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Chapter six

Matty

I sat on the edge 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 the nightstand, 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 of being 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.

"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.

"Drinks." Maria declared, waving toward the bar. "We need to welcome our newest family member properly."

Before I could protest, Tex appeared with a tray of shot glasses filled with amber liquid. "Ladies," he said with a wink, "and Matty. First round's on the house."

"Oh, I don't really—" I started, but Kat pushed a shot glass into my hand.

"Club tradition," she said firmly. "New family members drink with us."

I hesitated, then took the shot glass. It had been a long time since I'd had alcohol—I simply couldn't afford it on my meager café salary. The bourbon burned going down, but the warmth that spread through my chest was welcome after the day I'd had.

"Another." Daisy called, and before I knew it, another shot was in my hand.

By the third shot, I was feeling pleasantly fuzzy around the edges, the tension from earlier melting away.

I vaguely thought again that I'd only eaten breakfast, then pushed the thought away.

The women were asking me questions about how Novo and I met, and I found myself giving the sanitized version Ricky had helped me craft—we met through mutual friends, hit it off, and decided to get married quickly because we knew it was right.

I tried to keep my voice steady as I spoke, but the alcohol on top of the day I'd had, made everything feel slightly unreal.

"So romantic," Maria sighed, giving me another glass with something pink this time. "And look at you—you're so cute. No wonder Bear couldn't resist making you his cub."

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment and alcohol. Cub made me sound like a child. "I'm nothing special," I mumbled, taking another sip. The sweet drink was dangerously easy to swallow.

"Nonsense," Daisy said firmly. "Bear doesn't do anything without a reason. If he married you, you must be pretty damn special."

The warmth in her voice made my throat tight. I wasn't used to this kind of acceptance, this immediate inclusion. These women barely knew me, yet they were treating me like I belonged.

"So what do you do, Matty?" Ellie asked, leaning forward with interest.

"I worked at a café," I said, emphasizing the past tense. "Got fired today."

"What?" Kat's eyebrows shot up. "Why?"

The story spilled out of me—Mrs. Kazinsky, the spilled coffee, Helena's vindictive firing. The words tumbled out faster with each drink, my inhibitions lowering as the alcohol took effect.

"That bitch," Ellie spat, slamming her glass down. "Someone should go throw coffee on her."

"I'll do it," Kat volunteered, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "I've got excellent aim."

I giggled at the image, the sound surprising me. I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed like that—genuinely, without fear or constraint.