Divergent UNIVERSITY ✅

chapter 10

Hey guys

The man walks over to the music and shuts it off, immediately getting Four's attention. The man looks to Tris then back at Four."What did I tell you about bringing some tramp here to show off for her?" he says.Tris remembers this man from Monday morning. He's Four's father. He has an evil glint in his eyes like he is a predator and he has just found his prey.Four sits up, "I told you we are friends, and we are just training together. I'm not showing off for anyone."The doors open again and this time Brian walks in. He sees the man standing in front of Four looking like he is ready to strike, then he looks to Tris who looks terrified.Four's father turns, "And who the hell are you?"Brian knows not to tell this man the truth, he recognizes this man. He is into some really bad things in the sporting world. This man could kill her chances at the Olympics, even just being in the same room as her could cause people to second guess her abilities. The man looks to Tris and it is the look of an evil vindictive man who will take advantage of whoever he can to make money."I'm Tris' brother," he says. "She asked me to come here and train with her this morning. I'm running a little late."He walks over to Tris and she stands. He pulls her into a hug and whispers in her ear, "He's a very bad man Tris, just play along."She comes out of the hug with a smile on her face, "Four, were going to go over to the batting cages now, thanks for keeping me company until my brother got here."She walks away with Brian, but she doesn't want to leave Four alone with this man. If he is as bad as Brian says he is, then Four is in just as much trouble around him.Four looks up at his father. "You know, this is a school facility. Any student can use it any time they choose. You have no right...""You listen here Tobias, I have a lot riding on you and you aren't going to screw that up. Keep focused and when you go pro we will both be so well off that you will be able to buy whatever girl you want.""What the hell is that supposed to mean? How are you going to benefit from my going pro?""Don't you worry about the details. But you better keep your head in the game or there will be trouble."His father turns and leaves the weight room and Four gets a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. What the hell does he mean? He knows his father is into something, but he just doesn't know what. He decides to go find Tris and Brian. He has a feeling that Brian knows something about this."Tris look, I'm sure the boy is nice enough, but the father is pure evil. He will ruin your life, your softball career, everything you have worked for.""But who is he?""His name is Marcus Eaton. He is basically a member of the mob. He preys on innocent athletes, he promises them advancement and opportunities if they he helps them. But what he doesn't tell them is that there is a hefty price for his help and that price can be money, prosperity, and sometimes even their life. Do you know how he knows your friend?""He's his father, but Four seems to hate him.""I do hate him," Four says from across the room. "Is everything you just said about him true?"Brian's demeanor changes. He becomes hard and cold toward Four, "You mean to tell me that you didn't know about what your father does?""Does that mean that my shot at the pros could be a setup?"Brian softens a little, he realizes that Four has no idea about what his father really is. "It's possible. Your father has his hands in a lot of really bad things. He likes to 'help' young athletes, but it never turns out good for them."Four looks visibly drained, "Tris, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I just wanted to help you. To give you a place to work out, to help you get better so you have a chance at the Olympics. I would never do anything to hurt your chances."She walks up to him and for the first time doesn't think about the repercussions of her actions, she just acts. She pulls him into a hug.He wraps his arms around her and buries his face in her neck."Four, its fine. But you have to get yourself away from him. You have to find a way to distance yourself from him before he ruins your life.""But, how? He's my father. How do I convince people that I don't know what he does or what he's into? They'll never believe me. Even by being his son he may have destroyed my life if he's as bad as your trainer says he is.""Look, I have an idea," Brian says. He can see how much Tris cares for this boy and how much this boy cares for her. "Four, do you have a trainer?""Yeah, his name is George Haus. I told him I was going to train on my own for a while. Come to think of it, that is probably the reason that my father has been coming around here this week. George probably told him.""Four, George is a very bad guy. You need to cut ties with him. If you want a trainer, I'll be your trainer. The two of you can work together. You said this is a school facility, does that mean that all athletes have access to it?""Yes, any college athlete can use it. But most don't train like I do," Four says."Okay, you two go ahead and finish your workout. I have something that I have to do. Don't worry, I'll be back later today to talk to you guys. Meet me at the batting cages tonight at six o'clock."Tris nods and Four just stands there. Brian quickly leaves.~oOo~He runs out of the building. This is the break he has been looking for. He calls into his chief with the news of his break on the case. He has been trying to get close to Marcus Eaton for three years. He always thought that he would go after Tris because she is such a talent. He never dreamed that the reason that he wasn't going after her was because he has a bigger talent to exploit in his own son."I have to meet you. I think I may be able to get Marcus Eaton."Brian arrives in an out of the way restaurant outside of the city. When he arrives he joins a man in a booth away from everyone else."So what do you have?""Marcus Eaton's son. He is the reason that Eaton hasn't gone after Beatrice Prior. His son is set to go into the NFL draft this spring. I heard Eaton threaten his son and Beatrice if his son doesn't do as he's told.""Is his son aware of who he is?""I don't think so, from what I saw, his son hates him.""Do you think you could get him to work with us?""I do. If not for himself, for Tris. He is in love with her."~oOo~"Maybe we should get out of here. I just don't want to be here anymore," Four says. "Do you have class today?""No, since I dropped those classes I don't have anything on Tuesdays or Thursdays.""Would you take a ride with me?"They leave the training center and head back to their houses. "Meet me outside in twenty minutes."Tris nods and runs into the house to change. She puts on a T-shirt, jeans, and her sneakers. She brushes her hair and puts it back into the ponytail and runs back outside.Four is sitting there on his motorcycle with jeans and a T-shirt that shows all of his muscles. Tris walks up to him and he hands her a helmet."Climb on," he tells her."I've never been on a motorcycle before," she says nervously."Just climb on back and wrap your arms around my waist and don't let go. You'll be fine, I promise."She climbs on and does what he says. He gets a sudden feeling of euphoria having her arms wrapped around him. He starts the bike and they speed off down the street. He can feel her tighten her grip around him when he speeds up.They leave campus and speed along the highway. Tris has no idea where they are going, but she loves the feeling of being on this bike and having her arms wrapped around him. Everything from earlier kind of fades away with the speed and distance they are traveling.He slows the bike down near a park. They have been gone for at least an hour now and he thinks they could both use a break. He pulls into a secluded area where they can be alone and talk.Tris has no idea where they are, but she isn't worried. Something about him makes her feel safe. When he stops the bike and turns it off, she realizes that she is going to have to let him go. She lingers for just a moment longer; just long enough for him to rub his hands along her arms. She unclasps her hands and begins to climb off of the bike. She removes the helmet and runs her fingers through her hair, fixing her ponytail.Four climbs off behind her and already misses the feel of her wrapped around him. He walks up to her without a word and takes her hand and leads her to a pavilion in a clearing.They walk silently and sit down on the bench."I'm really sorry about earlier," he says breaking the silence."It's not your fault," she says."I had no idea who my father was, I swear. It never occurred to me that he was horrible to anyone but me.""What do you mean?" she asks. She realizes that it seems that he is trying to tell her more than what little they just found out about his father."My father is horrible, I know that. But I thought that was something that he only did to me. I had no idea he made it a point to ruin other people's lives.""What has he done to you Four?" she asks concerned.He doesn't say a word, he just turns and takes his shirt off revealing his scarred and mutilated back."Oh my, what has he done to you?" she asks quietly. She gently runs her fingers down his back. Her touch sends chills down his spine. He pulls the shirt back over his head and covers the evidence of his father's abuse."He beat me almost daily through high school. It wasn't until I got to college and started making a name for myself on the football and baseball fields that he stopped physically abusing me and started doing things to get into my head. He always comes around. He makes himself out to be the doting, concerned father of a college athlete, but all he actually does is remind me that he is always here, always watching. He even hired George to train me so he could keep tabs on me."She moves closer to him and wraps her arms around his neck. She touches her forehead to his and looks into his eyes. "Four, I'm so sorry. Maybe we can find a way to get you away from him. Maybe Brian will actually be able to help."He closes his eyes and doesn't say anything. He wants to enjoy their closeness and not ruin it with more talk about his father.He takes his hands and places them on her cheeks. He pulls away slightly and looks into her eyes. For the first time he realizes how beautiful and bright they are. Her eyes are a peculiar shade of blue/grey; they are like nothing he's ever seen before.She holds his gaze for a moment, and then quickly looks away. She doesn't know what is happening here, but every fiber of her body is vibrating with the desire to feel his body wrapped around hers. She wants to feel his lips pressed against hers.She doesn't act on any of her desires though. She doesn't know how to without initiating the contact. She just keeps her eyes on the ground while he looks at her face. Then he does something completely unexpected. He presses his lips to her forehead, and then her cheek.She looks up at him and he smiles. "We should probably head back to campus so we aren't late meeting Brian," he says.She smiles and nods her head. She is too shocked by his show of affection to talk.He stands and takes her hand. He laces his fingers with hers and leads her back to the motorcycle. She climbs on behind him and wraps her arms around him again, tightly. She buries her face in his back and pulls herself tight to his body.