Page 7

I grabbed a bottle from the mini-fridge and handed it to him, noticing how his hands still trembled slightly as he unscrewed the cap. I settled beside him, careful not to crowd him but close enough that he could feel my presence.

"You're safe here," I said, watching as he took small sips of water. "No one gets in without us knowing."

"I'm sorry," Matty whispered, staring at the bottle in his hands. "I never thought—I didn't think he'd actually try to—" His voice broke.

"This isn't your fault," I said firmly. "None of it."

Matty looked up at me, his brown eyes swimming with tears. "But it is. I dragged you into this. You're just trying to help me get my trust fund, earn some money, and now someone's trying to kill me. They could have hurt you, too."

I nearly winced at the irony. If he only knew my real reason for marrying him... But seeing him now, so vulnerable and genuinely afraid, I felt a pang of guilt I hadn't expected.

"I'm not that easy to hurt," I assured him. "And neither are you, apparently. Quick reflexes back there."

He gave a broken laugh that was more of a sob. "I didn't move at all. I just froze. If you hadn't been there..." He trailed off, the implications hanging heavy in the air.

I reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "But I was. And I will be."

The door opened, and Cruise stuck his head in. "Jono just called. He's on his way back. Wants to talk to both of you."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Cruise hesitated, his eyes taking in our closeness, but then he grinned and sent me a knowing look.

"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.

"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.