Page 2 of Shattered By Grace

Instinctively, she sized him up, her eyes darting to where he had placed the knife. Her heart pounded, fear threatening tooverwhelm 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.

Chapter One

Victoria's eyes shot open and she jolted up in bed, gasping for breath. She frantically threw off the blankets, her hands shaking as she pushed damp strands of hair away from her sweaty face. "FUCK!" she muttered, gripping the sheets tightly. Forcing herself to take slower, deeper breaths, she got up from bed and walked over to the window.

The sight of the city intensified her nightmare. The skyline, usually a source of comfort, now loomed ominously, reminding her of that traumatic night ten years ago. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass, trying to calm the storm inside her mind. The distant hum of traffic and the occasional honk of a car horn seemed to echo the chaos she felt within.

Victoria stood frozen for what felt like hours before finally grabbing her phone from the desk.

“Damn, it's already three a.m. tomorrow is about to be the longest day of my life,” she grumbles knowing she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. This nightmare has been happening every night for the past week since moving back to the city.

Victoria placed the phone back down and walked over to the dresser, pulling out a pair of leggings and a hoodie. Her unrulyblonde hair, damp with sweat, was gathered and twisted into a messy top knot with practiced ease.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, she pulled on her shoes, each lace tightened with a touch of frustration. Her thoughts swirled like a storm inside her mind.If only I could just fall back asleep,she thought, a sigh escaping her lips.Why does this keep happening to me?

The tranquil streets stood in stark contrast to the chaos of Victoria's thoughts. She set off into the night, her sneakers slapping against the pavement with a steady rhythm that resonated through the stillness. Each step was a desperate attempt to outrun the nightmare that plagued her, a race against time to leave her troubled past behind. The chilly night air seeped into her lungs with each inhale, sharpening her focus and quieting the turmoil within. As she ran, her gaze drifted up to the sky, which faintly glowed with the distant twinkle of stars. It was a sight she rarely saw in the city, unlike back home, where the starry expanse above was a constant reminder of peace and tranquility.

She refocused, running through the combinations her father drilled into her…double jab, cross, hook, cross.

As she took a detour down Empire Lane, the familiar sight of the hospital she would start at tomorrow loomed ahead. She found her apartment days after she accepted her position at Empire Health Center as one of the head midwives at the center. She loved that she could run or walk after long shifts to clear her mind. Continuing to run past the hospital she observed theenvironment, noting the emergency entrance and the rows of windows glowing faintly with interior lights.

She continued along the side of the hospital, the rhythmic pounding of her feet a steady counterpoint to the chaos in her mind. As she took a right turn onto Flexner, heading towards Main Street, she noticed a neon sign glowing in the distance. The Lockhold Training Center, open twenty-four hours, it has large windows revealing rows of exercise machines and training equipment.

Intrigued, Victoria stopped outside the center, debating whether to go in. The cool night air brushed against her skin, sending a slight shiver down her spine.Victoria, NO,she chastised herself.It's three a.m., you need to sleep before work.

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