Page 53 of Waiting for Him (Trident Security #3)

Not the response he wanted, but at least they’d be out of the “pit,” as the members called the huge downstairs playroom.

The entrance was on the second floor, where the bar was.

The U -shaped balcony had numerous seating areas, with some along the railing so members could observe the scenes from above.

He could pick the side over the spanking benches, so he wouldn’t have to watch Shelby’s threesome and dream she was his submissive—and his alone.

He’d tried to negotiate with her twice in the past, and she’d turned him down both times.

It was a single submissive’s prerogative to play or not play with whomever they wanted, and a Dom had to accept it.

He only wished he knew why she wanted nothing to do with him.

Parker stood. “ Yeah , that’s fine. Let’s take a walk through the locker rooms. I need to hit the john.”

Their table was not far from the submissives’ waiting area, halfway between the grand staircase and the St .

Andrew’s cross on a small stage in the middle of the room.

Usually , the stage was reserved for highlighted scenes or commitment ceremonies.

Devon and his sub/fiancée, Kristen Anders , had their ceremony on it a few months ago, and Parker was glad his friend had finally found someone to love.

He only hoped someday he could be so lucky.

Still eyeing the activity around them, his brother remained seated. “ I’ll wait here for you. No rush.”

“ I’m not supposed to leave you unattended.”

Dave rolled his eyes. “ Come on, Park . I’m a grown man and don’t need a babysitter. I promise to wait right here.”

Hesitating , Parker was about to say no way, but Dave gave him that stare that always made him feel like the idiot of the family.

That fucking holier-than-thou look that said I’m better than you’ll ever be.

“ All right, fine. But stay here and don’t talk to anyone unless they approach you first. I’ll be back in a minute. ”

He headed to the locker room, glancing over his shoulder once at his brother.

The cocky bastard gave him one of those condescending waves like he was shooing away an annoying gnat.

Parker winced and disappeared into the men’s lounge.

In there, the sounds of flesh, or leather, smacking flesh, and orgasms being reached faded away while the thumping music was muffled enough so he could hear himself think.

Why he agreed to come here tonight, he had no idea.

It wasn’t like he and Dave were the closest of brothers .

.. hell, if it weren’t for the blood relation, Parker wouldn’t even consider him a friend.

Four years younger than Dave’s age of thirty-five, he had always lived in the guy’s shadow.

That was one of the reasons he’d moved to Florida . .. to get away from his family.

Brody stepped up to the urinal next to Parker . “ Hey , man. How you doing?”

“ Good . You ?”

“ Not bad at all. Especially since little Miss Shelby negotiated a scene with Marco and me for later. Damn , I love that little firecracker.”

Parker clenched his teeth. He knew Brody didn’t have anything but respect for the submissive.

However , it irked him that the big bastard knew her in a way Parker had never experienced.

The computer geek of Trident Security was a former Navy SEAL , as was each of his co-workers.

He also had a heart of gold and seemed to be well-liked by everyone who met him.

Brody treated every female submissive as they should be treated .

.. like they were the most precious women in the world.

Zipping up his pants, Parker turned toward the sinks and tried to pretend it didn’t bother him who Shelby hooked up with. “ Well , then, have a good time.”

“ Hey , before I forget ... can I call you during the week? I want to overhaul the master bath in my new place. Pink tile and I don’t exactly go together, and the shower is way too fucking small.” He finished at the urinals and stepped over to where Parker was washing his hands.

“ Yeah , sure. Monday’s usually a busy day, but I should have time Tuesday afternoon to swing by and take a look.” Shaking the excess water from his hands, Parker reached over and grabbed a paper towel. He glanced back to see the other man was nodding.

“ That should work. I’ll call you Tuesday morning to confirm. Thanks . I appreciate it.”

Slapping Brody on the shoulder as he walked by, he said, “ No problem. See you later.”

Wanting to get out of the club now more than ever, Parker strode back out to the pit, where two things hit him at once. One —his brother wasn’t where he left him. And two—there was a large, loud crowd near the submissives’ area, and it didn’t appear to be for anything good. Fuck !

Shoving his way through the group, he wasn’t expecting what he saw, although he wasn’t too surprised.

Dave was on the floor, being held face-down by a furious Marco , with one arm hitched high behind his back.

His brother was no match for the security operative who worked out on almost a daily basis.

Parker had a sinking feeling in his stomach when he saw three women also on the floor a few feet away.

Mistress China and a woman he didn’t recognize had their arms around .

.. shit ... a crying Shelby . Wide -eyed, she held a trembling hand against her cheek while the Domme looked ready to spit nails.

With his fists clenched, he turned his attention back to the two men and barked, “ What the fuck, Dave ? What the hell did you do?”

“ I didn't do anything. Now get this fucking gorilla off me. I'm going to sue if he doesn't get off me.”

The whiny, pain-filled order didn’t gain any sympathy from Parker . His gaze went to Marco , who growled and returned the questioning look with a pissed-off glower. “ This asshole backhanded Shelby . I had people in my way and couldn't get here fast enough to stop him.”

What ? The bastard hit Shelby ? My Shelby ? A woman who wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Parker was livid. Glancing back toward the crying submissive, his blood hit the boiling point. Through gritted teeth, he addressed the other Dom . “ He's my brother. Let him up, Marco .”

Marco’s eyes flickered to Ian , who was standing next to Parker .

Travis “ Tiny ” Daultry , the head of club security, and several other guards had pushed the crowd back to give the Doms some room.

Ian crossed his arms and studied Parker's face. Parker knew his fury was showing, and he silently begged the owner to let him take care of this. Ian didn’t say a word but nodded at Marco , who let go of the bastard and stood.

As Dave got to his feet, Parker couldn’t believe he was stupid enough to say, “ What's the big deal? Everyone is slapping women around here, and I get in trouble for what you all are doing.”

Parker took a step closer to him, his voice low and barely controlled. “ You okay?”

Obviously , not realizing how pissed his brother was, the idiot grinned. “ Yeah , Park , I'm fine.”

“ Good .” Without missing a beat, he reared back and punched Dave in the face, knocking him unconscious. He ignored the round of cheers from the crowd and hurried over to Shelby , crouching down in front of her. “ I'm so sorry, Shelby . It's my fault. I shouldn't have left him alone.”

He helped her stand, but Mistress China and the other woman stayed by her side for support.

Parker gently pulled Shelby's hand from her cheek and growled, “ I'm going to kill him,” when he saw the red and swollen area, which was starting to bruise. He’d known bringing the stupid prick here was a mistake, but the fact that harm had come to Shelby , of all people, had him wanting to wake his brother up, so he could knock him out again.

She grabbed his forearm, her eyes pleading.

“ No , don't, Sir . I should have grabbed Master Marco or one of the other DMs .

He was trying to negotiate with me. I saw his guest wristband and knew he wasn't allowed to play, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. When I tried to walk away, he hit me.”

Parker drew her into his arms and held her momentarily while everyone else looked on. He saw Ian cock his head at Tiny , who began breaking up the crowd with the other guards. The Head Dom then spoke quietly to Parker . “ Let's take this to the office. What do you want us to do with him?”

Parker didn't answer him immediately—he had a sub to take care of first. She may not be his, but for now, he was responsible for her.

He could hardly hold back the anger and guilt in his voice.

“ Go to the ladies' lounge and put some ice on your cheek.

When I'm done with Ian and my asshole brother, I'll take you home.”

“ You —you don't have to do that, I can drive myself.” Shelby's face flushed, and her eyes avoided him. Even though her trembling seemed to ease while in his arms, it appeared she didn’t want to be there.

“ I need to do this, Shelby , please. I need to make sure you're okay and get home safe. This is not negotiable.” He tipped her chin up with his fingers until she looked at him. “ Please ?”

She bit her lip but nodded her consent. Mistress China wrapped her arm around the sub's shoulder and eased her from Parker's arms. Despite being a bit of a sadist, the Domme tended to be a mother hen to the submissives. “ I'll take care of her. We'll be in the lounge when you're ready.”

He murmured his thanks to her while Ian spoke to the other woman with them. Parker figured she was the owner’s new submissive, whom he’d heard someone mention earlier. “ I'm sorry, but I have to take care of this. Please go with them and wait for me in the lounge. I'll be a few minutes.”

“ Yes , Sir .”

The two women walked Shelby toward the locker room, and before he joined them, Marco gave Parker a heated glare he knew he deserved. He’d broken one of the club’s rules—never leave a guest unattended—and the results had been devastating.

Ian asked one of the nearby waitresses to bring an ice pack to Shelby before turning to Parker , who still wanted to commit familial homicide.

Handing his keys to Tiny , Parker asked, “ Can you do me a favor? Toss him into my truck. And don’t bother being gentle about it.

He deserves every fucking bruise he gets. ”

The six-foot-eight, two hundred and seventy-five-pound, part-time bodyguard grinned. “ My pleasure. We’ll take care of him ... you just make sure Miss Shelby is okay.”

“ I will.” Parker then turned to Ian , his face filled with embarrassment, anger, and regret. “ Let's get this over with.”

Ready for the next book in the Trident Security Series ? Pick up Not Negotiable today!

Shelby Whitman has had a huge crush on the one man who deserves more than she can give him, so it’s best to keep him at arm’s length.

Dominant Parker Christiansen has been craving the perky, petite submissive ever since he laid his eyes on her, but she’s turned down his every attempt to negotiate with her.

When Parker finds out Shelby’s hiding a devastating secret from her friends, he steps in to help, and this time he won’t take no for an answer. Can he convince her he’s fallen in love with her, and if they only have this time together, they should make the best of it?