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"I should call Ricky," Matty said suddenly. "He'll be worried when he hears about what happened at the café."
"Good idea," I agreed, standing up. "I'll show you where you can make the call in private."
Jono nodded, understanding my unspoken request for a moment alone with him. "You're gonna use your room?"
I knew what Jono was asking, but just gave him a "yes." Namely why wasn't I taking him to my house out the back? It was as secure as the rest of the club.
I led Matty out of the office and down a quiet hallway to the room I slept in when I stayed at the club rather than at my place. Once the door was closed behind us, I turned to face him.
"You okay?" I asked, studying his face. The color had returned somewhat, but he still looked shaken.
"I don't know," he admitted. "It doesn't feel real. Any of it."
I reached out and squeezed his shoulder gently. "Make your call. Take your time. I need to talk to my uncle about a few things, then I'll come back for you."
Matty nodded, pulling out his phone. As I turned to leave, his voice stopped me.
"Novo?" I looked back to find his eyes fixed on mine, something vulnerable and grateful in their depths. "Thank you. For saving my life."
A strange warmth spread through my chest. "You'd do the same for me," I said, though I wasn't sure why I believed that about someone I barely knew.
The look of determination that crossed his face surprised me. "Yes," he said firmly. "I would."
I closed the door behind me, troubled by the sincerity in Matty's voice, and went to see if I was about to get a chewing-out from my uncle.
Chapter six
Matty
I sat on theedge of Novo's bed, clutching my phone so tightly my knuckles turned white, and wishing it was Patches. My conversation with Ricky had been brief but emotional—he'd been horrified to hear about the car and what happened at the café. He'd begged me to come and stay with them, but I'd declined. I didn't want to put anyone else in danger.
The room was sparse but neat—a queen-sized bed with dark blue sheets, a dresser, and a small desk in the corner. A small bathroom through another door, which seemed to have a decent-sized shower. A couple of framed photos sat on thenightstand, but I didn't know who the older couple was in either of them. A younger Novo standing with them in the second photo was very obvious, and so was his pride in his dress uniform.
This was Novo's space, and I felt like an intruder despite his invitation to wait here.
Someone had tried to kill me today. The reality of it kept hitting me in waves, leaving me breathless and shaking. If Novo hadn't been there...
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stop the trembling. I'd never felt so alone, so vulnerable. Even when all the Doms had rejected me, Harold had frozen my accounts, Carrington had abandoned me, and after what James had done—none of it compared to knowing someone wanted me dead.
The door burst open without warning, and I jumped to my feet, heart pounding. But it wasn't Novo.
A woman stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but a tiny tank top and panties. She was tall and curvy, with long blonde hair and dark eyes that widened when she saw me.
"Who the fuck are you?" she demanded, her gaze sweeping over me dismissively.
"I—I'm Matty," I stammered, backing up until my legs hit the bed. "Novo's... husband."
She let out a harsh laugh, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her. "Husband? That's cute. Bear doesn't swing that way, sweetie."
I swallowed hard, confusion washing over me. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." She sauntered closer, her eyes cold despite her smile. "Bear and I have been hooking up for years. Whatever game he's playing with you, it's just that—a game."
My stomach dropped. Doing anything that undermined the believability of the contract invalidated it. It didn't specify fidelity, as that was unreasonable when I had no intention ofbeing sexually active with my husband, but I doubted if this woman had even heard of the word discreet.
She must have taken my silence as disbelief. She raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the room. "Why do you think I walked in like this? We have an arrangement. Every Friday, after the club meeting." She smirked. "Well, every night, really. He likes it when I don't wear much. Says it saves time."
I tried to keep my expression neutral, but something must have shown on my face because her smile widened.