Piston (Iron Reapers MC #2)

Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

PISTON

My phone rings and jolts me out of my thoughts. Probie's name flashes on the screen. A sinking feeling hits my gut as I answer. "Piston, man, I can't find her. Jenny's gone!"

"What the hell do you mean, gone?" My voice is gravel, masking the fear pulsing through me.

"She was just here, I swear. Went to take a piss and now she's fucking vanished."

"Goddammit!" I slam my fist against the wall, rage and terror battling inside me. "I'm on my way."

I burst out of my room, nearly colliding with Dagger in the hallway. "We got a problem. Jenny's missing."

"The fuck?" Dagger looks at me, his brow furrowed.

"Probie can't find her. I knew that dipshit couldn't handle this."

Mason appears, already shrugging on his cut. "Let's ride."

We storm out of the clubhouse, boots pounding against the asphalt. I swing my leg over my bike, the engine roaring to life beneath me. Dagger and Mason flank me as we tear out of the lot.

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.

"I swear, I told you everything. I want to find her too, Piston. I fucked up, I know that. Let me help make it right."

I stare at him for a long moment, weighing his sincerity. Finally, I give a curt nod.

"Mount up," I say, striding towards my bike. "We've got work to do."

As the engines roar to life, I send up a silent prayer to whoever might be listening. Hold on, baby. I'm coming for you. And god help anyone who tries to stand in my way.

We tear out of the parking lot, a pack of snarling steel beasts on the hunt. The wind whips past, stinging my eyes, but I barely feel it. All I can think about is Jenny, out there somewhere, alone and scared.

Dagger takes the lead, his phone mounted on the handlebars, barking out directions over the comm system. We weave through traffic, splitting lanes, running reds. Nothing else matters but getting to that grocery store, finding some clue to where they took her.

The minutes stretch like hours, each mile dragging by in a blur of asphalt and exhaust. But finally, we screech into the store's parking lot, rubber burning against the pavement.

I'm off my bike before it's even stopped, scanning the sea of cars for any sign of her truck. And there, at the far end, I spot it. That familiar blue paint job, the dent in the rear fender from when she backed into a pole outside the clubhouse.

Relief floods through me, so sharp it's almost painful. She's here. She has to be.

I sprint across the lot, the others hot on my heels. But as I draw closer, that relief turns to lead in my gut. The driver's side door is hanging open, keys dangling from the ignition. And there, on the ground...

"No," I breathe, stumbling to a halt. "No, no, no."

Her purse, contents scattered across the pavement. Her phone, screen shattered. And a plastic grocery bag, ripped open, a pink box tumbling out.

I reach for it with shaking hands, already knowing what I'll find. A pregnancy test, unopened, mocking me with its cheery packaging. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

The automatic doors slide open with a hiss, and I'm moving, Dagger right beside me. We storm into the grocery store like hellhounds on the scent, riding a wave of fear and fury that threatens to consume me whole.

"Where's your security office?" I snap at the first employee I see, a scrawny kid who nearly drops his pricing gun in shock.

He stammers, eyes wide, but I don't have time for this. I grab him by the collar, hauling him in close. "The cameras. Where are they?"

"B-back of the store," he manages, pointing a shaking finger. "Through those doors."

I shove him away, already moving. Dagger's on my heels, a silent, seething presence at my back.

We burst into the security office like a battering ram, startling the poor bastard manning the desk. He half-rises from his chair, mouth opening in protest, but I'm already in his face.

"The parking lot cameras," I growl, slamming my hands down on the desk. "Pull up the footage from the last hour. Now."

To his credit, the manager doesn't argue. Maybe it's the cut on my back, or the barely leashed violence in Dagger's eyes, but he starts clicking away at the keyboard without a word.

The screens flicker, grainy images of the parking lot popping up in a grid. I scan them frantically, heart pounding, until--there. Jenny's truck, parked near the edge of the lot.

"There," I bark, jabbing a finger at the screen. "Rewind it. Find her."

The manager complies, the footage blurring as he speeds it backward. And then, like a punch to the gut, there she is. Jenny, walking across the parking lot, a bag of groceries in her arms.

She's smiling, radiant even in the washed-out grey of the security feed. My heart clenches, a physical ache in my chest. And then--

A van screeches into frame, tires squealing. The side door slides open, and a figure leaps out, grabbing Jenny from behind. I see the flash of a knife, the blade pressed to her throat, and my blood turns to ice in my veins.

She struggles, thrashing against her attacker, but it's no use. He drags her backward, towards the waiting van, and I watch in helpless horror as she's swallowed up by the darkness within.

The door slams shut, the van peeling out of the parking lot with a screech of rubber on asphalt. And just like that, she's gone. Taken.

A roaring fills my ears, a red haze descending over my vision. I'm dimly aware of Dagger's hand on my arm, his voice a distant buzz, but I can't make out the words. Can't focus on anything but the sickening lurch of fear in my gut, the knowledge that every second that passes is another second she's in their hands.

I have to find her. Have to bring her back, before... before...

I can't finish the thought. Won't let myself imagine the worst. Because if I do, if I let that darkness in, I know it will consume me.

And I can't afford to break. Not now. Not when she needs me most.

I straighten, a cold, deadly calm settling over me like a shroud. I meet Dagger's eyes, see the same grim determination reflected back at me.

"Get the plate number," I say, my voice a rough rasp. "Call the club. We're going to find these bastards, and we're going to make them pay."

He nods, already pulling out his phone. And as he starts barking orders, I close my eyes, picturing Jenny's face. Her smile, her laugh, the way she feels in my arms.

Hold on, baby. I'm coming for you.

And God help anyone who gets in my way.

Dagger's fingers fly across his phone screen as he relays the plate number to our tech guy. "We need a location on this van, pronto. Drop everything else and get on it."

He listens for a moment, his jaw clenched tight. "I don't care what it takes. Just find them."

Hanging up, he turns to me, his expression grim. "They're on it. If there's a traffic cam or security footage anywhere that caught that van, they'll find it."

I nod, my hands curling into fists at my sides. Every muscle in my body is coiled tight, ready to spring into action the second we have a lead.

"We'll find her, Piston," Dagger says, his voice low and intense. "We'll bring her back safe. The whole club's got your back on this. We won't rest until she's home."

I know he means it. Know that every brother in the Hellfire Riders would ride through hell itself to save one of our own. And right now, Jenny's as good as family.

But the fear is still there, gnawing at my insides like a ravenous beast. Because I know all too well the kind of evil that lurks in this world. The depravity that men are capable of.

And the thought of Jenny in their hands, scared and alone, not knowing if help is coming...

It's enough to make me want to tear the city apart brick by brick until I find her.

Dagger's phone rings, and he snatches it up, his eyes locking with mine as he listens. "Got it. Send me the coordinates."

He hangs up, a fierce light in his eyes. "They picked up the van on a traffic cam, heading west out of town. We've got a direction."

I'm already moving, swinging my leg over my bike and revving the engine to life. "Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's ride."

Dagger falls in beside me, and together, we roar out of the parking lot, the wind whipping past us as we fly down the highway.

Hold on, Jenny. We're coming.

And when I find the bastards who took you...

They'll pray for a quick death.

As the miles blur beneath our wheels, a sickening thought worms its way into my brain. The little pink box in Jenny's shopping bag. The secretive looks and hushed conversations with Lily.

Fuck.

Could Jenny be...pregnant?

The possibility slams into me like a freight train, stealing the breath from my lungs. If those bastards hurt her, hurt our...

I can't even finish the thought. It's too terrifying. Too real.

The baby wouldn't even be mine, but that doesn't matter. If Jenny's carrying a child, I'll love it like my own. Protect it with my life.

But first, I have to find her. Have to save her from whatever nightmare she's trapped in.

I twist the throttle harder, pushing my bike to its limits. Beside me, Dagger matches my pace, his face etched with the same grim determination.

We'll find her. We have to.

The alternative...it doesn't bear thinking about.

Images flash through my mind like a hellish slideshow. Jenny, bound and gagged, her eyes wide with fear. Her body broken and bleeding. The life snuffed out of her like a candle in the wind.

I shake my head violently, trying to banish the thoughts. I can't afford to think like that. Can't let the darkness consume me.

Jenny needs me strong. Focused.

So I cling to the rage, the fury that boils in my veins. I let it sharpen my senses, fuel my determination.

And I pray to whatever god might be listening that we're not too late.

That somewhere out there, Jenny's holding on.

Waiting for us to bring her home.