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"Aww, did he tell you he was gay?" She laughed again, the sound like glass breaking. "Bear is many things, but gay isn't one of them. Trust me, I know exactly what he likes." She ran her hands down her body suggestively.
"Well, he's not here," I said, not knowing what else to say. I barely knew Novo. The first time we met was in the courthouse.
The woman laughed again. "Oh, sweetie, he'll be here. He always comes back to me. Whatever this little marriage charade is, it's just business. Men like Bear don't settle down with skinny little boys like you."
I felt sick, my hands trembling. What if she was telling the truth? I barely knew Novo. Our marriage was a contract, a business arrangement. But something about the cruel gleam in this woman's eyes made me doubt her story.
"I think you should leave," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
"Or what?" She stepped closer, invading my personal space. "You'll cry? Run away? Face it, you don't belong here. This is a real MC, not some gay fantasy club."
Before I could respond, the door swung open again. This time, a woman in her forties with auburn hair and fierce green eyes stood in the doorway. She took in the scene with one sweeping glance, her expression hardening when she saw the blonde's state of undress.
"Sophie," she said, her voice like ice. "What the hell are you doing in here?"
Sophie's demeanor changed instantly. "Daisy, I was just—"
"Half-naked in a member's room? Again?" Daisy stepped fully into the room, crossing her arms. "After you were specifically told to stay the hell away from Bear's space?"
"I didn't know he'd gotten himself a pet," Sophie sneered, gesturing toward me.
Daisy's eyes flashed dangerously. "That 'pet' is Bear's husband and therefore family. Which is more than I can say for you." She pointed to the door. "Get dressed and get out. If I see you anywhere near this room or Matty again, you'll be finding a new club to open your legs in."
Sophie's face flushed with anger, but she didn't argue. She shot me one last venomous look before storming out, slamming the door behind her.
Daisy turned to me with a sigh. "I'm sorry about that. Sophie's been warned repeatedly about boundaries." She offered her hand. "I'm Daisy, Jono's old lady. You must be Matty."
I shook her hand, still rattled by the encounter. "Yes. Thank you for... " I winced.
Daisy waved it off. "Don't let Sophie get to you. She's been trying to get her hooks into Bear for years. He's never given her the time of day."
Relief washed through me, though I wasn't sure why it mattered. Our marriage wasn't real, after all. "Oh," was all I managed to say.
"Come on," Daisy said, gesturing toward the door. "The men will be talking business for a while. Why don't you come downstairs and meet the other old ladies?"
"Old ladies?" I asked, confused.
Daisy laughed. "Club wives. Or partners, technically. Jono, or Prez as he's referred to, and I have been together for twenty years."
"I don't want to be any trouble," I said, still shaken from Sophie's confrontation.
"Honey, you're no trouble at all." Daisy's warm smile made me feel instantly more at ease. "Besides, I've been dying to meet you. Bear's never brought anyone around before."
I followed her downstairs, hyperaware of the curious glances from club members as we passed. The main room was busier now, with more bikers playing pool and drinking at the bar. Daisy led me to a corner where three women sat chatting around a table.
"Ladies," Daisy announced, "this is Matty, Bear's man."
The women looked up with varying expressions of surprise and interest.
"This is Ellie," Daisy said, introducing a petite woman with short dark hair. "She's Tex's old lady. And that's Maria, she's with Digger." Maria, a curvy woman, smiled warmly. "And this is Kat, Cruise's fiancée."
Kat, a tall woman with vibrant red hair, grinned at me. "So you're the one who finally tamed the Bear, huh? Damn, we were starting to think it would never happen."
"Bear?" I asked, finally voicing my earlier question as Daisy guided me into a chair.
The women exchanged amused glances. "It's Novo's road name," Ellie explained. "Because he's big and growly, but secretly a teddy bear."
I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. The image of Novo as a teddy bear was surprisingly fitting after how gentle he'd been with me.