Triple Dog Dare [Triple Trouble 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Tymber Dalton Page A

want,” Cail said. “As long as it all gets told.”
    He nodded. “When we found out Maureen was expecting a girl, we panicked. I worried the Abernathys would track us down if they knew. All my life I’d lived with that damn blood oath over my head. I resisted looking for a mate because of it. I didn’t want to hand over any child to the Abernathys.”
    He looked down at his hands and clasped them together. “I didn’t tell Maureen about the blood oath when she claimed me. I was so shocked when it happened, I didn’t have time to react. After the fact I told her, but I wouldn’t let her swear to it.”
    He let out a deep sigh. “The day after we found out from the doctor that Elain was a girl, we ran. I didn’t know where to go first. I knew I couldn’t go to my brothers. I told them about Maureen when we first mated, not thinking straight that I shouldn’t have. I didn’t say anything to them when we found out she was pregnant.”
    Cail cleared his throat. “I hate to be the one to tell you,” he softly said, “but someone recently murdered their mates. And the mate of one of our cousins. Beheaded them.”
    “Bloody Abernathys.” Liam stared at the floor for a moment. When he started speaking again, his voice sounded hoarse and full of emotion. “It’s all my fault,” he quietly said. “I never should have told my brothers about Maureen. They weren’t Alphas, but they were sworn to the blood oath in case any of their heirs were eligible.”
    “Are you actually related to the Abernathys?” Ain asked.
    Liam shook his head. “No. Our family’s blood oath is with them, but I’m not related to them except through the past and that damn oath.”
    “I have to ask,” Ain continued. “There are rumors you were tied up with the mob.”
    Again Liam shook his head. “No. Probably a story the Abernathys spread about me to isolate me from anyone I might seek help from. Is that fecking bastard Rodolfo still alive?”
    “Unfortunately,” Ain said.
    “Damn.” He looked at Carla. “I didn’t know where else to go when all this happened. When Maureen was grabbing things to take with us, she found yer address in Tampa. I…I didn’t know what else to do. We couldn’t risk going to any of her family. Surely couldn’t go to my family for help. I remembered hearing rumors about Charles and Ellie and what they did for people. I thought that was the Goddess’ hand on our fate. That we could go to Florida and ask for their help to hide. At least, to hide Maureen and the baby. Elain,” he corrected himself as he looked at his daughter. “Maureen loved Carla like a sister and trusted her. She knew Carla had no knowledge of shape-shifter business.
    “I took Maureen to Carla’s and we showed her what we were. Then I left and tracked down Charles and Ellie and called them. I didn’t tell them what it was about over the phone. They agreed to meet with me. I told them everything, but I didn’t tell them where Maureen was, or about Carla. I told them about the blood oath and they said they didn’t care about that, that they’d help us hide.”
    He paused for a moment to compose himself. “They asked me if I’d been followed. I said I didn’t think so. That’s when they told me they thought they might have someone watching them. That over the past couple of months, it felt like they’d been followed, but they weren’t sure if they were, or even who was responsible. I was supposed to go back to the hotel and wait for them to call me. They were going to talk to ye and yer brothers the next day, in person, so they could confirm the arrangements. Then they would call me for Carla’s information so they could have someone else contact her about where to go. They wanted to be extra careful. They weren’t sure if their phone was tapped or not.”
    Cail felt old anger bubbling over inside him. “They died the next day.”
    Liam nodded. “When I didn’t hear from them, I panicked. I couldn’t wait. I called