Rich and Bossy (Rich Boys)

29. Paxton

CHAPTER 29

Paxton

The minute I walk into the office on Thursday morning, I know there’s a problem. It’s even worse than what I would have expected. It’s a feeling in the air, like an electric current. It’s enough to make the hair at the nape of my neck stand on end.

It doesn’t help that nobody wants to look at me as I walk through the floor on the way to my office. Bree is at her desk, and even she looks unnerved.

Nothing ever bothers her.

“What’s up?” I try to look as discreet as possible while taking off my coat.

She doesn’t have the chance to respond before John walks past.

He looks me straight in the eye, and that single exchange says more than any verbal explanation could. I know I need to follow him, no matter what.

I fall into step behind him.

He’s heading for the conference room.

“We have a problem.” He looks over his shoulder as we enter the conference room, right as he says it.

“No shit. That much is obvious. What is it?”

“Oh, you’re about to see.”

He’s right about that.

I see exactly what the problem is when we enter the conference room and I’m greeted by the sight of several board members. Included among them is Hank Landman, chairman of the board.

Ambush meetings are normally not a good sign.

There are others in the room I don’t recognize, a trio of suited men who look like they all forgot to take their shirt off the hanger before they put it on. They look smug, too—I can’t put my finger on exactly what gives me a weird feeling about them, but it’s a poker read. I just know.

I go to Hank first, extending a hand. “Good to see you. Didn’t know we had a meeting on the books. You want me to arrange a light breakfast or some drinks?”

He just stares at me, unblinking, barely gripping my hand when we shake.

“Hey, Pax.” Chuck Dodge, another board member, jumps in. “This won’t take long. We didn’t mean for this to be some kind of ambush. We understand we don’t run the company. You’ve done an outstanding job up to this point. We want to make sure you know that.”

Fucking bullshit pussy words from a man who never worked a day in his life. “Thanks, I think.” I’m still staring at Hank, who looks entirely undisturbed by any of my expressions.

He’s stone-faced, impossible to read.

“We do choose who manages the company though.”

I tear my gaze from Hank and turn to Chuck instead. “Let’s get to it, gentleman. You going to try to throw me out of the company I built?” To hell with playing these games. It might make my life easier if they did, though I don’t know it would make Hazel’s easier.

“It doesn’t have to get to that. It’s not our intention.” He backs up a step, like we’re still trying to be friends here. “Nobody wants to see that happen, son.”

Now, I really know how Hazel felt when I treated her like a child. These greedy fucks have no idea what it is to build something from the ground up, then they come in like vultures at the end and act so self-important and take over like they know what’s best. If they had nothing growing up, and got a job on my warehouse floor, they wouldn’t work their way up to shit. They’d just be poor their whole lives.

William Jones decides this is his time to pipe up while cleaning his glasses with a handkerchief. Little shitbag. He’s always been my least favorite board member, the youngest at fifty and the biggest kiss-ass I’ve ever met. “This union talk at the warehouse has been allowed to propagate all week. Why hasn’t it been shut down?”

“You’ve had the entire week.” Chuck nods along. “We have tried to stay out of it, wait for it to blow over, for you and John to do what needs done. Yet they are still dominating the news cycle. As far as the public is concerned, they’ve already won. I’ve seen barely any pushback from our leadership. There doesn’t even need to be a vote at this point, in the court of public opinion.”

“And if they’ve won, we’ve lost.” Hank places his palms against the table before rising from his chair. He’s a tall, imposing man, almost my size. I might end up looking a lot like him in another thirty years or so.

He’s also furious. Granted, he’s holding onto his fury, hiding the worst of it for the sake of those around us, but he’s good and pissed just the same.

“However.” He nods in the direction of the three strangers. “We are here to help, before more drastic measures become necessary.”

When John looks down and sees my hands balled into fists, he takes a step in front of me. “What does that entail?”

Hank gestures to the three guys. “This is a group of labor-management consultants we’ve contracted. They’re experts at dealing with these types of situations.”

I want to order these fucks out of my building. “Labor-management consultants?” Everyone in business knows consultants are a drain. They’re rarely useful.

No, they’re something else, and he’s covering up what they really are with a colorful title. They look an awful lot like union busters to me. I glance to John, but his expression is unreadable.

He must feel the weight of my stare, because he meets my gaze and reads it for what it is. The slight shake of his head tells me this had nothing to do with him.

“From here on out, the board expects you to follow the recommendations of these gentlemen to handle this precarious situation.” Hank uses his most passive-aggressive, fatherly tone. “They know what they’re doing. They’ll handle this. And we can all go back to being happy.”

This asshole. He and the other board members file out of the room, and it’s a good thing. I don’t know how much longer I can sit here and look at their smug faces.

One of the asshole consultants steps forward. “Mr. Briggs, we’ve put together a list of steps we’ll implement to bring this to a quick conclusion. We’d be happy to go through it with you, if you want to know what we’re doing.”

Another one of them puts up a hand to get my attention. “Though if you would rather not know, that’s understandable. Some people in your position prefer to be hands off. If something comes back, it’s usually possible to sacrifice someone in middle management and handle that amicably.”

“Sacrifice someone? For approving something illegal? That what you’re saying?”

“We can’t really answer that question for you.” He stares back like come on, man, you know what the fuck we’re about to do.

In other words, I can sit there and pretend to know fuck all about anything that happens. I can pay someone below me to take the fall if they get caught doing shit.

There must be something about the way my expression shifts that sets off an alarm in John’s head. “Give us a little time, we just got in. All this is a new development. Maybe we can circle back and talk strategy in a few hours?”

“Of course.” The three men go and start putting papers back into bags, folders and stuff.

We didn’t even give them a place to work yet, and they’re acting like they own my fucking business. Like they’re running shit now.

John is right, I need a minute to get my head on straight. And once I do, I’m sending these assholes packing. But first, I’d like to touch base with him to make sure we’re on the same page. I’ve already gone behind his back more than once. The least I can do now is explain what I’m thinking of doing and getting his input on it.

I turn for the door, ready to fly out of the room and maybe lock myself in my office and scream for a while, but Hank is waiting for me the second I walk out.

I thought these fat bastards left.

“Paxton, can I have a minute?” He starts walking toward a smaller room like I’m supposed to just fucking follow. Like it wasn’t a question at all.

Once inside, and the door is closed, I stare right at him.

He lowers his voice. “Let’s cut the fucking bullshit.”

Now I know I’m talking to the real Hank. He’s not the benevolent grandfatherly type he pretends to be. He’s always been a ruthless asshole.

“By all means.” I fold my arms and stare back at him.

He shakes his head. “I like you, son. You might not believe it, but I do. I don’t want to do this. I know you don’t believe a goddamn word of that, but it’s true.”

“You’re doing it. Not me. It’s on you, old man.” Fuck him, calling me son. He can get a taste too, since we’re being candid.

“This isn’t personal. I have nothing but respect for you and John. It’s business. This is how it has to be. That’s why this board exists. To hold you accountable.” He points a finger at his chest. “And it’s not my job to maintain a majority of votes on it. That lands on you.” He points at me. “And right now? With this shit storm? You ain’t got them, son. That’s just a hard fucking truth you need to accept, and you need to remedy. ASAP.”

I can’t stand this bullshit. Trying to act like my mentor. He didn’t do shit but come along after Rapid was already successful. Next thing I know, he’s going to call me son again, and I’m going to throw his ass out the fucking window.

“Appreciate the sage wisdom.” I couldn’t be more sarcastic if I tried. “I have work to do. Would you excuse me, please?” Otherwise, I don’t know if I can be held accountable for what I say. I’m already on the verge of getting in his face and really letting him have it, and he’s right, I don’t have the votes. Maybe that is on me, but shit happens. I never saw this coming, out of all the things I anticipated before to save this company.

One fuck-up is all it took.

“Before you go.” He angles himself in such a way that I can’t get past without running him over.

As much as I would love to form tackle this asshole, I know better.

“Any recommendations they make, need to be followed. It’s not optional. They know what they’re doing. They’ve been through this before, and they succeed with alarmingly high results.”

“That’s great to hear.” It’s amazing I can form words with my teeth gritted as tight as they are. “Thanks for running my company for me.”

He shakes his head. “You’re being emotional. We didn’t want to have to do this. We gave you a week. We’re trying to do what’s best for your company, not what’s best for you. That’s our job.” He lowers his voice further, leaning in. “You won’t get the votes. I have them all, and this place will be run at my discretion, whether you like it or not. So you get your ass on board, or I will strip this place from you, got it?”

With that, he steps out of my way to allow me to pass, like I couldn’t have gone right through him if I wanted. When I walk by, I pause right in front of him, and turn. “Since we’re being honest with each other right now, I’ll say this.” I look right at him. “You’re picking a fight with the wrong motherfucker.”

He smirks. “This ain’t a football field. I’ve handled a lot worse, and stolen companies from far smarter people. Have yourself a good day, Pax.”

I walk past before I punch this smug fuck in his voice box, just to watch him wheeze his way out of my building. At this point, I don’t even give a fuck. I just feel horrible. I told Hazel I’d do what I could to make it fair, and I did that. I’ll do it for as long as I can, but I don’t think it’s going to be as long as I’d hoped. I thought I could stall them longer.

They’re going to make it look like it’s coming from me. Even if it’s not. Even if I object.

I want to warn her, but fuck. I don’t even know if it’s legal at this point for me to talk to her, now that they’ve officially filed all the collective bargaining shit.

I just hope she doesn’t think I did this. That I lied on purpose in that condo to get back at her for misleading me.