Page 19 of Shattered by Grace (The Locke Empire Duet #1)

Chapter Fifteen

V ictoria stood frozen, her mind short-circuiting as she watched Justin disappear down the hall. Justin, her Justin, working for the Lockes? Her stomach twisted violently. Why?

A wave of nausea surged, and she barely made it to the bathroom before slamming the door behind her. Gripping the sink, she forced slow, steady breaths. The betrayal burned through her, relentless and raw.

Images of childhood flickered in her mind. Justin pinning her in the grass, laughing as he let her win at their endless wrestling matches. He was supposed to be safe, familiar. Not this. Not tangled up in the very world she’d been running from.

How did he get involved? Why didn’t he walk away?

She splashed cold water on her face, but the shock didn’t dull. Instead, the panic clawed deeper. How much does he know? And worse—will he tell Tristan or Tyson who I really am?

Victoria leaned closer to the mirror, searching her own reflection for answers. “What do I do?” she whispered. Run? Disappear again? How do I even fight this? The illusion of safety she’d clung to now felt as fragile as glass, ready to shatter at any moment.

But it wasn’t just Justin that had her unraveling, it was him.

Tristan. The enemy. The same man she’d kissed, touched, let in.

You’re attracted to him , she thought bitterly.

You let yourself get lost in him, n the heat, the danger.

In the shower, no less. The memory flared, a maddening mix of desire and shame. How could you be so reckless?

She inhaled sharply, straightening. Enough . She couldn’t afford to spiral. One wrong step, and everything she’d fought to rebuild would come crashing down. Her jaw tightened as she forced her emotions into submission.Panic wouldn’t help her now.

“I need to call Adams again,” she muttered, pressing her fingers against her temples. “This is getting to be too much.”

Her reflection offered no answers, only the weight of a past colliding with a present she wasn’t prepared for. She had to figure out her next move, before someone else made it for her.

Victoria took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and stepped out of the bathroom—and slammed straight into someone’s chest.

Her pulse lurched as she looked up. Justin. Up close, he was both painfully familiar and completely foreign. The same boy-next-door eyes, the same face she’d trusted. How is this even real?

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice sharp with confusion and anger.

Justin didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed her arm and started pulling her down the hallway.

“Where are you taking me?” she hissed, twisting against his grip. He didn’t slow. His expression remained locked, unreadable.

Before she could protest, he pulled her inside a supply closet and shut the door behind them.

Once inside, Justin released her arm and shut the door behind them. The space felt impossibly small, the air thick with unspoken words. Victoria pressed her back against the cold wall, every nerve on edge as she tried to gather her thoughts.

Justin leaned against the door, arms crossed in a way that made him look like a barricade she couldn’t get past. The dim light above flickered, casting jagged shadows across his face, one she barely recognized anymore.

“I can explain everything,” Justin said, his voice low, almost pleading. “But you need to listen first.”

Victoria let out a sharp laugh, disbelief cutting through her anger. “Explain what, Justin? That you work for the people who murdered my father?” She shook her head, feeling the weight of betrayal settle like lead in her chest. “How long? How long have you been one of them?”

His expression hardened, but he didn’t flinch. “Vic… You disappeared. You weren’t here, so you didn’t know.”

Vic. That feels so foreign.

Her stomach twisted, but she forced herself to stay strong. “And what? You just fell into their world by accident?”

Justin’s jaw tightened. “You think this is what I wanted?” He took a step closer, his eyes burning with frustration. “You think I had a choice? It’s more complicated than that.”

Victoria clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her emotions in check.

“Complicated?” Her laugh was bitter. “You don’t get to say it’s complicated.

My father’s dead. And now you’re tangled up with them.

How the hell do you expect me to trust anything you say?

” She took a steadying breath, trying to focus.

“There’s always a choice, Justin. You just made the wrong one. ”

Justin’s gaze hardened, but desperation flickered in his eyes. “I could say the same to you, Vic. You’ve got ties to Tristan and Tyson, how the hell do I know you’re not playing me, too?”

The words stung, sharp and accusatory. For a brief moment, she saw the boy she used to know, the one who’d wrestled with her in her living room, the one she’d stayed up with under the stars talking about their future. But that memory felt so distant now, like it belonged to another lifetime.

Victoria let out a bitter laugh. “Projecting, aren’t we? I just found out you’ve been working with the Lockes, the same people who destroyed my life. And now you want to look me in the eye and act like I’m the one playing games? Like I’m the one you can’t trust?”

Her words were sharp, cold, and defensive. She could feel the anger rising, but beneath it, the sting of his accusation cut deeper than she was willing to admit. Still, she wasn’t going to show him any weakness, not now. Not when everything was already spiraling out of control.

Breathe.

“You always talked about becoming a cop,” she said quietly, unable to hide the sting of betrayal in her voice. “You wanted to do the right thing. And now you’re one of them?”

Justin’s gaze dropped to the floor, guilt etched across his face.

“I know what this looks like, but it’s not that simple.

I’ve been trying to keep tabs on them from the inside.

I’ve been trying to gather information to take them down.

” His voice softened, almost regretful. “I never wanted you involved in any of this, but you showing up… it’s put everything at risk. ”

Victoria’s stomach twisted at his words.

Could she trust him? Was he really trying to protect her, or was this some elaborate setup?

Her instincts screamed to be cautious, but there was a glimmer of the friend she once knew.

Still, if he was involved with the Lockes, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

“Why?” she asked, her voice.

Victoria frowned, the words slipping out before she could stop them. “Do they know about me, Tristan & Tyson?”

The moment the question left her lips, regret flooded her. She immediately hated herself for bringing them up. Her feelings for the twins, the confusion, the pull she felt toward them…all of it muddied everything.

Justin’s expression darkened, his eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and something she couldn’t quite place. He took a step toward her, his body rigid with frustration. “No,” he snapped, his voice cold and final. “And I’d suggest you keep it that way. ”

His stance was threatening, his jaw clenched tight, as though every word was a struggle to hold back. But there was something else in his posture. Fear, or maybe urgency.

Victoria opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes, nor the tension in his body. Her pulse quickened, but she didn’t understand what exactly was making her heart race.

“So what’s your plan?” Victoria challenged, crossing her arms in defiance.

“I want to help you,” Justin said, earnest and almost desperate. “But I need you to trust me. At least enough to stay safe. Don’t draw attention to yourself, don’t dig too deep, and stay the hell away from Tristan and Tyson. If they figure out who you really are… it’s over.”

Victoria’s mind raced, torn between conflicting emotions—anger, betrayal, fear, and a tiny flicker of hope. Could she trust Justin? Was he trying to protect her, or was he just feeding her a lie?

Before she could respond, a knock came at the door, followed by a muffled voice calling for Justin. His expression stiffened, and he glanced back at Victoria, his eyes locking with hers.

“Think about what I said,” he whispered urgently. Without another word, he slipped out of the closet, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Victoria exhaled hard. Run or pretend, either choice came with a price. One thing was clear: she couldn’t afford any more mistakes. And with Justin in the mix, the stakes had never been higher.