“How so?” Ronan asked, now turned sideways in his seat, giving her his full attention.
“He suggested that my uncle allow me to live among his clan while the preparations for our wedding were being made. He said it would be easier that way. Uncle Andrew was opposed, saying it wasn’t proper, but Trill insisted, and he gave into him.”
“He was inappropriate?” Ronan guessed.
“No. He never touched me. His clan still abides by many of the old ways and deflowering your virgin bride ranks pretty highly among things they don’t tolerate.”
“Then what was the problem? You were okay with it. He didn’t take advantage, but you decided to run away anyway?”
“I learned the truth about his first two wives. I saw my future.”
“What did he do to them?” Niall asked.
“He was abusive. His first wife bore him no sons. She and their four daughters died in a fire. His second wife was unfaithful. He beat her for months afterward. She gave birth to their first litter while shackled to a bed in their basement. They were stillborn, all three of his sons.”
“Jesus,” Niall muttered.
“He lost it and beat her to death right then and there, killing her with his bare hands. They told people she died after a bad delivery. I guess that’s true, in a sick and twisted sort of way.”
“How did your uncle not know all of this before he agreed to marry you to Trill?”
“No one knew. I only found out because someone decided I should.”
“Who is that?” Ronan asked, glancing back at her again.
“Just someone who didn’t want to see another bad end to a helpless Omega. There are other instances of his abuses against women who were not his wife, as well. It’s not worth detailing, but he’s not a good man.”
“That sounds like an understatement,” Niall observed.
“Aye. That, it is,” she said, her voice faltering slightly.
He glanced upward toward the mirror, expecting to find her looking off into the distance again, but instead found her eyes looking right back at his. He could see the fear in them, but also a determination.
“I can’t go back there,” she stated simply.
“You won’t,” Ronan replied.
Niall looked toward him as he turned and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes as if to shut something out.
“There is more, but I can’t think right now. When we get to where we are going, I’ll tell you everything I can. Uncle Andrew said you are good people and that you came here to take down the Maguires. I want to help.”
“The help is welcome,” Niall told her.
The three of them drifted back into silence, each seeming lost in their own thoughts as they continued to make their way toward their destination. Before long, they were pulling the car into an old barn situated to one side of the property where they’d be staying. It was a fair distance from the bungalow to which they were headed, so they set out on foot per the directions they were given.
Fifteen minutes later, they stood in front of a rundown old place that looked like it might fall in with a stiff wind, but that was obviously not true from the age of it. All three stopped and stared at it.
“Fucking hell,” Ronan groaned.
“Home sweet home,” Niall shrugged, leading the way to their little hideout, and opening the door.
He wasn’t sure which was louder, his groan or that of the door as he stepped inside and looked around in disgust. Niall and Deidre came in behind him and stopped in their tracks.
“Fuck,” Deidre gasped, sending all three of them into laughter born of resignation to their situation.
CHAPTER FOUR
Deidre
“I can’t believe you managed to make this place look halfway tolerable with just soap and water,” Niall remarked as he and Ronan returned with food a few hours after they’d arrived at the bungalow.
When they’d come in earlier, there was an inch or more of dust on absolutely every surface of the place, including the furniture that had been left behind from whoever had stayed there last. Though they’d been resistant to the idea of leaving her alone while they went for food and supplies, they’d finally accepted that she shouldn’t be seen out and about and that no one was going to look for her there.
“I found some buckets under the sink and some old rags. There’s actually a pantry with some supplies in it. No food, but some cleaning stuff and such. A lot of it was in boxes and bags, so it’s at least clean.”
“And there’s power and water?”
“Yes. They just had to switch in on from the main house. It came on right after the two of you left. I thought you’d asked them about it on your way out.”
“No. They were already gone to finish up their run when we left. I got us hot food for now and canned goods for later since I wasn’t sure what we had going on down here. We can go back out for some more things if the stove and fridge work.”