Page 47 of Piston

The wind whips against my face as we race down the highway. My mind is reeling, images of Jenny's face flashing through my head. I grip the handlebars until my knuckles turn white. "I'm coming, baby," I mutter under my breath. "Just hold on."

The rumble of the bikes is deafening but it can't drown out the fear gnawing at my insides. If anything happens to her... No, I can't think like that. We're gonna find her. We have to.

We pull up to my apartment complex, tires screeching as we skid to a halt. The probie is pacing outside, his face pale and his hands shaking. I'm off my bike in a flash, stalking towards him with murder in my eyes.

"What the hell happened?" I growl, getting right up in his face. "You had one fucking job!"

"I... I don't know, man," he stammers, his eyes wide with fear. "She said she was just gonna run in for a minute, grab something from your place. I waited out here, I swear. But then she didn't come back and..."

"And you didn't think to fucking check on her?" I roar, my hands curling into fists at my sides. "How long ago was this?"

"Maybe... maybe twenty minutes?" he says, his voice cracking.

Twenty minutes. Fuck. Anything could have happened in that time. My mind races with the possibilities, each one more horrifying than the last.

Dagger steps up beside me, his presence a reminder to keep my shit together. "We'll find her, brother," he says, his voice low and steady. "But we gotta think smart. Losing our heads ain't gonna help Jenny."

I take a deep breath, trying to push down the rage and panic threatening to consume me. He's right. I need to focus.

"Alright," I say, turning back to the probie. "Walk me through it. Every detail, no matter how small. What was she wearing? Did she seem off at all? Did you see anyone else around?"

As the probie starts to talk, my mind is already spinning. Who would have taken her? Was this connected to the club, or something else entirely? The thought of her out there, scared and alone... it's enough to make my blood run cold.

But one thing's for damn sure. I won't stop until I find her. I'll tear this whole fucking city apart if I have to. Because she's mine. And I protect what's mine.

The probie stammers, his face pale. "She was wearing a blue sundress. You know, the one with the little white flowers? And she had her hair up in a ponytail. She seemed fine, man. Happy, even. Said she was gonna grab some stuff for dinner..."

I try to picture her, my beautiful Jenny, walking into that store without a care in the world. It makes the knot in my gut twist even tighter.

"And you didn't see anyone following her? No suspicious cars or bikes around?" Dagger asks, his brow furrowed.

The probie shakes his head. "No, nothing like that. It was pretty quiet, you know? Just the usual folks coming and going."

I pace back and forth, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides. Every second we stand here talking is another second she's out there in danger.

"Fuck!" I explode, slamming my fist into the wall. The pain shoots up my arm, but it's nothing compared to the agony in my chest.

Dagger grabs my shoulder, pulling me back. "Hey, hey! Cool it, man. This ain't helping."

I shrug him off, whirling to face him. "Cool it? How the fuck am I supposed to cool it, Dag? She's out there, and we're just standing around with our thumbs up our asses!"

He gets right up in my face, his eyes hard. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't care about her too? But we gotta be smart about this, Piston. Flying off the handle is only gonna make shit worse."

I stare at him, chest heaving, the rational part of my brain knowing he's right. But the other part, the part that's drowning in fear and fury, doesn't want to listen.

Dagger's expression softens just a fraction. "We'll find her, brother. I swear it. But we gotta do it the right way. For Jenny's sake."

I close my eyes, forcing myself to take a deep breath. He's right. I know he's right. I have to get my shit together, for her.

"Okay," I say, my voice rough. "Okay. Let's think this through. What's our next move?"

Dagger nods, a glimmer of relief in his eyes. "We start at the store. See if anyone saw anything, check the security cameras. Maybe we'll get lucky, find a lead."

It's not much, but it's a start. A direction to point this restless energy brewing inside me.

I turn to the probie, who's watching us with wide, anxious eyes. "You're coming with us. And if we find out you're holding anything back..."

I let the threat hang in the air, watching him swallow hard.

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