Page 41 of Shattered By Grace

Maybe this is exactly what I need. A distraction. A way to take back control.

She sighed, slipping the flyer into her bag. “Alright, I’ll think about it.”

Tony and Casey exchanged a knowing look but didn’t push her.

As they continued chatting about the upcoming fights, Victoria’s attention drifted back to the gym’s heavy atmosphere, the unresolved tension clinging to her like a second skin.

When she finally glanced toward the weight section again, Tristan was gone.

Saved by the bell, she thought, though she wasn’t sure if she felt relieved or frustrated.

Shaking off the feeling, she slung her bag over her shoulder and turned toward the exit. Maybe stepping into the ring was exactly what she needed.

Outside, the distant hum of traffic echoed through the streets, but her attention was locked on the shadows stretching across the pavement. She scanned the area, her senses on high alert. The hoodie guy…was he still out there? The car that had been tailing her earlier, was it waiting just around the corner?

Her pulse quickened as she picked up her pace, shoes shuffling against the concrete. Her apartment was ten minutes away. If she ran, maybe five. Every instinct screamed at her to move, to get off the open street before?—

A motorcycle roared to life, cutting her off with a growl.

Victoria’s breath hitched, her body tensing. She stumbled back a step, heart pounding, prepared to bolt in the opposite direction. But then the helmet lifted, revealing a face she knew all too well.

Justin.

“Get on,” he said, his voice steady but urgent. He held out a spare helmet, his expression unreadable beneath the glow of a nearby streetlamp.

Victoria hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. The city around them felt too open, too exposed. But climbing onto the back of a motorcycle with Justin, riding off into the unknown? That didn’t feel much safer.

“I’ve had enough excitement for a lifetime today,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I’m going home.”

Justin’s jaw tightened. “You’re in danger, Victoria. I need you to get on the bike. We need to talk, and it’s not safe for you to be out here alone.”

Something in the way he said it sent a shiver down her spine. There was no teasing, no attempt to charm her into compliance. Just raw, unwavering seriousness.

She didn’t trust easily, not anymore. But this was Justin. He’d been there before the chaos, before the twins, before her world had started spinning off its axis. And yet… something about this didn’t sit right.

Still, she grabbed the helmet.

The bike’s engine rumbled beneath her as they took off, weaving through the streets at a speed that made her grip tighten around Justin’s waist. The city lights blurred past them, her thoughts racing even faster.

Where is he taking me?

Minutes stretched into nearly twenty. The further they rode, the more familiar streets gave way to isolated roads, dark and empty. The buildings thinned, replaced by looming warehouses and vacant lots.

Victoria leaned forward, raising her voice over the wind. “Justin! Where are we going?”

He didn’t answer right away. That hesitation made her stomach twist.

“Just hang on! We’re almost there!”

The reassurance in his tone didn’t quite match the unease curling in her gut.

Finally, the bike slowed, gravel crunching beneath the tires as they pulled up to a rundown warehouse. The place was lifeless, forgotten. Rusted metal. Shattered windows. A silence so vast it made the hair on her arms stand up.

Justin cut the engine. Victoria swung her leg off the bike, stepping back immediately. She folded her arms, leveling him with a glare.

“This is where we needed to talk?” Her voice was sharp, edged with suspicion. “Not, I don’t know… a coffee shop?”

Justin exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I needed to get you somewhere safe. Somewhere private.”

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