Page 30 of Shattered by Grace (The Locke Empire Duet #1)

Chapter Twenty-Four

V ictoria let the door slam behind her. She sat down heavily on the bench, burying her face in her hands. She tried to shut out the chaos of her thoughts, but the feeling of being watched crept over her, prickling the back of her neck.

“You can’t give me a moment’s peace, can you?” she spat, ripping out her earphones and spinning toward him. “I don’t have anything to say to you...”

Her eyes met his. Tyson. Tall, cold, and as unreadable as always, but there was something flickering in his gaze, something raw that caught her off guard.

Tyson’s gaze didn’t break, his jaw tight as he took a step closer. “You think I want to be here?” he bit out, his voice low and strained. “You think I don’t know how messed up this is?”

His words hit her like a punch to the gut. The anger, the frustration, it was all wrapped up in that sentence, but there was something else, something that made her chest tighten in ways she didn’t want to admit.

She started to open her mouth to say something, but he shook his head stopping her.

What the hell?

“You make me feel things I’ve buried for years, and I hate it. I need it to stop. It’s distracting, and I can’t afford to be distracted.”

She could see the internal war behind his eyes, the tension in his every move. Torn between what he wanted and the loyalty to his brother, it was all spilling out, raw and unfiltered. She felt something inside her shift. Sympathy, anger, and something she couldn’t name.

“I know you and Tristan have this thing, everyone can see it. But I…” His words faltered, frustration seeping through his voice.

“What are you doing here, then?” she challenged, her voice sharp, though the slightest tremor betrayed her. “No one’s forcing you to be here.”

A bitter chuckle escaped him as he shook his head, almost self-mocking. “You don’t get it, do you? It’s not that simple.”

He closed the distance between them, his hands gripping her waist, pulling her flush against him. The heat of his touch sent a jolt through her spine. He stared at her, eyes dark, as if she was both the answer and the problem.

“I can’t…no, I won’t…let myself get lost in this. You deserve someone who can choose you, and that’s not me. It’ll never be me.” His breath was hot against her cheek, and the pain in his eyes was unbearable.

The words hung heavy between them, and she could feel the truth in them. Tyson would always choose duty, loyalty, family. Those things were stitched into his very soul. And it stung. For a moment, she’d wanted to believe he could choose her, even if it was a dangerous lie.

“I haven’t picked anyone,” she shot back, her voice steady but firm. “Your brother doesn’t own me. No one does.” She needed him to hear that.

Does he know something I don’t? The thought barely formed before his lips crashed against hers.

It wasn’t soft or gentle. It was fierce, full of unspoken need and frustration.

There was nothing gentle about it, just frustration, hunger, and everything they couldn’t say.

It was a kiss meant to burn. And it did.

Victoria’s breath hitched, her hands gripping his shirt, desperate for something solid as the room spun.

But even as she kissed him back, she felt the distance that would always be there.

When he finally broke the kiss, he stepped back, as if the moment had shattered something inside him. His breath came in ragged gasps, eyes flickering between regret and raw desire. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered, his voice thick with torment. “But I needed to know... just once.”

Victoria stood frozen, her lips still tingling from the kiss that was already slipping away like a dream she couldn’t hold onto.

The memory of the night at the club still hung in her mind, the pull she’d felt toward Tyson undeniable in the heat of the moment.

But now, in the quiet of the gym, she saw things more clearly.

Tyson wasn’t the Locke brother she wanted.

She knew that now,though she wouldn’t admit it to herself.

With one last, lingering look—haunted, conflicted, maybe even broken—Tyson turned and left. The door clicked shut behind him, the sound hanging in the air, sharp and final, a reminder of what could never be.

Victoria let out a shaky breath, her heart racing in the aftermath.

Her face was wet with tears, the first of many she didn’t have the energy to stop.

The tangled mess of her life, the way it all came crashing together here.

She wiped at her face with the back of her hand, but a question echoed in her mind like a drumbeat.

Why did you come back to this city?

Pulling out her phone, Victoria quickly texted.

Pizza, wine, & chill. Interested?

She unlocked her apartment’s new deadbolt and stepped inside just as the reply came in.

Absolutely. Be there in 30. Where am I going?

After sending her the address, Victoria went straight to the bathroom, hoping the hot water would wash away more than just the sweat from her earlier workout.

Her apartment was still a little chaotic from the break-in, but she’d tidied up enough to make it feel cozy.

The scent of pizza lingered in the air, and the soft flicker of candlelight illuminated the walls, providing a welcome distraction from everything else weighing on her.

When the doorbell rang, Victoria felt a flicker of anticipation. She opened the door to find Taylor standing there, her usual bright smile on her face, but she wasn’t empty-handed. In her hand was another single rose, just like the ones Victoria had received recently.

“Found this on your steps. Who’s it from?” Taylor asked, holding the flower out with a curious tilt of her head.

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

Victoria stared at the rose for a moment, her stomach tightening. “I have no idea,” she said, taking the flower from Taylor. She forced a casual smile, but the unease gnawed at her. “That’s the third one I’ve gotten.”

Taylor stepped inside, holding up the rose with a smirk. “Okay, that’s either super romantic or borderline stalker behavior. Should we be concerned?”

Victoria eyed the flower before setting it in a small vase where another identical rose already sat. She shrugged, forcing a light tone. “Probably one of the twins.” Then, gesturing toward the pizza and two glasses of wine, she added, “But we will get to them.”

With a clink of their glasses, they sank into the couch, the rich aroma of melted cheese filling the space. Victoria exhaled, letting the warmth of the moment settle over her. She needed this, an uncomplicated night with a friend, no dangerous men, just wine, pizza, and a much-needed vent session.

“So, confession time,” Victoria began, swirling the wine in her glass. “I invited you over because I need to vent.” She took a deep breath. “Things have been a little... insane lately. You remember the twins from the club, right?”

Taylor’s eyes lit up instantly. “Oh, hell yes. The hotties. Which one was which?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and swirling her own wine, clearly savoring the chance to dig into some gossip.

Victoria smirked, her mood lightening slightly.

Taylor had that playful, mischievous energy that made it easy to talk to her.

She was edgy, confident, and always up for some fun.

Her dark, shoulder-length waves framed her striking face.

With big hazel-green eyes that didn’t miss a thing and a natural glow that made her hard to look away from, she drew attention without trying.

There was a boldness in the way she carried herself, like she knew exactly who she was and didn’t ask permission to shine.

Victoria leaned in, feigning a whisper as if sharing a deep, dark secret.

“Okay, you know that guy who walks in like he owns the whole place? Tall, dark, and smoldering? That’s Tristan.

He’s got these piercing eyes that feel like they’re undressing you with one look.

And don’t even get me started on the way he feels pressed up against you.

Broad shoulders, scruff that makes you want to run your fingers through it, and that voice—God, that voice could melt steel.

” She gave a dramatic pause, a smirk tugging at her lips.

She gives Taylor a knowing look, smirking over the rim of her glass.

“Yeah… he’s trouble wrapped in a perfect package. ”

Taylor let out a dramatic sigh, flopping back against the couch. “Ugh. Why is it always the dangerous ones that have to be the most delicious?”

Victoria laughed, finally starting to relax. “Right? It’s like some universal law of attraction. The more likely they are to ruin your life, the hotter they are.”

Taylor shot her a look. “Speaking of ruining lives, what about the other twin?”

Victoria’s smirk faltered just a little. “Tyson...” She hesitated, swirling the wine in her glass. “He’s different. Still dangerous, but... not in the same way.”

Taylor’s eyes narrowed with interest. “Different how?”

Victoria chewed on her lip, debating how much to reveal.

“He’s quiet, controlled. The kind of guy who doesn’t say much, but when he does, you hang on to every word.

He looks at you like he sees things you don’t even understand about yourself.

” She shook her head. “But he’s also the guy who walked away when I needed him most. So, yeah. He’s complicated.”

Taylor exhaled dramatically. “Girl, your life is a full-on romantic thriller. I’m just here for the wine and the front-row seat.”

Victoria laughed, clinking her glass against Taylor’s. “Then buckle up, because I have a feeling this ride isn’t slowing down anytime soon.”

Taylor smirked, taking a sip of her wine. “With the way you’re looking at that glass like it holds all the answers, I’m guessing there’s more?”

If only I could tell you everything, but untangling the twisted mind-fuck games Tristan and Tyson have me in works, s he thought as she looks at Taylor.