Page 36 of Perdition (Unchained Hearts #4)

For a man who led other men into battle, he was ashamed to say he’d been so easily fooled.

Because you weren’t focused on what was good and true—your family. Your marriage.

When she caught sight of him, Sarah dropped the sour glare she was sending Cluster, and raised her arms to wrap them around Frost’s neck.

He grabbed her arms, holding them aloft and way from his body.

“Sarah,” he growled, “what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

She tried to tug her arms from his hold, but he held on, refusing to give her access to his body.

What belonged to Emily.

“Come on, Frost, it isn’t like it’s the first time I’ve hugged you; what’s the big deal?” she cooed, dipping her chin to look up at him with a practiced coyness.

“You know damn well we don’t hug, and the fact that you attempt to hug me, and then talk about it like it’s an everyday occurrence—in front of my men—tells me you did it deliberately. And then I have to ask myself why—why is Sarah trying to make people think I touch a woman who isn’t my wife?”

Sarah tugged her arms again, and this time he let her go, but not before he took a step back to put space between them.

Rubbing her arms where Frost had firmly gripped her, she huffed, “You act like I haven’t touched you before, Frost. In your office, on that couch—remember?”

Shit. He knew that would come back to bite him on the ass.

“That was me offering comfort to someone I thought needed it. The intention was to offer a shoulder to cry on—nothing else. The fact that you took that to mean something else is on you. Yes, I allowed things to go that far because I honestly believed that you needed help, guidance, and even protection, but never once did I want to take it any further than that.” Scrubbing a hand down his face, he cursed lowly, then admitted, “And I let it get that far because I was a fool.”

Cluster, who was standing beside him, hummed, agreeing.

Patriot took that moment to walk through the doors, his gaze immediately landing him and Sarah, and correctly guessing what was going on.

He tipped his chin to Tony Dos who was standing at the bar, watching, and silently commanded him to leave.

Then he cast a commanding gaze to Cluster, who pursed his lips petulantly, but then followed Tony Dos from the clubhouse.

That left Patriot, Redtube, Frost, and Sarah.

Fewer eyes and ears to hear how pitiful their president was.

Redtube slapped Frost on the back, and said, “I’ll be in my office,” then he turned and walked away, but not before glaring at Sarah, who just huffed.

She had no idea what was coming.

Without saying a single word, Patriot had come into the room, sized up the situation, and went into VP mode, clearing the room so Frost could do what he needed to do to deal with the problem.

Sarah was the problem.

Having done his job, Patriot gave Frost a look that he easily read as “You need me, you call me, I’ll be here.” Then, he walked toward Frost’s office.

Sarah definitely read those actions as something else, because the moment Patriot was gone, she went back to being the cooing, poisonous snake she was.

She slunk up to him, eyelashes batting, lips pouting, hips swaying, and purred, “Now that they’re gone, you can tell me how you really feel about me…then we can do something about it.”

He furrowed his brows, frustrated at this woman’s ridiculousness. He never touched her before, what made her think he’d touch her now? The very idea of his skin touching hers made him want to puke.

“I have been an idiot, Sarah. I admit, I liked you, you were a breath of fresh air, fun to talk to, easy to be around, and sometimes I did wonder if we could truly be close friends—but those thoughts died quick, because my wife should be my only female friend. Full stop.”

Sarah rolled her eyes and stepped closer to him.

Warning bells went off in his head, but he refused to step back, to give her the pleasure of thinking she had any power over him.

“You wanted to be more than friends, Frost, just admit it. Right there, in your office, you told me that you wished you hadn’t settled down with Em, and that you regretted getting married young, and you wanted to see what your options were.”

He shook his head once, glaring down at her.

“Don’t say no, baby, you did say that, and Emily heard that, and that’s why she’s being such a bitch about breaking things off with you.”

Fisting his hands at his sides, he snarled, “Don’t talk about my fucking wife—the woman I hurt because I was such a goddamn fool to fall for your bullshit.”

Sarah gasped, pressing a hand to her chest like some fucking damsel.

“I didn’t force you to do anything you weren’t already interested in doing.

That first night I approached you, you were interested, you just didn’t have the balls to follow through with what your dick wanted.

And so I decided to help you along. Sweet smiles, thoughtful little gifts, doe eyes with tears, skimpy outfits, leaning in and gentle touches…

and a few words about how I needed you. You were easy, Frost, but I put in the work, and now that you’re finally mine, I’m not giving you up. ”

“I don’t belong to you, Sarah—never have, never fucking will. I know I was an asshole, betraying my wife the way I did, hurting her, hurting my kids, hurting myself, but I am done being that prideful jerk looking for emotional fulfillment from someone I couldn’t give to shits about.”

Her face lost color, and she bleated, “You don’t mean that.”

“I do. I mean that. I love my wife. I love my life, and I am so fucking sorry that I let things go as far as they did because I did hurt her, I betrayed my wife because I cheated on her in ways I never thought I would. I let another woman into my life, I let another woman steal my attention, I let another woman take priority over her. And that’s done.

That’s over. We’re over. And you’re done with this club. ”

“No!” Sarah flew forward, hands out, trying to grab his kutte.

He slapped her hands away.

“Your shit is already outside the gates. The vote was unanimous—there isn’t a single brother here that wants to keep you, and I certainly won’t give a shit when you’re gone.

This means you are no longer allowed on Unchained property, and every brother knows to walk the other way when they see you coming. ”

When he finished talking, Frost tensed for a raging Sarah—claws and fangs out, ready to tear him to shreds.

Instead, she looked…composed. Her smile was deceptively soft, her face was strangely blank, and that was fucking scary as hell.

Without a word in response, Sarah gave him a flirty wave, turned on her heel, and walked out.

So that happened…and why did that feel like it was the beginning…instead of the end?