSINESS AS USUAL

  9: THE SINS OF THE FATHER

  10: RAM IT

  11: CIRCLING THE WAGONS

  12: ICE, ICE BABY

  13: REVENGE IS A DISH

  14: THE BEST LAID PLANS

  15: MOLE IN THE HOLE

  16: A BLOODY SINNER

  17: LIFE, DEATH AND THE AFTER

  18: TIME TO CELEBRATE, TIME TO EXTERMINATE

  19: OH BABY, BABY

  20: WHAT'S EATING YOU

  21: I DO FOREVER

  22: DING DONG THE WICKED MAN IS GONE

  23: FULL CIRCLE

  SIGHT UNSEEN

  DEVIL’S DAWG POUND BOOK #2

  Author: Annie Buff

  Cover: Treena Ross

  Editor: Chris Cain

  Dedications:

  As with every book I write, this has been a labor of love but for a different reason. You know when you meet someone and the world just clicks? That’s what happened the day Treena came to me as my new PA. I had just lost my Personal Assistant, and being fairly new in the book world I was lost. But here came this amazing human to basically save my butt. And she did.

  She continues to do so daily and I am eternally grateful to her. Treena became my muse, as all writers have, but she’s special. She lost her sight twelve years ago but pushed through it and persevered. She never let it slow her down. This woman never ceases to amaze me; so when I needed a story line for this book, using her story was the only way to go. Treena is my inspiration and my hero. I am eternally blessed to work with such an incredible lady. As they say, ‘my cup runneth over' with love for her. Thank you, Treena Ross. Not only for being my PA, but for being my friend.

  I would also like to acknowledge my editor Chris Cain. As always, he builds castles from my piles of sand.

  To everyone else: from my Beta Reader Jeni, my back up PA Sara, to my BFF Joan Marie, and all the rest of the people throughout the world of Indie publishing; thank you for supporting my work so I can continue at a job I love so very much.

  THE BAKERY

  Tara Jo Rossi tore the nightly tape from the register and tucked it in the bank bag along with the days cash and receipts. Today was her best day in a very long time. Tara and her bakery debuted a new cupcake, and the line was so long she had to have her help take out coffee and water to those waiting.

  This cupcake had been suggested by someone who spent a lot of time and money in her bakery, Sweet Surrender. She picked up the phone to call her friend Peyton and tell her the good news, that her cupcake flavor was the best seller she had ever baked. It was an amaretto cherry cordial cupcake and people went wild for it. Peyton had helped Tara when she was nearing bankruptcy. She, along with her Husband loaned Tara the money to get out of the hole she was in. And ultimately kept Peyton’s favorite bakery and coffee spot open and thriving.

  Just about to close the cash drawer, and close up for the night. That’s when a man grabbed her from behind, demanding the cash.

  Tara was not going easy, she had been attacked in her home a year ago. The police never found the man, but it’s kind of hard to give a description of someone you never saw. She gave the cops the best she could and then called Peyton. She was married to the President of the local biker club. Tara knew that’s where her help would come from.

  From then on, one of the Devils would stop in a few times a day just to make their presence known. Whoever was robbing her now didn’t know she had an Old Lady for a friend. Tara stepped on the fake silent alarm button, and then elbowed the man in the gut. The “oof” he spouted as he reeled gave her almost enough time to get to the door that she hadn’t locked yet.

  Tara was just inches from it when the intruder caught a fist full of her hair and dragged her back behind the counter. Tara kicked and screamed but nobody was around to hear her. She was certain she was going to be raped just as the door chimed.

  “Tara, where are you?” Peyton called out.

  Tara screamed through the hand over her mouth. It was just loud enough to hear and when Peyton rounded the corner she had her gun drawn. It was aimed at the Perp.

  “You have two minutes before my Husband walks through that door and three before I shoot. Less if you’re an asshole, so I suggest you let go of my friend right now!” Peyton warned.

  The man smiled through rotten teeth. Giving Peyton the impression he was a meth head and probably all sketched out and paranoid.

  The next chime wasn’t Smoke, Peyton’s Husband. It was the Cleaner, Ajax. He came looking for a coffee. The glint of the weapon in the Queen’s hand said there was trouble and he pulled his own side arm which already had a bullet chambered. He always carried that way. The life was dangerous, and even though he hadn’t patched in, he was considered one of the Brothers.

  “Queen? We got a problem here?” Ajax asked as he made his way to the counter, then he saw the owner pinned on the floor terrified. Ajax aimed right at the man’s temple but he was hesitant to shoot so close to the scared woman. He hadn’t formally met Tara and seeing a man’s brains scattered wasn’t something you get over easily.

  So, he gave an ultimatum: “You have exactly ten seconds before I redecorate the counter with your gray matter. So run and don’t ever come back here!”

  The man stood and slowly backed away. Then he did something no one expected, he pulled out a gun and shot at them. Ajax took a bullet in the shoulder, pushing the Queen out of the line of fire. He went down but fired back and Peyton did the same. Both emptied their guns at the intruder as he ran from the building and down the alley, into the darkness of night.

  “Oh God! Peyton are you hurt? Who was that other voice? I know Smoke’s voice like my own.” Tara’s words were shaky at best.

  Tara knew people by their voices, by their smells and how they walked. She was blind so her other senses made up for her lack of sight. Ajax didn’t understand why she was asking who he was, he stood right over her while she was on the floor.

  “Queen, what the fuck is going on? I’m right fucking here. Is she fucking blind!” Ajax shouted as he fished for a tampon from his vest to stanch his wound.

  “Yes, actually I am. You’re nothing but a giant shadow to me. So, excuse the living fuck out of me for not knowing who you are!” The bakery Owner shrieked at him.

  Ajax just turned and shook his head, this was definitely one of those open mouth and insert foot moments. He guessed an apology wasn’t going to cut it, but he had to try. This lady ran the coffee shop they all stopped at, including him now that he was unofficially part of the Dawg Pound.

  “Ma’am I am very sorry for being an ass. I didn’t know and…”

  As he spoke, Tara picked herself up and walked over to the booth next to the counter. She sank down and just let loose, crying hysterically after yet again another attack.

  The look the Queen shot him said Red was going to hear about this. That shouldn’t matter as he was not a Patch, but Ajax liked this gig with the Dawg Pound. He was treated like a Patch, was even allowed to sit in on church which was normally only for Patch Brothers. Red paid well and allowed the leeway to work with Smoke and the Devils’. Recently they had been building a new clubhouse since the last one was blown up in an effort to fake a death and finish off the nemesis of Renegade, the VP from the Devils’.

  “Noah!” Peyton said and it surely sounded like a scolding. “See if you can find out how that bastard got in here, I�
��ll stay with Tara.”

  He did as she’d asked, finding the rear door jimmied open and a screwdriver next to it in the alley. Ajax spent more time than was necessary doing it, even with the fire in his shoulder he stayed away. He knew Bones would be digging that bullet out later and that would hurt like a bitch. But nothing compared to what was happening in the dining room of the bakery, crying women weren’t his thing. Women in general, but crying ones were definitely not on the list of things he handled well, or at all.

  Peyton sat holding her friend and letting her cry. Tara had just gotten over being beaten in her home and now this. “Sweetie what can I do? You know I’ll help you any way I can.”

  She did know, Tara would forever be indebted to Smoke and Peyton for their loan. She had made several attempts to pay on her debt only to be told to keep it and keep the cupcakes coming. These were the kind of people you just didn’t meet every day and Tara cherished her friendship with them. Nobody would ever believe that the President of a ‘One Percent’ biker club would be so kind, but he was.

  “I need to hire security, Peyton. The kind that’s around all the time. I hate not being able to protect myself! Even a gun wouldn’t help, I can’t see the bastards to shoot at them. I’m helpless and I hate that more than I can tell you.” She wasn’t helpless, but Tara didn’t see just how strong she was. She had lost her ability to see five years ago but somehow kept going, to Peyton she was a hero.

  Smoke and Red wandered in to see a crying Baker and Peyton holding her. “She was attacked and almost raped, Nero we need to help her.” Peyton explained.

  Smoke pulled his Wife aside to get the skinny on the situation and figure out the proper things to do. Red piped up with an idea of his own. “Ajax can guard her, we have nothing big going aside from waiting for Snowman to show up. Ajax will do it.”

  Just returning from the back of the bakery, Ajax heard Red’s offer. “Like hell I will! I am not a babysitter, she needs a rent a cop. Get her one of those, I’ll even pay for it but there is no fucking way I’m babysitting anyone!” Ajax spouted and then stormed out, slamming the door behind him. He knew he was about to catch serious hell for this stunt but at the moment he didn’t care. He would later when he wanted a place to sleep, but for now he was pissed. He was a Cleaner, not a God damned babysitter.

  Red stood staring at the door in utter disbelief at how Ajax had behaved. He had been good and cooperative up until this point and he was going to be the ‘babysitter’, whether he liked it or not. The lack of respect was about to earn the Cleaner an ass kicking. Even pushing fifty, old Red could still dish it out.

  Smoke told Tara not to worry, she would have security ‘round the clock. He just needed keys and her access code to the alarm. Tara told Smoke it wasn’t active, just for show. Peyton had a feeling each of the men would be spending some time at Sweet Surrender. Krispy would likely volunteer, he had a huge sweet tooth and loved Tara’s cupcakes. He wasn’t a big coffee drinker, only when it was cold out. He preferred Mountain Dew and Tara always kept a few bottles around, just for him.

  CLEANING HOUSE

  Ajax rode like a maniac through the streets of the Junction. He was livid just thinking about being stuck playing rent a cop. How dare Red assume he could order him to do anything, especially babysit some blind bakery Owner. Even if she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. No woman had ever made him look twice, and no woman had ever talked to him the way she had. The fact that he was an idiot didn’t make a difference, she had shown no respect for someone that had just saved her life. He wanted to hate her, to just keep riding and not look back. But something was tugging at him. Ajax knew staying around was a bad idea, he did his job and moved on. Then Poppy and Pretty Boy had made him feel that this was home, so he’d stayed. Right now he wished he hadn’t.

  Sitting at a stoplight he realized how bad he’d acted and the only thing that would make this any better was a drink, maybe ten of them. If he got drunk enough maybe this would all be a seriously bad dream. Handlebars was just across the intersection and they had his favorite brew on tap.

  Ajax settled at the bar with a draft and a double of tequila knowing how bad this was about to be. Old Red was still a force to be reckoned with, and Ajax expected his stunt had earned him a beat down.

  The beer soothed the burn from the tequila and he ordered a second double. He had to erase her face from his mind. Her blue eyes had already started to haunt him. She was stunning, with curves in all the right places. Tara wasn’t skinny, and he didn’t like skinny women. Ajax wanted a woman to look like a woman, not a teenage girl. Her chin length dark cherry hair fit her heart shaped face and those lips were full and kissable. Perfect for wrapping around his cock and…

  “You wanna explain that shit in the bakery, or should I just kick your ass now?” Red had slid in next to him while he was in fantasy land.

  There was no way out of this, so he started to explain waiting for the fist across his jaw. “She’s beautiful Red. Aside from not being a fucking security guard, Tara Jo is beautiful and I can’t be around her. That’s it, so take your shot. I earned it.”

  Old Red shook his head, why her looks had anything to do with the job was beyond him. “First, that lead needs to come out of you. You’re still bleeding. You know that right? After that we can discuss not only the ass beating you have coming, but your new job. Ain’t much choice here Baldy, it’s either the bakery or the highway. You want to be part of something, then be part all the way. Don’t half ass this like you’ve done your whole life.”

  Ajax bit his lip, there were so many things he wanted to say to Red but he knew better. At this point, he was surprised he wasn’t picking himself up off the floor. Red knew his family, the biological one. That meant he knew all about Ajax, and how he was. He hadn’t been home in years, for him the old saying ‘you can’t go home again’ rang true.

  “Yeah, I need this dug out soon. You really gonna make me do this, aren’t you?” Ajax asked incredulously.

  Red shook his head, he wasn’t going to make Ajax do anything. He gave him a choice and after that it was up to him. “What’s the problem? She needs help and we are part of this community. We do what we can to help, and Tara Jo needs our help.”

  He understood that part, it was the attraction he felt that was the problem. Ajax didn’t have time for a woman, he preferred taking a hooker for his urges. Paying her and then leaving. Tara was going to make him break his rules, in the end he would break her heart and he already hated himself for it. “She’s too good for me, I don’t want to hurt her.”

  Red was starting to get it now, Ajax had a serious attraction to Tara. “What makes you think she likes you? That woman has been around more bikers than you have, and she’s never bedded one yet. So, stop thinking you’re the one and do your job.”

  Red still didn’t quite understand, but Ajax decided it was better left alone. His shoulder was still on fire and he was out of beer so a trip to see Bones was in order.

  Ajax sat on the exam table, letting Bones do his thing. The antiseptic stung, but nothing like having the Doc digging around inside his flesh to fish out the bullet. Come to find out the amped-up Perpetrator used cheap ammunition. That wasn’t a surprise to anyone, but because of it, the bullet had fragmented. Bones spent an extra hour with the scalpel and hemostats digging out all the little bits.

  “You’re on Peyton’s shit list. You’re aware of that right?” Bones asked him as another small piece of lead clinked into the metal bowl, “Tara Jo means a lot to her, and that shit you pulled has the Queen right pissed.”

  Ajax knew what list he’d made the minute he walked out the door at Sweet Surrender. He just wasn’t sure how to fix it. Old Red being pissed at him didn’t really matter all that much, but Peyton; she mattered more than he liked. Between her and Poppy he was getting all these feelings and emotions showing up. They festered inside him like an infection, but it was just being human. “I know, and I need to apologize to her and to Tara. Not sure whic
h one hates me more at this point.”

  “I don’t hate you Noah, just disappointed in your behavior tonight.” Peyton’s voice rang loud and clear from the doorway to Bones office.

  Ajax winced at that answer more than having the lead dug out. “That’s worse, hate I could live with. It’s something I’m used to. But that I need to fix. Just tell me what I can do so you stop looking at me like that.” It was the one thing he couldn’t deal with, the motherly look she had. It said he’d fucked up big time.

  Peyton stood holding baby Brolin in her arms, shaking her head. He had screwed up but it was fixable. He just had to want to. “Red said he gave you a choice. So, what are you going to do Noah?”

  That he wasn’t sure of yet. “Think while I wash the blood off me, then I’ll have an answer for you. Best I got right now.”

  She would take that, at least it was honest. Deep down Peyton thought he might leave, and that was unacceptable. Ajax had become part of her family and one way or another, he was staying. Even if that meant chaining him to the picnic table.

  Ajax stood under the spray of the shower, watching the water run red off of his body and down the drain. He put his hands against the tile and leaned over, eyes closed and his mind racing. Beautiful Tara Jo was already under his skin, but he was fighting his attraction to her. His body however wasn’t on the same page judging from the raging boner he was sporting. He had to choose: leave and disappoint everyone that meant something to him; or find a way to spend every day with a woman he damn well shouldn’t be with.

  FLAVOR OF THE WEEK

  Tara sat sipping her morning coffee, letting the early spring air filter in. She had intentionally propped the door open, knowing that her friend would come for a pastry. Juggling a toddler with a newborn was quite the chore.

  She heard boots on the tile, knowing they didn’t belong to Peyton she waited and listened. Tara knew who was there, his aftershave gave him away. And the heavy feet on the floor, only a very big man would walk that loud.