Page 10 of Extradition (Mobsters + Billionaires 1)
“I read a book a day.”
“You should expand your reading past how to make money and maybe include how to work with human beings.”
I’m getting censure from all areas. Fantastic.
“I take it you have a suggestion?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. But you’re not going to like it,” he says, shrugging as though unconcerned with how much I like any of this.
I rub my hands over my face, certain he’s telling me the truth. “And?”
More board members are trickling in, so Jackson leans in. “Hire Portelli back. I’ll create an HR position for him: VP of Company Culture, or something like that. Have him work with my team to create a series of highly visible events where he helps Wolfe Athletics improve our human face.”
“Psychedelics, Jackson? So early in the morning?”
He raises his brows at me, and I lose my temper. “Have you lost your mind? I fired that guy for a reason. I don’t question my decisions. He’s not what this company is about. He’s not the direction in which we are moving. The direction we are moving in is dedicated staff willing to sacrifice for the higher cause.”
Sherry walks in with a stack of handouts, and Jackson grabs one, tossing it down in front of me. “If our vision is a willing staff, then we’ve got a bigger problem.”
I grab the printout, flipping through it until I see the numbers. Jesus.
Jackson points to the staffing numbers. “One hundred and fifty-seven employees have tendered their resignations.”
“Why wasn’t that the first thing out of your mouth?”
“Because I wanted to make sure you were paying attention when I said it. Almost all of them are in high-priority positions, and almost all have the same message.”
“And what was that message?”
“No more.”
Jesus H. Christ.
“So, what is it? Do they want more money? Fine, give them more money. We’ve gotta stop the bleeding.” I stop, knowing my father would never do that. “Actually, I take it back. We’ll give those one hundred and fifty-seven jobs to people who will come here and work for half the price. Just you wait.”
The words feel like a lie as they’re leaving my tongue.
Jackson shakes his head. “I don’t think you understand the magnitude of what is going on right now. First and foremost, people are no longer willing to work for less than they deserve. There is no reason for them to stay here if they can earn more money and have a better work-life balance somewhere else. Those hundred and fifty-seven were already sharpening their résumés, and you just shoved them out the door. But now, every Wolfe employee is looking at their prospects. You’ve got CEOs across the city rushing to post on social media about their policies regarding work-life balance. You’ve got the CEO of Sport-Go playing volleyball with his team in the park.”
“It’s six forty-seven in the morning. What the hell is going on?”
Sherry sidles up next to me, whispering in my ear, “You’re chumming the water with your arrogance there, bud. Might wanna bring it down a notch.”
“I am so going to fire you,” I furiously whisper back as the last board members fill in the chairs around the conference table.
“You wish.” Pointing to Jackson, she says, “Pay attention to what the young guns have to say, not just the moldering leftovers from your father’s era. Unless you want to lose everything and become a cautionary tale.”
I curse under my breath, and Sherry fixes me with another raised brow. “What is the one thing you’ve told everybody since the beginning?”
“Evolve or die.”
“That’s right. It’s time to take your own medicine.”
My chief operating officer, standing closer than I realize, goggles at Sherry. No one’s ever heard anyone speak to me like that. I’ve never heard anyone speak to me like that.
What’s worse is that I think she and Jackson might be onto something.
* * *
