Page 7 of Perdition (Unchained Hearts #4)

FIVE

He growled, his nostrils flaring as he slammed the front door behind him, leaving an equally angry wife barricaded behind the door in the master bedroom. Their bedroom.

Fuck sleeping on the couch.

She didn’t want to see him, let him sleep beside her in his own fucking bed—fine! He had a comfortable bed at the clubhouse he could use, and he wouldn’t have to deal with the speaking silence that screamed despite never having a voice.

When Emily was angry, their house didn’t feel like a home…and it hadn’t felt like home in weeks.

And whose fault is that?

He didn’t need this shit.

So what if she had a reason to be mad, she didn’t need to be such a bitch about it.

It was three fucking weeks ago, and he’d apologized to Locust and Nadia and Emily, even though she wasn’t part of the mess he’d made with his Enforcer and his old lady. Locust and Nadia had forgiven him, though they were still understandably sore about it, but Emily, she was still pissed.

She’d found out that he’d ordered Locust to get close to Nadia, the stepsister to a piece of shit who owed the MC money, and get information on the stepbrother by any means necessary. Locust had gotten close, alright, close enough to find himself in her bed.

When Nadia had discovered Locust’s treachery, shit hit the fan, and Frost had taken his lumps.

Now, though, he was dealing with a pissed off wife who wouldn’t even give him the time of day.

Not to mention, his kids weren’t too happy with him, either.

They were close with their mom, who’d been there for them while he was gone on long deployments, so Em and the twins were tight.

So tight, he often felt left out, but Em made an effort to create a family bond that was unshakeable. Unbreakable.

Until he started acting the asshole, apparently.

Fuck…she’d never been mad at him this long. Then again, he’d never acted like a piece of shit before, and ordering a brother to basically seduce an innocent woman for club business made him the biggest piece of shit on the goddamn planet.

And he had no excuse for it other than he was overwhelmed with all the work needed to patch over a club that had been mismanaged for years.

He had to clean up the Bone Dogz’s legal and financial messes, do a deep dive on each of the brothers looking to wear an Unchained patch, and make sure his own club wasn’t feeling the brunt of all the changes headed toward them.

He’d put all that on his own shoulders; he was the Unchained MC president, it was his responsibility, and he wasn’t going to put all that work on anyone else.

Except…with all the time and effort he was putting into the club…

his family was taking hit after hit. He knew he’d been neglecting his wife, that he’d been an absent father, but he when he’d started the patch over almost a fucking year ago, he had no idea it would take so much out of him.

It wasn’t supposed to be like that. It wasn’t until he’d taken the reins of the Bone Dogz from their previous president Mad Dog, that he’d seen just how fucked up things had been for those men.

Now, he was determined to fix it all.

Too bad you can’t fix this bullshit with Em.

Fuck.

Why wasn’t she just letting this go? It wasn’t like she was the one Locust had hurt, so why was Em taking it so fucking personally?

Maybe she’s fucking tired of all the excuses, broken promises, and lonely nights.

When had things gotten so bad?

Mounting his bike, he started the engine and pulled out of his driveway, headed to the clubhouse where he could drink himself into oblivion, then sleep it off in his bed.

His bed.

Where Em’s honey lavender scent hadn’t been in months.

When was the last time his old lady actually spent time at the clubhouse?

Turning the corner from Lovet Rd to Camden St, Frost mentally scratched his brain, trying to remember the last time Em had taken a fucking moment to think about anything other than her business or the kids. When was the last time she’d done anything for him, huh?

She was so fucking busy now being the boss, she had no time for him or the club.

Had he completely lost her loyalty to him? To the Unchained?

No, you’re being unfair. She’s finally living her dream of having a successful flower shop. Don’t shit all over her dreams now because you’re butt-hurt about being kicked out of your own bedroom.

Frost didn’t pay attention to where he was going, just letting muscle memory guide him to his second home—or what was feeling more and more like his only home.

Twenty minutes after leaving Em, he pulled through the gates of the Unchained MC compound, parked in the spot designated for the prez, and cut the engine.

Not even a second later, Tony Dos, the second of two prospects named Tony, came up to him, smile in place.

“I’ll wash her,” he said, eager to be of use to the club prez in hopes of getting his member patch in six months.

Frost nodded. “You know how she likes it,” he replied with a smirk.

Tony Dos had been prospecting with the club for almost two years, which was the standard prospecting period according to the club charter. It looked like the man was going to be a good brother, a dedicated and loyal member of the Unchained.

As Tony Dos headed off to get the cleaning supplies to wash Frost’s bike, Frost strode through the front doors and into the large open common room.

Clusterfuck was sitting with Tiburon and Malo, two of the patch overs from the Bone Dogz, and there was a woman on each of their laps.

Not interested in whatever the hell was about to happen, Frost turned to the bar, headed for a bottle of Kraken and a night of short memories. When he wanted to forget, he grabbed the rum.

Tony—the other of the two prospect Tonys—was manning the bar. Seeing Frost, and the look on his face, Tony immediately poured three fingers of rum and slid it across the bar to the stool Frost typically used when he was club drinking.

Frost sat on his stool, threw back the drink, and let the welcome burn mute his senses.

Tony refilled the glass, and Frost tossed it back again.

He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there, marinating in his self-made misery when he felt someone sit on the stool beside him.

He recognized the somewhat cloying scent of Sarah’s body spray—freesia and jasmine—and when she put a hand on his arm, he took his time turning toward her.

And when he did…he nearly swallowed his tongue.

He’d seen her before, talked with her, drank with her, easily dismissed her—but now….

What the fuck?

Honey blonde hair with strands of bronze and brass, creamy skin, sparkling blue eyes that seemed to spell seduction with a smoldering glance.

Big tits cupped by some sort of bra-corset top, that perfectly showed off the slimness of her waist and the roundness of her hips.

A black leather skirt with a split from bottom to practically the top, revealed glimpses of a creamy thigh, smooth skin, and a tattoo of a deep crimson rose near her left hip.

Seduction.

The woman was seduction.

He’d known that since meeting her, had no problem brushing her off, sending her off to another brother to satiate that need in her eyes.

So…why was he staring…hesitating…?

Em…Em was sexy, too. All soft curves, warm skin, and a body he’d adored for decades. There was no one built as well as his Bloom, who felt as good as his wife did in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist, her pussy wrapped around his cock.

How do you know? You’ve never been with anyone else….

He blinked, trying to clear the booze glaze from his eyes and thoughts—because where the hell had that thought from from? Em was his one and only because she was his fucking soulmate.

He didn’t need to taste other cuts of steak to know Em was the only one his mouth watered for.

So…why was he still sitting there, letting Sarah touch him, devouring him with her appreciative gaze?

“Sarah?” he croaked, hating how confused and shaken he sounded.

She ducked her chin coyly and grinned, a practiced move he recognized from all the other times she’d approached him. But never, not once, had she approached him as she did tonight.

He swallowed thickly, his body humming with liquor and something…something he somehow knew he shouldn’t feel…but didn’t know why. He blinked again, his hand around the glass, squeezing until his knuckles turned white.

“Hi, Frost,” she rasped, her voice thick and husky, like she’d just screamed herself hoarse during a hard fucking.

Somewhere in the background, he heard someone clear their throat, but he couldn’t make himself focus on that.

Fuck…how much had he drunk? Seriously, rum fucked him up but good.

Probably not a good idea to drink that shit that makes you forget in a room full of people who won’t.

“Sarah,” he repeated, his gaze catching on the way her smile curled just a bit at the edges, her lips a lush fiery red.

A runaway thought skittered to a stop in his brain.

What would it be like to kiss those lips? What would they taste like? Would they taste like they looked; hot and spicy, or would they be sweet and warm…like Em’s lips.

Em…he’d only ever kissed Emily.

He’d only ever been with Emily, his first…his only….

“Frost…you look so lonely over here, drinking all by yourself,” Sarah cooed, leaning close, offering those plump tits to him like a buffet.

Fuck…why was his mouth watering? She wasn’t Em, his Bloom…so why was his body responding? Why was his cock thickening in his jeans?

Leaning back, Frost drew in a long breath—mistake! His scenes filled with Sarah’s scent, suddenly heady, suddenly overwhelming his brain.

Goddamn, what was in that rum?

You’re drunk, asshole! Get up and go to your room—sleep this off! Don’t do something you’ll regret!

“Actually,” he began, “I’m headed upstairs. I’ve had enough for the night.”

Sarah’s hand on his arm squeezed him as she peered up at him through the fan of her thick, black lashes.

“Are you sure? I can help you upstairs, and we can talk…” she offered, and he was unable, even as drunk as he was, to miss the sultry promise in those words.

“You know I’m a good listener.” She licked her lips, and he nearly groaned.

“When was the last time someone listened to you? Took care of you? Took care of your needs?”

Alert! Alert! Shit’s going down!

He was drunk as fuck, but he couldn’t miss the emphasis on her words. How long had it been since someone had just listened to him, taken care of him…seen to his needs?

Em was so fucking busy—and pissed—he hadn’t felt like one half of a partnership in months.

His gaze pinned to the gorgeous woman pressed against him, and his thoughts…slipped.

She looked so fucking good…and Em….

Em! My wife! The sexiest, most beautiful woman he’d ever seen!

He pushed to his feet, pressing his hands against the bar to stop himself from swaying.

Why the hell had he drunk so much?

Without any finesse whatsoever, he jerked himself from Sarah’s hold over him, and stumbled away from the bar.

“Goodnight,” he called over his shoulder, hoping Sarah got the message.

He was going to bed alone.

Fuck.

Alone. Again.

He just hoped Emily never found out about how he’d…slipped.

In the conference room, he could feel their gazes, burning into him, judging him, disappointed in him.

Patriot growled, his eyes dark with barely contained rage.

“You motherfucker!” he snarled. “You actually fucking considered cheating on your old lady? With a piece of club pussy? Cheating on Emily ?”

With each word, Frost felt the falling hammer, slamming into him, over and over and over and over, obliterating his soul.

His very being.

What the fuck had he done?

But what real harm is there in just thinking about it?

That’s where it starts, asshole!

And suddenly, there were two voices in his head, and he was so fucking over it.

Snapping his teeth, he barked, “It’s done. It’s over. It didn’t happen; I didn’t cheat, and I never would.”

Locust snorted, shaking his head, disappointment and disgust in his expression.

“I’m sure the day before you nearly stuck your dick in Sarah that you truly thought you’d never consider cheating, either.

I bet the day before you honestly thought you’d never even think of another woman as a possibility .

And since then, you’ve done nothing to prevent those ideas from that night from sprouting into something you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting,” Locust said, his voice edged with a sharpness Frost had only ever heard when the Enforcer was speaking about a club enemy.

“Instead of putting space between you and Sarah, you’ve been getting closer, spending time together all snuggled up on your couch.

It’s like you’re tempting fate, just seeing how close you can get to the line before your finally break.

Fuck, you’re being disloyal just talking to Sarah at this point.

She texts you, you text her—and I bet you tell her shit you don’t tell Em, am I right?

Does Em even know what’s going on with the patch over?

Does she even know why her husband has been spending every night in a bed where she isn’t?

I bet Sarah does—and not only as it troubling from a ‘you’re fucking married’ standpoint, but it’s also concerning because…

what have you been sharing with her that a club whore shouldn’t know? ”

Motherfuck?!

Slamming his fist into the table, body vibrating with rage, Frost spat, “You honestly think I’d share club business with Sarah? You think I’m the kind of man who’d betray my own fucking club, my brothers, the men I’d kill and die for?”

What the goddamn actual fuck is happening right now?

Patriot leaned in until his nose nearly touched Frost’s, his breath coming in hot bursts.

“Why not, when you’re so willing to betray your own wife?”

Rage, boiling, roiling, searing, exploded inside him.

He hadn’t betrayed his wife!

Right?