Page 35 of Protection (Mobsters + Billionaires 2)
“What about Chopin?”
I hum. “Chopin’s rather romantic,” I say with a wistful smile.
“Oh no. My sharp-edged security guy just became a marshmallow,” he cracks.
Remembering his ridiculousness from yesterday, I stick my tongue out.
“No, really, what did they put in this coffee?”
Mads leans over to look into my cup, and I draw it closer to myself. “Don't touch my coffee.”
“Fine. But if my ass gets shot because you're drunk or something, I'm taking it out of your pay.”
“You don’t even know how much you pay me,” I snark back.
Hm. I’m usually more circumspect. Must be the jet lag.
“This is a whole new side of Anthony Edgerton. I’m digging it,” he says, giving me a genuine grin.
“That's because you're getting me before I put on the mask,” I say through a yawn, probably too truthful in my answer.
His eyes soften and he worries his bottom lip. “Is that true, Anthony? Do you mask up before you go out into the world?”
I take a sip and stifle a shudder. I’m sure this is very high-quality coffee, but I still prefer tea. I haven’t told him, though, because he likes bringing me coffee.
You’re being ridiculous, Edge.
Yawning again, I rub the back of my head and focus on him.
“It's less mask and more armor, I suppose. There are many things in the world whose sole purpose is to harm, and I can't let myself get overwhelmed because my number one priority is keeping you safe.”
“Interesting,” Mads says, leaning forward, his eyes sharp. He means it. “I have to do the opposite. Being open with my employees allows us to have a relationship. So I try to practice that as much as possible, even—especially, maybe?—when I’d rather hide inside an office for the day.”
“Is that why your company is always at the top of employee lists? Because you're open with them?”
He nods, then straightens, clearly proud of himself. “Yes. I know it’s controversial, but we decided we won't have the big corner office setup. I don’t want my interactions with my employees to take place across a desk.”
I nod, having been to his offices many times. “I’m curious. How do you get work done with so many people around you and so little privacy?”
He shrugs. “Of course there are times when I need privacy, but I do a lot of work from home, and we have excellent conference rooms. We also have offices for anyone to use, so if someone needs to work on something in peace and quiet, they can always use an office.”
“I’ve never seen you in an office though.”
He nods. “I want to make sure my employees know I’m approachable. It always improves my mood. Seeing people happy to be there and excited to have ideas…it’s what I've always wanted. So if it means I have to open a vein and bleed a little sometimes, show them who I really am, even when I'd rather hide away, it's what I do. Because I really believe in what we’re doing.”
“Making athletes feel bad about their stats with your trackers?” I ask, teasing him.
“No. That's just a bonus,” he responds, popping his brows. “It's about showing people that what they do has value. They can see their own numbers improve over time, even if they're not starting at a super impressive point. You can always get a little better. And people keep forgetting that the work we do with Wolfe Athletics, while a large part of who we've become, isn't the only thing we do. We've got these trackers everywhere. We put them in kids’ toys, shoes, and backpacks. Did you know last year alone we were responsible for seventeen kids being returned to their parents after getting lost or being abducted?”
I sit back as the Viennese Alps come into view. “I didn’t realize you worked with law enforcement that way.”
He nods, grinning. “Up in the common area, we have a board where employees can post pictures of their accomplishments. I posted a drawing done by a little girl who was rescued. She was with some really scary people, but they never took away her teddy bear, and she knew her teddy bear was sending a signal to the police. She wanted to thank the person who gave her bear superpowers, and so she sent me a hand-drawn picture of her bear with wings.”
He looks wistful as he retells the story, and I can tell it means a lot to him. “That’s sweet.”
Shrugging, he continues, “So yeah. I like the way business works. I like being able to take an idea and put it in the market, then watch it grow. That's incredibly satisfying. But to go to market with something that makes people safer? Yeah, that's the sweet spot for me.”
“What do you think about the US government putting the same trackers in the boots of every soldier?”
