Page 37 of Shattered by Grace (The Locke Empire Duet #1)
Victoria took a deep breath, wiping her eyes, her voice shaky but filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Taylor. That really means a lot more than you know.” She hesitated for a moment, then her shoulders sagged slightly, the weight of her next words pressing in. “But… there’s more.”
Taylor raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at her lips. “Oh, great. There’s more? I thought I was already sitting through the emotional rollercoaster of the year. Alright, hit me with it. I’m ready for whatever.”
Victoria leaned in. “There’s this thing called the Grand Reaping.
It’s the biggest underground fighting circuit of the year.
The wealthiest families fight for power, and while it looks like settling debts, it’s actually a cover for drug deals and trafficking.
It’s brutal, and people die.” Her pulse pounded as she reached the point of no return.
“It’s hosted at Crimson Veil, in the basement.
That night at the club, Tristan and Tyson had fights. ”
Taylor squeezed her hand, trying to lighten the mood, but her voice grew more serious. “Vic… is it okay if I call you that? You need to go to the police with this. They have to do something…they’re the cops. They’re supposed to protect you.”
Victoria smiled briefly. “Vic is fine, but at the hospital, you’ll have to call me Grace.
” Her smile faltered as the weight of her next words hit her.
“I can’t, Taylor.” She exhaled shakily, her voice trembling.
“I used to think the same thing, but Justin told me the police are on the Lockes’ payroll.
They control everything,the cops, the judges, anyone who could make a difference.
” A shiver ran through her. “It’s not safe. ”
Victoria looked down, her voice barely a whisper. “There’s more… A few weeks ago, someone broke into my apartment. The only things they took were pictures of my father and me, and a ruby necklace he gave me.”
Taylor gasped, her eyes wide with shock. “Oh my God. So what now? Are you just going to sit back and wait for them to come for you?”
Victoria’s lips trembled, the gravity of her situation crashing in on her. “I don’t know. But I can’t just walk away, Taylor. Not after everything that’s happened. The next move I make could be my last. I just need to be ready for whatever comes next.”
Taylor’s gaze hardened, her protective instinct flaring. “Then we make sure it’s not your last. You’re not doing this alone, Vic. We’ll figure it out together.”
Victoria’s voice trembled as she met Taylor’s eyes.
“You have no idea how much this means to me, just having someone to talk to, the relief…” She trailed off, the severity of it all pressing down again.
“But I’m scared, Taylor. I can’t ask you to put yourself in danger.
If something happened to you because of me…
” She swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion.
Taylor squeezed Victoria’s hand, her expression unwavering.
“Vic, you’re not asking, I’m choosing. And I’m not going anywhere.
” She shot her a small, reassuring smile before her eyes suddenly lit up with mischief.
“But, you know… now that we’re sharing deep, life-altering secrets, I think this is the perfect time to cash in on some emotional blackmail. ”
Victoria groaned. “Oh, no. What now?”
Taylor leaned back, grinning. “You’re coming dress shopping with me.”
Victoria blinked. “What?”
“The Masquerade Ball, remember? The one I refuse to go to alone?” Taylor wiggled her eyebrows. “You just dropped a bombshell of a confession on me, so I think it’s only fair I get something out of it. And what I want is my best friend in a killer dress, dancing the night away with me.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes. “You’re using my trauma against me?”
“With love,” Taylor said sweetly. “And also, I’m not above bribery, so let’s go.”
Victoria hesitated, her mind racing. She didn’t want to risk anything, didn’t want to drag Taylor any closer to the danger that seemed to shadow her every move. But at the same time, she couldn’t push her away. Not now. Not when it meant so much just to have someone by her side.
Forcing a small smile, she exhaled. “Fine. I’ll go with you,” she said, rolling her eyes for good measure. “But only because someone has to make sure you don’t pick out something truly horrific.”
Taylor gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in mock offense. “Excuse me, my fashion sense is impeccable.”
Victoria smirked. “We’ll see about that.”
Taylor’s face lit up. “Great! It’s going to be fun, I promise. But I really need to get back to the hospital. I’m supposed to be on shift, remember?”
Victoria blinked, reality settling back in. “Right. You should go before April gets all in a twist.”
Taylor stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “I think we’re both off Thursday. Perfect day for dress shopping.”
Victoria hesitated for half a second before nodding. “Thursday… that’s two days away.” She stood, pulling Taylor into a tight hug. “Thank you,” she whispered, the heaviness of everything she had been holding onto easing just a little.
Taylor squeezed her back and pulled away with a grin. “You don’t have to thank me. This is what friends are for. Now, get ready becauseThursday is happening whether you like it or not.”
Rolling her eyes with a big smile, Victoria released her friend. “Okay, bye.”