Chapter 3

The couple slipped out of the VIP room, looking like they were still drunk as the large man with the long black hair pulled back in a ponytail groped the curvy girl with him and slapped her ass loudly.

He gave a wicked smirk as she glared at him but said in a sickly sweet tone that she was going to get him for that later. Meaning for it to sound as a playful threat while showing with her eyes she was all business.

"Oh, I am counting on there being a later." He rasped out.

They didn't draw much attention. The bar was being shut down, the Pit still had a few stragglers but most were beyond the ability to even think straight. They were able to keep up the act of lovers, as Eric draped himself over her. Acting as unlike himself as he could, as per instructions. If he got a little more handsy than he needed to or stopped them to sneak in a kiss or two more than she cared for, he could say it was all to help with the act.

Truth was, that while that was true, the last hour he had spent with Elle had his mind in a tailspin. The first part of de-Coulter-fying him, her words, had been pretty damn painful. Removing his piercings hadn't been exactly pleasurable. Hearing that her injecting the nano-gel would close them up forever had irked him especially when she said it wouldn't be like he was going to get them redone where he was going had irritated him even more. Especially since she wouldn't tell him what the fucking plan was!

Then came her standing in between his spread legs as he sat on the stool, with him having to take his shirt off so she could apply the makeup to cover his tattoos. She even put on a nose prosthetic to change his appearance even more.

Her scent was maddening as well as her closeness. The fact that he might as well have been classified as a monk with how much close contact he came into with the opposite sex was not helping his predicament. But the fact that it was fucking Elle just made it all that much worse.

So he had closed his eyes, clenched his fists and laid his head back against the wall of the bathroom she had moved them too for better lighting. Her last action had been to put the mop of a wig on his head and arrange it in a pulled back ponytail. Her hands had moved to his shoulders and rested on them lightly as she took him in.

She was looking over everything, probably trying to make sure it would pass muster. He was looking at her and all he concentrate on was her lips. The bottom one pulled in between her teeth in concentration. She released it and the tip of her tongue swiped across the indentations.

That was all it took and he snapped. Lunging off the stool after he gripped her by the hips tightly with one hand and the other went to the back of her neck, he went in with his own tongue to swipe and soothe. Then took her mouth in a passion filled kiss.

Her moan came from deep within her and her eyes slammed shut as the pleasure of his actions and him pressing her against the wall - had her feeling like they were about to roll out of her head. Her hands moved to lock onto the back of his head and pulled him even closer, something he was all too happy to give her by pressing every single inch of that hard body against hers.

Someone moved against the other and suddenly they were both fighting to get more of that. When his obvious arousal hit her in just the right spot she tore away from the kiss and let out a long, loud moan. The sound alone was enough to snap her out of whatever spell she had been under and her eyes widened in horror.

Her pulling him closer stopped and Eric realized she was suddenly trying to push him away angrily. He didn't want to give as he panted and tried to resume their kiss. Elle wasn't having it and one look in her wide and almost frightened eyes let him know whatever moment they had was definitely over.

He sneered at her a little, wounded and knowing his ego was bruised at her rejection. "So do you think that will work to fool them?"

'It was an act. Him just playing the role I told him to play.' She thought to herself bitterly.

Shoving him away from her as he smirked, she moved to the main part of the rented room and went straight for the bag. She angrily took out the clothes she had brought for him and tossed them to him.

"Put those on and we move out in five. We need to get to the train." She didn't wait for his response before she was making sure her weapons were in place and packing the bags in the room.

He hadn't bothered to reply either and took the time as he was getting dressed and armed to gather himself again. The minute they stepped out of the door he needed to be on his game.

Making it out of the compound had been much easier than he had expected. It made him wonder what exactly she had done to get him this far. He wanted to ask, but even as butthurt as he was about what happened earlier, he still wasn't going to throw salt into a wound so fresh for her. She had taken lives tonight. Men she had known and as much as she protested that they weren't friends, they were probably as close to friends as she would allow.

The train was upon them almost as soon as they made it to the tracks. They had to book it to make it on and once they were, Elle moved to check out the car without sparing him a glance. He did his own check of it but then made his way to the other side where he could watch out the window. She had closed the door behind them.

"Am I allowed to know where we are going now?" He asked after ten minutes of riding. The only sound the normal ones of the steel wheels on the tracks and the whistle of the wind as they sped through the night.

"Amity." She sighed as she slid down into a sitting position. "It won't be the main compound though." She said when she saw him flinch and grimace. "There is a place set up where you are going to have to stay put."

"Stay put until what? Am I just supposed to hide away like some rat in a hole dammit? Why should I? I did what I had to do to stop her, Brielle! Why do I have to suffer for that crazy bitch anymore?" Eric had pushed away from the wall and was yelling his frustration and anger. He was feeling useless and like he failed in everything he had tried to do to help. To stop what he knew was absolutely wrong.

Elle rose from her place and moved over to him, her hand going to his arm to stop him...surprised when the coiled tension in his body lessened at her touch and he stilled; turning to look at her.

"You asked me why I am helping you? I can tell you one thing. Because….because there is a debt to be paid back to you. I know what you were doing, what you did. I can't promise anything Eric but I will try my damndest to make sure others know too." Her voice was fierce and strong. Full of the fiery passion she had confronted every challenge he had thrown at her with.

It should convince him, just like it had everytime he upped the stakes during her trainings. This time it didn't because he better than anyone knew what she would be going up against. "They'll never believe you. I am not sure even how or why you do."

"I can't give you the answer to why. I can only hope you know by my actions here tonight, Eric…"

"I trust you." He snorted and looked at her hand gripping his arm. "Something I don't do often...or ever."

Elle nodded and took her hand away. "Good." She muttered in a sigh then took her hand away and went back to sit again. "We have an hour or two. Get some rest. There will be a bit of a hike after we jump off."

With that she leaned her head against the wall of the train and closed her eyes. Eric watched her for few minutes before he too moved to slide down the wall and leaned his head back. A part of him knew as he was leaving Dauntless it would be the last time he walked those dark stone hallways.

As much as he had felt alone and reviled there, it had been home. He belonged there. Was willing to give not just the pittance of blood he had dropped into the bowl on choosing day...but so much more. His fucking soul if needed.

He was weary and didn't realize until just this moment how tired he had become. Was it giving up though? To follow along and hide away? His Erudite side was warring with his Dauntless, a constant struggle for him really. Was it a tactical retreat or cowardice? He opened his eyes to look at the sleeping figure of the young woman across from him.

Or was it a chance for something else, something unnameable until now?