Submit to Me (An Empyrean Novel)-Season 1 - Book 4

Part 1

The insistent blare of the phone as it walked across the nightstand in a constant vibration pulled Kade out of the edge of sleep. It screamed it's emergency and demanded his attention. He glanced at the clock and noted he'd only laid down less than two hours ago. Fighting instinct, he let the phone continue until it died. He breathed a sigh of relief and punched the pillow. Just as he settled, the phone vibrated again, and he cursed under his breath, rolled over and grabbed the phone.

"Empyrean Command Center" the bright screen announced the caller. He slid a large thumb across the screen and grit his teeth.

"Kade!" His voice was harsh and hoarse.

He'd run another long shift. As the head of security for the club it was his job to keep everyone safe. His most recent failure to protect the owner, Alexandra, added to his already heavy burden and guilt.

"Sir, we have a situation." The edge in the voice on the other end of the phone was clear but told him little about the problem.

"Spit it out. I'm in no mood to guess our most recent incident and decide it if is an actual problem or if you all are too incompetent to know the difference."

"Sir, I need you to come to the club ASAP. I'd rather not discuss it on an open line."

Kade ran his hand through his barely there high and tight. A scowl marred his face.

"I'm twenty mikes out," he acknowledged.

"Roger that."

The line when dead and Kade rolled to sit up on the edge of the bed. Good thing he'd showered last night, it looked like it would be another long day. He walked over to his closet, grabbed a pair of black BDUs and a club security polo. He took less than five minutes to dress and grab his keys as he headed for the door and headed to the garage.

The bright red Tesla roadster called to him. He could imagine pushing his irritation through her on the way to the club as he ripped through the gears and took the corners hard.

Instead, he opted for the large black Cadillac Escalade. In one smooth motion, he hit start on the remote and the garage door responded. He slid behind the wheel and pulled out of the driveway. As soon as he was on the road, he hit the accelerator and pushed the large vehicle towards the club he'd left recently.

Ten minutes later, he pulled up the back gate which opened immediately in response to his RFID car tag. The long narrow road wasn't as elegant as the main entrance but the service road provided the perfect vantage point as he approached the club.

From this angle, everything was quiet. The light fog of the morning sat just off the ground giving the scene and an ethereal look. He pulled the SUV up to the parking garage gate and waited for it to respond. Beside him, the security camera panned down and seconds later the garage door began its decent.

He pulled through the parking structure and backed into the open space marked, "Reserved for Security Director."

As soon as the engine died, his door opened. A young man, passed a cup of coffee to him and a radio.

"Sit rep," he commanded.

"Sir, a threat was posted on the front door."

"What kind of threat?" Kade asked, as he accepted the coffee and climbed out of the drivers seat. He didn't stop moving towards the club door as he heard the SUV's door shut and reverberate around the structure. The thump of boots echoed in his wake as the young man worked to keep up.

Kade stopped and turned. He glared at the man before him.

"I said, what kind of threat, boot?" He growled, his irritation sitting right at the surface.

"Someone stabbed a bloody knife into the front door with a threatening note."