Page 1 of Shattered by Grace (The Locke Empire Duet #1)

“ F ind her!” A desperate man roared down the hallway, his harsh voice reverberating off the cold, suffocating walls.

Victoria cowered behind her bedroom door, her heart hammering against her ribs as she struggled to stifle any noise. She clamped a trembling hand over her mouth, trying to keep her gasping breaths silent while her muscles quivered with fear.

“She’s not here,” another voice called from inside the house, laced with frustration and panic.

Adrenaline surged through her veins, an inferno of fear and desperation. Her father's office was just next door, but the thick scent of cigarettes wafting from the room stopped her in her tracks. The same stench that always clung to him after his nights of secrecy and manipulation.

A man's voice drifted through her door, dripping with malice. "Did you take care of the accountant?"

"Yeah," came the gravelly response, filled with twisted satisfaction. "He begged for mercy, swore he didn't reveal anything." Victoria felt bile rising in her throat at the callousness in his words. Tears stung her eyes, streaming silently down her face.

"Keep searching for her. Mr. Locke wants her alive."

A surge of terror gripped Victoria's chest like a vice, every muscle in her body tensing in response.

Her father's voice echoed in her mind: Remember, my dear, if anyone ever tries to break in, go through your closet to my office and to the panic room.

If you ever get caught, remember everything I've taught you.

Her gaze flickered towards the closet, its dark depths calling out to her like a last refuge. With each cautious step, she prayed the creaking floorboards beneath her bare feet wouldn’t betray her, straining to hear any sound from the hallway.

Footsteps pounded through the hallway, each step sending a chill down Victoria's spine.

With her heart in her throat and tears stinging her eyes, she hesitated only for a moment before steeling herself for what was to come.

Her father, her lifelong protector and teacher, had prepared her for this exact situation.

He was gone now, leaving her to face this threat alone.

The weight of his death hit her like a ton of bricks, but she shoved it aside, focusing on survival.

Her father's voice rang loud and clear in her mind, guiding her every move.

Victoria tiptoed towards the safety of her closet with calculated precision.

She was only steps away when the bedroom door swung open with an ominous creak.

A towering figure stood in the doorway, radiating pure malice. There was nothing warm or comforting about him; he was a force to be reckoned with.

"Get over here, girl," he growled, his tone menacing.

With nerves of steel and adrenaline coursing through her veins, Victoria stood her ground. "Nah, I'm good," she retorted coolly. She knew she was faster and more agile than this brute. Without hesitation, she bolted toward the open door.

In three swift strides, he closed the gap between them and yanked Victoria back by her ponytail. A guttural scream tore from her throat as he spun her around to face him.

"I said come here," he snarled, his grip on the back of her neck like an unbreakable vise. The sheer strength crushed down on her, making it difficult to breathe. Knowing she probably only had seconds, Victoria summoned all of her training and unleashed a powerful kick to his groin.

He gasped in agony, his fist crashing to the ground as he doubled over in pain. With lightning speed, Victoria launched a brutal uppercut, her knuckles slamming into his jaw in a powerful blow. He crumpled like a sack of bricks, the thud of his body hitting the floor echoing through the hallway.

More footsteps barreled down the hallway towards her.

Victoria wasted no time as she frantically dove into the darkness of the closet, barely able to control her rapid breathing.

She could make out the ragged voice of her aggressor.

"She's in the fucking closet," he growled, struggling to catch his breath. “Drag that stupid little bitch out.”

Adrenaline surged through Victoria's veins as she searched for the hidden latch, her trembling fingers fumbling with fear. Every muscle in her body coiled tight. Just as she was about to unlock it, a rough hand clamped down on her arm with a vice-like grip, sending searing pain through her body.

She gasped, biting back a scream as her vision blurred with tears.

The grip was relentless, bone-crushing, and cutting off her chance of escape.

Panic and defiance clashed within her, fueling her resolve.

She twisted and fought, but the hand only tightened, dragging her away from the latch she so desperately needed to reach.

“You're pathetic. Can't even handle a little pain,” Victoria's voice quivered with agony and defiance, and her wide eyes brimmed with terror. A large serrated knife gleamed in the man’s hand before he pressed it against her tear-stained cheek.

His eyes were bottomless voids, swallowing any trace of hope.

“Mr. Locke has plans for you.” His gruff voice cut through the room, sending a shiver down her spine. The man's gaze pierced through her, sending a chilling rush of fear through her veins..

Focus, Victoria. You can do this . Her father's voice echoed in her mind, a desperate plea for survival. She took a ragged breath, trying to push past the searing pain and concentrate on the combination once again. Failure was not an option.

“Razer, the boss said not to harm a single hair on her head,” the raspy, out-of-breath man barked, stepping into the dimly lit room. His shadowy figure loomed, and a strange tattoo snaked down his neck, its details lost in the dark.

“Come on, just one little slice. The market will go crazy for scars,” Razer sneered, his grip tightening painfully on her arm.

The raspy man's visage twisted into a snarl as he spat out the words, "No, damn it! I won't lose my head because of your fragile little ego. You couldn't handle being dumped on your ass, could you?" His mocking laughter reverberated through the confined space, thick with danger.

“You’re lucky, little bird,” Razer muttered as he slid the cold blade down her cheek.

The icy metal left a stinging trail, making her skin prickle with fear.

As he finally pulled the knife away and placed it into the sheath on his hip, he added, “Well… maybe not.” His eyes gleamed with malice, and a terrible feeling churned in Victoria’s stomach.

Without warning, Razer grabbed her by the arms and threw her onto the bed, positioning himself between her and the door.

Instinctively, she sized him up, her eyes darting to where he had placed the knife. Her heart pounded, fear threatening to overwhelm her, but she forced herself to focus. Survival was all that mattered now.

“Razer, can I trust you to get her to the car?” The raspy man’s voice sliced through the thick tension, sharp and commanding.

He moved toward the door with a deliberate stride, his eyes never leaving Victoria.

“Remember, her hands are lethal. Her father trained her well,” he added, his tone laced with grudging respect.

As he spoke, he casually threw a coil of rope toward Razer.

The rope landed with a heavy thud in Razer’s hands, the sound echoing ominously in the small room.

Then he was gone, leaving her alone with her captor.

Victoria's mind raced, assessing her options. She knew she had only seconds to leverage her training and the element of surprise. The fight-or-flight instinct surged within her, every muscle coiled and ready to spring.

Her fear was real, but so was her resolve.

Forcing herself up from the bed, her eyes locked onto the knife. Without hesitation, she launched herself at him, her desperation driving her forward.

Razer's face twisted with surprise as she reached for the hilt, but she was quicker. His hand snaked out and gripped her wrist, his fingers digging into her skin with bruising force.

But Victoria refused to be held back. She twisted and turned, using all her strength to break free from his iron grip. In a desperate move, she slammed her knee upwards towards his groin. Despite his attempt to evade it, she still managed to make contact, though not as powerfully as she had hoped.

Razer let out a guttural grunt, momentarily releasing his hold on her. It was all the chance she needed. With a quick twist of her body, she wrenched her arm free and grabbed the knife from its holster.

As soon as he saw the weapon in her hand, Razer's expression darkened with rage and he lunged at her once more. But Victoria was ready this time. She slashed at him with the blade, forcing him to step back.

Her training kicked in, precise and lethal, as she expertly wielded the knife, holding it steady and poised for attack. When Razer taunted her about the size of her weapon, she didn't respond with words. Instead, she moved like lightning, slashing and striking at him with precision and ferocity.

He tried to counter with a fist aimed at her face, but she dodged effortlessly, using every advantage her smaller size gave her.

She rolled away and quickly circled behind him.

Before he could turn around, she plunged the knife into his side with all her might, twisting it viciously for maximum damage.

Razer let out a blood-curdling scream as he stumbled forward, his body collapsing to one knee. But Victoria didn't stop there. She pulled the knife out and slashed at his leg to cripple him.

The sound of flesh hitting the ground echoed through the alleyway as Razer fell, his body limp and lifeless.

Victoria stood over him, panting heavily and clutching the knife that had just brought an end to his reign of terror.

Her hands shook with adrenaline as she stepped back, her gaze locked onto his face, still contorted with hatred.

The open door was just ahead, carelessly left open by the man with the distinctive tattoo on his neck. Every step seemed to echo in her chest louder than the last as she made her way towards the door, each one carrying her further away from this nightmare.

As she reached the threshold, Victoria couldn't resist looking back at Razer one more time. His eyes burned with fury, but his body remained motionless, sprawled on the floor. She turned her attention back to the door, the promise of freedom just a few steps away.

But before she could take another step, a massive fist came out of nowhere and collided with her face. Pain exploded in her skull as stars danced in her vision. She stumbled, her legs giving way beneath her.

“You’re not going anywhere,” a menacing voice growled as darkness closed in around her.

As the intense agony pulsated through her head, she desperately tried to regain her balance.

The sickening taste of copper filled her mouth, and she fought to stay conscious, knowing that any moment of weakness could be fatal.

Her vision blurred and her strength waned, but she refused to give in to the encroaching darkness.