Page 45 of Shattered By Grace

“And you?” she asked, her voice dropping. “You don’t have one.”

Justin let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “I’m nothing. Lapdog, errand boy at best. Cassian keeps me at arms’ length.” His voice hardened. “I look after Tristan and Tyson mostly.”

“Vic, I don’t fit. I survived. If they ever found out what I really am, what I’m doing… I wouldn’t make it through the night.” His jaw clenched. “The Lockes don’t do second chances. And Cassian? He doesn’t just kill traitors, he makes an example out of them.”

The second the words left his mouth, his face twisted, regret flashing in his eyes as he looked at her. “Vic—” He swallowed hard, his voice quieter. “I’m sorry.”

Her stomach lurched. The air between them thickened, heavy with the unspoken truth.

Dad, what did you find?

Cassian had made an example out of him, too.

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. The memory of that night pressed down on her chest like a weight she couldn’t shake.

Justin ran a hand over his face, looking away like he couldn’t stand to see the hurt on hers. “I’ve watched men disappear for less. Guys who got a little too greedy, a little too ambitious. Gone. Their bodies don’t turn up in the river, Vic. Theydon’tturn up at all.” He paused, fingers flexing. “I’ve spent years building trust, playing my part, getting closer to Cassian. One wrong move, one misplaced word, and I end up with a bullet in my skull or worse, strung up in a warehouse for everyone to see what happens to snitches.”

Her pulse pounded in her ears. “Then why risk talking to me?” she asked, voice quieter than she meant.

Justin sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Because it’s you, Vic.” The way he said her name made something tighten in her chest. “I don’t know what happened to you after you disappeared, but I know what this city does to people like us. If you don’t get ahead of the game, itdevoursyou.” His throat bobbed. “I couldn’t live with myself if I let that happen to you.”

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. “Then tell me the truth.”

He hesitated. Just for a second. And that second was enough to tell her he wasn’t telling hereverything.

She leaned in just a little, the words slipping from her before she could stop them. “How are you getting intel to the right people, Justin?”

For the first time since they’d started talking, Justin seemed uncertain. His face twisted, like he wasn’t sure whether to give her the full answer. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

“I’ve got a contact,” he said finally, his voice quieter now, like he was letting her in on something fragile. “Someone high up. They’re the ones pulling the strings on the inside. They’re the reason I’m still breathing.”

He swallowed, running a hand through his hair, as if trying to shake off the weight of the conversation. “But… it’s risky. If I get caught slipping, if I give them one wrong piece of info, they’ll know. And I’m done. My cover’s blown, and I’ll be the one on the receiving end of the next ‘example.’”

Victoria’s heart hammered as she processed what he was saying. A contact. Someone high up. Was it someone in law enforcement, or was this person another part of the system she didn’t know about?

“But how do you know they’ll actually do something with the intel? What if they’re just as deep into the Lockes as you are?” Her voice was sharp now, the edge of suspicion she couldn’t push down creeping in.

Justin met her gaze, his eyes hard but tired. “I trust them. I have to trust them. If I don’t, all of this, everything I’ve done, goes up in smoke.” He took a step forward, lowering his voice as he leaned in slightly. “Vic, you’ve got to understand. I’m in too deep. But I’m not working for them. Not for Cassian Locke. I’m not one of the family. I’m just trying to stop this whole thing from tearing us all apart.”

She could see the desperation in his eyes. He wanted her to believe him. Needed her to. But Victoria wasn’t sure if she could.

She exhaled sharply, glancing over his shoulder before lowering her voice. “Then you better hope those people you trust are real. Because if they’re not… we’re both dead.”

Victoria barely had time to absorb the weight of his words before he asked, “Vic… your dad’s journal, have you seen it?”

Her breath caught. The question came out of nowhere, hitting her like a punch to the ribs.My father’s journal?

She hadn’t thought about it in years.

After his murder, the FBI had swept up everything. His files, his notes, anything that could be considered evidence. If he even had a journal, she had never seen it.

Her eyes narrowed. “Why would you ask me that?”

Justin hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “Because if it’s still out there… it’s dangerous.”

Her pulse quickened.Dangerous?

Justin wasn’t looking at her now. He was staring past her, jaw clenched like he’d already said too much.

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