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Not that it bothers me.
We’re all predators here.
Amused, I allow my lips to curve. “Yes, let’s.”
Contracts are drawn, terms discussed, disbanded.
I threaten to walk out.
Caleb threatens to fire me before he has even hired me.
When we finally settle on terms that suit us both, Caleb calls in his assistant.
After knocking on the door, Yuki peeks in, his exotic features forced into a calm façade. “Mr. Starr?”
“Would anyone like a drink?” Caleb asks.
“Coffee for me,” I say immediately. I roll my shoulders again, wishing for a bed.
“We have—” Yuki offers, but I cut him off.
“Not a cappuccino.”
He stiffens in surprise. Lucas gives me an odd look, and Caleb just watches me.
“Would you like a latte instead?” Yuki asks, and I nod.
“I’ll have sparkling water,” Lucas says. Yuki’s features rearrange into a genuine smile. It tells me that Lucas is liked by the employees, or at least this one.
Caleb murmurs, “Snob,” to Lucas before he addresses his waiting assistant. “Nothing for me, Yuki.”
As the door shuts behind the younger man, I lean back in my seat, “So, you want me to act as a Crisis CEO. You know I’d have to make major changes. It will leave me free to fire anybody I deem unable to do their job.”
Caleb mirrors my gesture. “That’s why I asked for you.” He pauses before continuing with a strange undertone in his voice. “I usually do this myself, but I am pursuing another matter at the moment. I can’t afford distractions.”
I raise my hands, palms facing him, “You don’t have to explain anything to me, Mr. Starr.”
“Caleb,” the man says with a faint smile. “I’d prefer to be on a first-name basis. Also…” He discreetly coughs. “You can’t fire Lucas.”
When I toss him a look, Lucas bares his teeth in a shark-like grin, spinning a pen between his fingers. “Nothing personal.”
“Monthly meetings,” Caleb says. “You can have the CEO office. The building has been restructured, redesigned.” His upper lip curls. “Crawford’s tastes were questionable.”
Yuki returns with our beverages. As soon as he leaves, the conversation resumes as Lucas chimes in, “He was an old bastard, but he had a thing for the female employees. Liked them wearing short skirts.” His grey eyes darken as he twists open the water bottle. “Even tried to make it company policy. Lana threw a fit.”
“Lana?” I ask, soaking in this information.
“She’s the head of HR,” Caleb fills in, his demeanor quiet. “She’ll fight you tooth and nail over each and every person you fire.” The fury that had been present in his face moments before evaporates in sardonic amusement. “She’s been with the firm for five years.”
I frown. “If she’s going to be a hurdle, she can be removed just as easily.”
“No,” Caleb responds. It’s barked sharp and sudden.
It’s eerie how he doesn’t fidget at all. There’s an unnerving stillness to him. Had I been a lesser man, it would have made me nervous.
“She’s excellent at her job. You’ll need her help to understand the previous culture of this company and how to reform it. She’ll be your guide as you weed through the individuals to decide who needs to be let go.”
Lucas nods. “She’s not unreasonable, but she’s necessary. I’ll also be around whenever you need me. I’ve set up an office on the floor below yours.”
