Page 12 of Piston

Hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late to make things right.

The tree didn't stand a chance. As soon as I reached it, my fists started flying, pummeling the rough bark like it had personally offended me. Pain shot through my knuckles with each impact, but I welcomed it, relished it even. Physical pain was something I could deal with, something I understood.

Not like the mess inside my head.

I couldn't get Jenny's face out of my mind, couldn't shake the memory of her laughing with the brothers, fitting in like she'd always been there. And here I was, on the outside looking in, like I'd always been.

"Damn it!" I growled, slamming my fist into the tree again. The skin on my knuckles split, blood welling up and trickling down my fingers, but I barely noticed.

All I could think about was how badly I'd screwed up. I'd let my jealousy, my own damn insecurities, get the best of me, and now Jenny was gone. She'd seen me for who I really was - a fucking mess, a danger to everyone around me.

I hit the tree again and again, until my arms ached and my breath came in ragged gasps. But even then, I couldn't stop. I needed this, needed the pain and the exhaustion to drown out the chaos in my head.

Because when I stopped, when I let myself think... that's when the real pain started.

My vision blurred, hot tears mixing with the sweat and blood on my face. I blinked them away angrily, disgusted with myself. I was Piston, damn it. I didn't cry, didn't show weakness.

But right then, alone in the darkness, with nothing but the sound of my own labored breathing and the distant thrum of music from the clubhouse, I didn't feel like Piston.

I just felt lost.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching from behind me. I spun around, fists clenched, ready for a fight.

But it was just Dagger, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Easy, man. I just came out here to check on you."

He reached out to put a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged him off roughly. "I'm fine," I snapped. "Just leave me the hell alone."

Dagger sighed, shaking his head. "Whatever, man. I was just trying to-"

But I wasn't listening anymore. All I could see was red, the rage and frustration boiling over inside me. Before I could stop myself, I was striding towards Dagger, my fist slamming into his face with a sickening crunch.

He staggered back, blood pouring from his nose, his eyes wide with shock and fury. For a moment, we just stared at each other, breathing hard.

Then, all hell broke loose.

Mason and a couple of the other brothers came bursting out of the clubhouse, shouting and cursing. They grabbed Dagger, holding him back as he lunged at me, his face contorted with rage.

"You fucking bastard!" he snarled, straining against their hold. "I'll kill you for that!"

I knew he meant it. A fight between me and Dagger wouldn't end until one of us was dead. We were too alike, too damn stubborn to ever back down.

The brothers managed to drag Dagger back inside, still shouting threats and obscenities. Mason was the last to leave, pausing in the doorway to give me a long, hard look.

I saw the disappointment in his eyes, the unspoken accusation. He shook his head slowly, then turned and disappeared inside, the door slamming shut behind him with a sense of finality.

And then I was alone again, standing there in the darkness with nothing but my thoughts and the dull throb of pain in my hand.

I leaned back against the tree, tilting my head back to stare up at the stars. I tried to clear my mind, to push away the image of Jenny's face, the sound of her laughter as she'd joked with the brothers inside.

But it was useless. She was all I could think about, all I could see. The way she made me feel, like I was drowning and flying all at once. The way she looked at me, like she saw past all the bullshit and the bravado to the real me underneath.

I wanted her, needed her, with an intensity that scared the hell out of me. But I knew I couldn't have her. Not without destroying her, ruining her life the way I'd ruined everything else I touched.

No, I had to stay away from her, I had to keep my distance. It was the only way to keep her safe, to protect her from the darkness inside me.

But even as I made the vow to myself, I could feel my resolve wavering. Because deep down, in a part of me I'd thought long dead, I knew the truth.

I was falling for her. And there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop it.

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