Not Negotiable: A Trident Security Series Novella - Book 3.5

by Cole, Samantha

  Almost a full minute went by before Mitch seemed to make up his mind. “She’s still a member and she didn’t sign a contract with anyone that I’m aware of. All I can say is she took some time off from the club for personal reasons.” There was more to it, Parker was convinced. The owners were extremely protective of the submissives of the club and knew almost everything about every single one of them, which was why he’d come to Mitch in the first place. “Didn’t you drive her home the night that your dick-head brother was here?”

  “Yeah,” he said, his blood nearing the boiling point again, as it always did when he remembered how Dave had hit Shelby. He hadn’t spoken to the bastard since, although his brother had left numerous messages on his voice mail, trying to apologize. Parker wasn’t accepting any part of it.

  “Well, what are you doing sitting here in my office then?”

  He got it. Mitch wouldn’t break a member’s trust, but there was nothing stopping Parker from going over to her condo and pounding on her door. When he stood, Mitch stopped him with his hand up. “But one thing, Park. Take it easy with her, okay?”

  His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  “If she doesn’t want to tell you, then back off. I mean it. If I find out you went there high-handed, then we’re going to have a problem, you and I. I think she needs a caring Dom at the moment, not an overbearing one. That’s all I’m going to say.”

  Parker was confused. What the hell was wrong with her? Knowing he wasn’t getting any more information, he nodded then hurried out of the office. Tonight, he was going to find out what was going on with her, and then he’d fix it before telling her he had every intention of making her his. It was time Ms. Shelby Whitman had a full-time Dom…and it was going to be him.

  * * *

  After flushing the toilet, Shelby reached for the mouthwash. Her stomach was reacting violently to the second round of chemo and she was having trouble keeping food down. Someone from the pharmacy should be there soon, bringing her new prescription for anti-nausea pills. She’d forgotten to pick them up after leaving the treatment center two days ago and had been regretting it since late this afternoon. The first round of chemo hadn’t affected her this way, but she was told to expect a cumulative effect as her treatments went on. Thankfully, the pharmacy was open late tonight and they had a delivery service.

  Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she winced. Hopefully, she’d get a good night sleep tonight and look better in the morning. If anyone saw her now, they’d think she had the flu or something. Although someone with the flu probably looked better than this—red eyes, pale face, hair sticking out in all directions, and wearing her favorite flannel pajamas because she was so cold. Thinking back, this was worse than when she’d receive radiation following the removal of her ovaries and the hysterectomy six and a half years ago. At least she thought it was.

  As she shuffled out to the living room couch, the doorbell rang. Hoping it was her prescription, she hurried to the door and opened it without checking to see who it was. Damn. She should have peeked through the peephole first. “Parker? W-what are you doing here?”

  The man raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. Oh, shit. He was in full Dom mode, complete with his club leathers and boots. The snug T-shirt emphasized his strong shoulders and chest. From the expression on his face, it was obvious something was wrong.

  “Checking on you. And from the look of things, I’m glad I did. Why haven’t you been to the club lately? You’ve been sick this whole time?”

  Shelby tried to downplay her illness. “It’s just the flu. I’ll be fine in a few days.”

  His frown said he didn’t believe her. “The flu doesn’t last two weeks, Shelby.”

  “Well, I had some other stuff I was taking care of last week. I’ll be back soon. Thanks for stopping by.” When she started to shut the door, he stuck his foot out, preventing her from closing it all the way. She saw movement over his shoulder and realized the driver from the pharmacy had arrived.

  “Ms. Whitman?”

  She sighed as Parker turned to face the college-age deliveryman. “Yes, I’m Shelby Whitman. Thanks for bringing it over.”

  “No problem.” He handed her a clipboard. “Sign here, please. And Mr. Carlson said to tell you he sent over a bag of ginger candies and some ginger tea—no charge. He said that a lot of his patients on chemo find they help with the nausea when combined with the medicine.”

  Shelby winced when Parker’s jaw dropped, eyes popped, and fists clenched. Shit. Signing the form, she handed it back to the driver who clearly didn’t realize he had dropped a bomb between the other two people. “Thanks. Wait a second, please.”

  She was about to grab her purse for a tip, but Parker’s growl stopped her. He pulled out his wallet, handed the kid a twenty, then took the pharmacy bag. “Thanks. I’ll make sure Ms. Whitman uses all of it.”

  Happy about the big tip, the driver waved as he jogged to his car. “No problem. If you need anything else, give us a call.”

  Shelby tried to take the bag from Parker, but the frown on the Dom’s face had her backing up into the foyer. Fuck, she was in so much trouble.

  * * *

  Chemo? She was suffering the effects of chemotherapy and tried to tell him it was the flu? This couldn’t be happening. His gut churned as the realization sunk in—his sweet Shelby had cancer. And Mitch had known. This was what he’d been talking about. Or did the club owners truly know what was going on? Parker couldn’t imagine any of the Doms from The Covenant allowing her to go through this alone. But Mitch had been right about one thing—Shelby needed a gentle Dom right now, not an arrogant one. When she stepped backward, away from him, he realized he was scaring her. He tried to relax the tension coursing through him, and followed her inside, closing the door behind him.

  Now that he knew what was wrong, he could properly take care of her. First things first. He brushed past her, entered the kitchen, and promptly grabbed her tea kettle from the stove, filling it with water. Opening the cabinet where he remembered her glasses were kept, he found a coffee mug. He then pulled the medication bottle from the bag and read the label. All the while, he knew Shelby was silently standing in the doorway watching him. “It says to take one pill first and, if you need to, you can take another one.”

  He filled a glass with water, handed it to her along with a pill, and watched as she dutifully took the medication. Her pale face and sunken eyes worried him. “Go lay down. I can tell you’re exhausted. I’ll bring the tea when it’s ready.”

  “You don’t have to do this. I can take care of myself.”

  Taking the glass from her, he turned toward the sink. “Not negotiable, Shelby. Now unless you want to start racking up some punishments for when you’re feeling better, I suggest you follow orders. Go lay down.”

  She glared at him for a moment, but he wasn’t backing down. Shelby needed someone to take care of her, and whether she realized yet or not, he’d just signed up for the job. Finally, she heeded his command. He didn’t like how sick she looked. After he got some information from her, he’d retrieve his laptop from the truck, and do some research while she slept.

  As soon as the boiling water was ready, he poured it into the mug and steeped the teabag. Opening her pantry, he found a jar of honey and added a drop. Growing up, it was how his nanny enjoyed it, and since Shelby had honey in the house, it was a good bet she used it in her tea. Draining the little bag and tossing it into the garbage under the sink, he found a spoon in one of the drawers and stirred the heated drink. On his way out the living room, where he’d heard her put on the TV, he grabbed the small bag of ginger candies.

  Shelby was sitting on the couch watching the news and he frowned at her. “You’re supposed to be laying down sweetheart.”

  “I can’t drink the tea if I’m laying down, Sir.”

  He paused at her snarky use of the title. Raising an eyebrow, he handed her the tea. “Drink up. Where can I find a blanket for you? I want you comfo
rtable while we talk.” He held up a hand when it appeared she was going to argue with him. “Not negotiable.”

  Letting out a heavy sigh, she pointed to the hallway behind him. “You like those two words way too much. In the linen closet next to the bathroom, bottom shelf.”

  Nodding, he turned and retrieved a heavy knitted afghan. While she drank her tea, he wrapped the blanket around her, then returned to the kitchen and found her bottle of Irish whiskey. He was going to need a drink for this conversation. The only thing he could figure out so far was that, if she was receiving chemo, the cancer wasn’t considered terminal…yet. And he prayed it never reached that point. The world would be a lot darker if Ms. Shelby Whitman wasn't in it.

  When he walked back out to the living room, she placed the almost empty cup on the coffee table and swung her legs up on the couch. He grabbed a second throw pillow and tucked it with the one under her head. “Comfy?”

  “Yes, thank you. I’m sorry I was so bitchy before. I’ve been throwing up all evening and I’m tired and achy.”

  He sat in the recliner facing her and took a sip of his whiskey. “I understand that. What I don’t understand is why you kept this a secret and why no one is here helping you.”

  Shimmying down further, she turned to lay on her side. Her eyes getting heavy. “I didn’t want to worry everyone. As for someone helping me, I don’t want to be a burden to anyone. My parents have been gone for several years and my only sister lives in Michigan with her own family. I didn’t want any of my friends to feel obligated to help, so I kept it to myself. I’ve gone through this before, so I know what to expect and what to do.”

  “What?” He stared at her in shock. “You’ve had cancer before? When?”

  “Almost seven years ago. I went through radiation that time though. No chemo. I’ve been in remission for six years. A little over two weeks ago, I found a lump under my arm and called my oncologist right away. The biopsy and other tests revealed lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin’s. Stage one. I started chemo last week and this was my second round.”

  His shock turned to anger, but he tried to keep it from showing. There was no way she was going through this alone. Mentally, he formulated a plan and knew it wasn’t one she was going to be happy with, but, fuck that, he wasn’t giving her a choice. Opening his mouth, he quickly closed it again and stared at her. She must have been exhausted because she had fallen asleep within seconds of closing her eyes. Yup. Shelby had a new Dom in her life and if Parker had anything to say about it, it was going to be permanent.

  Chapter 5

  Shelby woke to the smell of coffee and was grateful her nausea was at a minimum this morning. Wait a minute…coffee? It was then she remembered Parker. He must have stayed all night, because it was a little after seven in the morning and somehow she’d ended up in her bed. Stretching, she glanced around and confusion struck her. Neatly lined up next to her closet were her two suitcases and several duffel bags…and from their appearance, they were full. What the hell was he up to?

  Well, first she had to take care of her bladder. Climbing out of bed and shuffling to the bathroom, she took care of the necessities of life. Why had he stayed? She hated to admit it, but it was nice knowing he had, even after she’d been rude to him and then fallen asleep less than five minutes after getting comfortable on the couch.

  After flushing, washing her hands and face, she brushed her teeth then headed out to the kitchen. Sitting at her dinette table, Parker’s back was to her and she took a moment to study him. He was typing away on his laptop and talking softly on his cell. From the sound of it, it was construction business related. He must not have heard her get up and was trying to be quiet so as to not to wake her. He was no longer in his leather pants and boots, but instead a pair of sweats, new T-shirt, and sneakers. Either he’d left and come back, or he kept a spare set of clothes in his truck. If she were to guess, it was the latter. A cup of coffee sat next to his laptop. What would it be like to wake up to this domestic scene every morning?

  “Hey, didn’t hear you come in. Are you hungry?”

  She’d been lost in her daydream and hadn’t noticed him hang up his phone. “Um…a little. I’ll just make some toast. That should stay down.”

  He stood and held out the chair next to him. “Sit. I’ll get it. Butter or jelly?”

  Stunned, she watched him take over her kitchen like he’d lived there for years, pulling out her bread and popping two pieces in her toaster. A warm, fuzzy feeling came over her as she took the seat. “Um…a little butter and some honey, please.”

  A smile spread across his face. “Butter and honey it is. Something to drink? I’m not sure if coffee would sit well in your stomach.”

  “Milk, please.”

  After he placed the full glass in front of her and then turned to attend to her toast, she bit her bottom lip. “Is there a reason why my suitcases and duffels are out?”

  “Yup. You’re coming to stay at my place while you go through your treatments.”

  Shelby’s mouth dropped open. He couldn’t be serious. But when he brought her toast over, she could see by his expression he was very serious. “I-I can’t do that. I mean, you have your business and everything.”

  He pulled out his chair and rotated it before straddling the seat. “You can do it and you will. As for my business…I’m the boss. Every once in a while, I’ll need to run out and check on things but I can do a lot of things from home with my computer and phone. That’s why I have foremen working for me.” His voice softened. “You need someone to watch over you, Shelby. And that someone is going to be me.” He smirked. “Not negotiable. I’ve even drawn up a contract between us.”

  She took the piece of paper he picked up and handed her, scanning it in shock. Holy crap, he was very, very serious.

  “I used the basic contract from the club. Essentially it says that I will be in charge of your physical, emotional, and mental well-being while you undergo your chemo. All I expect in return is your obedience, and your promise you will do everything in your power to kick this cancer’s ass. I even added a no sexual contact clause at the bottom, so you don’t have to worry about me hitting on you. Then again, that would make me an ass for propositioning a woman in your current condition.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. It’d been so long since she’d had someone to lean on. Her parents had come the last time she was ill, but they were both gone now. She cleared the lump in her throat and shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do this, Parker.”

  “I don’t recall wanting you to ask me. You need someone to care for you and I am available to do it. Now, I’ve been doing a lot of research on Non-Hodgkin’s and I have a bunch of questions for your doctor. I got his name from your prescription bottle and made an appointment for us to see him tomorrow. I see from the schedule you posted on the fridge, that your next treatment is on Monday—I’ll be taking you to that. What about your job? Can you take a leave of absence? I don’t want you working during this. Hell, I don’t even know what you do for a living. I mean…”

  He was on a roll and she had to stop him. “Parker wait…this-this is all too much. I can’t move in with you. You do realize I’ll be getting chemo for the next six weeks at least. I work in the human resources department at Tri-Labs. My boss is pissed-off enough already that I need six Mondays off in a row. I had to leave early yesterday and took off today because I was sick. I can’t take a leave of absence.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Why not? By law, they have to give it to you. If you want, I’ll have a word with your boss and tell him he can either okay the time off or get his ass kicked. And if you’re worried about finances, I can cover everything until you’re better. There’s plenty of room at my house and because I can be a bit of a slob, I have a housekeeper who comes twice a week. I’ll arrange for her to come more often. You won’t have to worry about anything but getting better.”

  Was he crazy? Was she dreaming? “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why
are you doing all of this?”

  Parker took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Because I’m a Dom and because I care about you. Isn’t that enough?”

  * * *

  God, he hoped it was enough. Those were exactly the reasons why he was doing this, however, the bonus kicker was he would get to know her better and vice versa. One thing was still bothering him and he had to ask her about it. “Tell me something. Why didn’t Mitch or Ian step forward to help you? I know damn well neither one of them would have left you to suffer through this alone. What did you tell them?”

  Shelby shrugged and bit her bottom lip. “I kind of downplayed it. I told them I had some personal family issues going on and needed to temporarily suspend my membership for a few weeks. They wanted to help, but I told them I’d be okay. Trust me, they tried very hard to find out what was going on, but, again, I didn’t want anyone to feel obligated to help.”

  Shaking his head, Parker growled. “You’ve been in the lifestyle for years, Shelby. You know damn well we’re a close-knit community. Nobody says they want to help because they feel obligated to. They say it because they care and know if the situation was reversed, you’d be there for them. They love you, baby. You’re family to everyone at The Covenant. Why don’t you see that?”

  Her eyes filled with tears and he stood before drawing her up into his arms. He hadn’t intended to make her cry, but she needed to hear she wasn’t alone in this fight. When she took a shuddering breath, he held her tighter. “Let me tell a few people—you’re going to need help whether you realize it or not. I’m moving you in with me, but in case I need to tend to business, I want to be able to call someone to stay with you.”

  She pulled away to glare up at him. “I don’t need a babysitter, Parker. I’m a grown woman.”

  “I didn’t say you needed a babysitter. I said you needed your friends and family. They would feel slighted if you didn’t turn to them when you needed them the most.” He let her go and handed her a napkin to wipe her eyes and nose.