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What the fuck. Maybe it was time to clean house. After all, he’d almost destroyed an entire crop of grapes with his foolish behavior.
“You. Are. Worthless.” I didn’t care if the statement was harsh. The idiot in front of me didn’t deserve anything better. I stood over my desk, doing everything I could to control my rage. While I had no real reason to be so hard on the man standing in front of me, I’d come to realize that I refused to tolerate idiots and assholes. Marcus was the epitome of the first on my list.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Wolfe. I didn’t mean to anger you.” Marcus shifted from one foot to the other, his face beet red. However, the damn same gleam remained in his eyes, as if he had something over me.
I tried to pull back, but I refused to tolerate such bullshit. “You’re fired. Get out of here.” I didn’t have to point toward the door. He knew where the hell to go.
The man who’d worked for me for years still appeared startled, his mouth twisting.
“I said. Get. Out!” My voice boomed in the office, lights flashing in front of my eyes.
There was nothing more I hated than a man begging for forgiveness. Thank God he didn’t try. In fact, there was some chutzpa left in the worker, anger crossing his face.
“I made a mistake!”
“One too many. I’m finished with dealing with incompetency.” I laughed after stating the words. When he remained where he was, I gave him the kind of look that would turn a man into stone.
“You will live to regret this, Mr. Wolfe. I assure you that there are several much more powerful men prepared to take you down.”
And there it was. Another threat.
I studied the man in front of me. While there’d been no indication before this that he’d betrayed me, I was beginning to wonder if there was a single person who I could place my trust in any longer. No, this kid was just pissed. He didn’t have the courage or the nerve to take me on.
“Then maybe you should give them a call. One of them might very well be able to use your particular… attributes.” I laughed softly, never blinking as I stared at him. I’d been threatened more times that I could count. One more didn’t mean shit to me.
I wasn’t well liked any longer.
“I gave you the best years of my life,” Marcus hissed, although his tone was already softening as his pea-brain began to comprehend the situation. “Please.”
“Then I fear for your future. Now, get out.” I purposely looked down at my computer after dismissing him. I loathed weak links.
“You’re going to end up in hell, Mr. Wolfe, which is exactly where you belong.”
When he pulled back, I lifted my head, noticing my friend and business manager standing in the doorway to my office, his arms crossed and his expression one of disdain.
“Perhaps so, Marcus. That’s just another part of my life. I’ll make certain your last paycheck is processed without delay.” I gave him another hard look without blinking, waiting as he finally shifted backwards and toward the door. Only when he’d left my office did I take a deep breath.
Robert remained where he was, glaring at me with animosity in his eyes. “That was bullshit,” he stated with repulsion in his tone. “Bullshit!” he said with more vehemence.
“It was necessary.” I shoved the man’s file into another drawer in my desk, the pile growing of the employees I’d let go. “He fucked up.”
“No, it wasn’t necessary, and you know it. Everyone makes mistakes, including you.” He walked closer, placing his hands on my desk and leaning over, sliding a file that he’d had in his hand across my desk.
I ignored it.
“This shit with you has to stop.”
“What shit?” I asked, knowing the answer he was about to shove down my throat.
Snorting, he rolled his eyes. “You know exactly what I mean. You explode at everything. You’ve run off almost two dozen people I’ve hired, let alone some of your most trusted employees who’ve worked with you for years, three with your father, for God’s sake. What the fuck is going on with you?”
Robert had been not only my business manager and attorney over the years, he’d also become my friend. He’d started his career helping my father stay out of harm’s way, becoming almost like a part of the family. His harsh words were to be expected, my choices as of late bordering on heinous. Still, it was my corporation. I could do any damn thing I wanted. I slammed my hands on the desk, everything on the surface rattling. “You know exactly what’s going on with me. You’ve known that for one hell of a long time.” I held my glare, the venom in my tone finally forcing him to back down.
“Yeah? Well, that excuse is getting old. It’s been two years. I understand you’ve had to deal with a lot of shit, but you need to suck it up.”
Suck it up. I wanted to lash out, my fury reaching a precipice, but I pulled back, trying to control my breathing. “Time doesn’t mean a damn thing to me.”
“What about profit? Will that cut through the thick layers you’ve placed around yourself? How about this? Profit is down by forty percent. Forty. Do you understand how much money you’ve lost and all because you refuse to be an active participant in the business? I know you’re a wealthy man, but at this rate, you won’t be in a year.”
