With Dauntless Abandon

Chapter 18

 "Get to distracting, woman," he teases, as his smile turns into a playful smirk.

She grins as he pulls the sheets over them.

~~~

Motion after motion and hearing after hearing. There have been a hundred million of those, or so it seems, between then and now... Four supposes that was just Marcus stalling, delaying facing his crime. Today is the last hearing before the trial—a motion to suppress somebody's testimony. The motion was bogus, and was quickly thrown out. Everyone scheduled to testify will testify. Any evidence stemming from the testimony in question won't be suppressed. The trial will begin one week from today.

He stands and helps Tris stand... he is hasty and tense. His father's arrest was very public, but he was released under his own reconnaissance or whatever, so he will walk out of here just as freely as they will. He wants to avoid that man at all costs.

Tris squeezes his hand, offering him that tiny, unsatisfying smile. She is only fourteen weeks along, but her body is already starting to change. Her hips are just a little bit wider, accentuating the curve of her waist, and her boobs, as he noted earlier, are growing. She glares at him when he stares at them... apparently, they are still tender. But the second he can get his hands on those bad boys...

"Four!" She raises an eyebrow and he shrugs. Staring at her is what got him here in the first place... right. Better get going.

She kisses his cheek, and he responds by trapping her chin in his hand and pressing his lips to hers. He wonders if he'll ever have enough of her. If he will, he doesn't want that day to come. He pulls her closer, sighing in relief when her body is flush against his. She's always just what he needs.

"You ungrateful bastard," someone hisses dangerously.

Four stiffens, but doesn't turn. His grip on her waist is protective now, and his other hand is ready to push her away if he tries to harm her. "We should go," he says quietly, and Tris nods. Her expression is somewhere between apprehension and hatred.

"You can't seriously think I'd let you walk away from me. You listen to me, you little guttersnipe—"

"Mr. Eaton, such an honor," comes Christina's voice, venomous sarcasm dripping from her tone. "I don't believe you'd violate the terms of your... conditional freedom... by harrasing my client and going against the restraining order," she says, the false sweetness in her tone still coated with sardonic acid. "Would you?"

Tris glares from Four's arms too, but he is too stiff with anger and fear to move.

"Yeah, I thought so. Buh-bye, asshole."

Marcus stares between the three of them for a moment, and then turns to Christina, a charming smile on his face. "You are an excellent lawyer, Miss Arenas. I would hate to see you ruin your career by going after a member of Congress over a false accusation." With that, he turns and leaves, his posse and the cameras following him.

"Quick, now that everyone's paying attention to him, we can slip out without noticing."

Four takes Tris's hand, and they bolt out of the courthouse.

~~~

"I can't believe the nerve of that animal," Tris growls, pacing. She looks like she'd tear into his throat with her teeth.

Christina watches her, and so does Will. "Will you calm down? You being so wound up is bad for the baby."

She ignores them, still pacing furiously. When she turns, she slams headlong into something... warm. Solid and warm, with arms. Arms that wrap around her and hands that gently rub her back.