Page 16

Story: Novo

"Who's Jono," Matty asked, "and why did they call you Bear?"
"Jono's my uncle," I explained, ignoring the Bear question for now. "President of the club. And he'll want to know what's going on."
Matty nodded, still clutching the water bottle like a lifeline. "Will he be... okay with me being here?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "You're my husband. That means something here."
His eyes widened slightly, a flash of something—gratitude, maybe?—crossing his face before he looked down again. "What do we do now?" he asked quietly. "About... everything?"
I considered this. We needed a plan, and fast. "First, we need to make sure you're safe. Then we figure out exactly what your godfather is up to."
"He's going to keep trying, isn't he?" Matty's voice was barely audible. "If he was willing to try once..."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," I growled, surprising myself with the ferocity in my voice. The protective instinct surging through me wasn't just about my revenge plan anymore. The thought of someone trying to hurt Matty—this frightened, vulnerable young man who'd already been through so much—filled me with a rage I hadn't expected.
The door swung open, and I looked up to see my uncle stride in. Jono was shorter than me but built solid, his salt-and-pepper beard neatly trimmed, the president patch on his cut worn with pride.
"Bear," he nodded to me, then turned his attention to Matty. His expression softened slightly. "You must be Matty. Welcome to the family."
I felt Matty tense beside me, clearly uncertain how to respond to such a warm greeting.
"Thank you," he managed, his voice small but polite.
Jono settled into the chair behind the desk, his sharp eyes taking in Matty's disheveled appearance and my protective posture beside him. "Cruise filled me in on what happened. You're sure it was deliberate?"
"No doubt," I said grimly. "Car jumped the curb, accelerated straight for him. Driver knew exactly what they were doing."
Jono nodded slowly. "And you think it's the godfather?"
"Who else?" I countered. "He stands to lose millions if our marriage sticks. Plus, he's a controlling bastard who's been keeping Matty on a financial leash for years."
Matty flinched slightly at my blunt assessment, but didn't contradict me.
"You file a police report?" Jono asked.
I shook my head. "Not yet. Wanted to get him somewhere safe first."
Jono considered this, then nodded. "Smart. We need to be careful how we play this." He turned to Matty. "Your godfather—he has connections in law enforcement?"
Matty nodded. "He golfs with the police chief," he said, swallowing hard. "And the district attorney. They play poker every Thursday. He knows judges, too."
"That complicates things," Jono said, leaning back in his chair. "Filing a police report might not do much good if he's got that kind of pull."
"So what do we do?" Matty asked, his voice small but steadier than before.
Jono and I exchanged a look. "We keep you safe," I said firmly. "And we gather evidence. If your godfather is willing to try murder, he's desperate. Desperate people make mistakes."
"You can stay here tonight," Jono offered. "We've got a couple of rooms upstairs. Tomorrow we'll figure out somewhere more permanent."
Matty looked at me, uncertainty in his eyes. "What about my apartment? My things?"
"I'll send a couple of prospects to pack up what you need," I assured him. "It's not safe for you to go back there right now."
"Okay," he whispered, then added, "Thank you. Both of you."
Jono's expression softened further. "You're family now, kid. Diamond Kings take care of their own."
I felt Matty's surprise at those words, the slight stiffening of his shoulders before he relaxed again. I wondered how long it had been since anyone had treated him like family.