Page 114 of Dark Surrender

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“What a fucking shitshow that was, Logan,” Laura said the next day, referring to the board meeting nearly a week ago.

He couldn’t have said it better if he’d tried.

Logan leaned back in his chair and nodded at the screen.

“I take it you’re not going to take it sitting down?”

He laughed. “If I had a standing desk, I’d be on my feet, Laura.”

“Doug doesn’t know what he was talking about. You’re right, though. We don’t pay enough attention to the numbers and details in these reports.”

“Because you trust me,” Logan said, working his main points. “The highlights section would raise any concerns. As if I’d run my own fucking business into the ground.”

They both sat, nodding.

“He needs a job,” Laura said.

Logan tilted his head and nodded again. “Appears so. The question is, will the board hand it to him? I take it I have your vote?”

Laura looked offended. “Of course. Without question.”

“Then I need you to speak to the others. I’m doing the same, but they’ll tell you the truth more than me. I want you to come back to me in a few days and let me know what you are hearing.”

Laura was a qualified accountant with over twenty years’ experience. She’d been a board member for over seven years—one of the original board members when he’d taken Dufort Liquor public.

“At the end of the day, Doug doesn’t have the experience or knowledge of the liquor industry. He’s a young guy with ideas. We wanted that,” Logan said. He wasn’t just securing his position—he was planning to destroy Doug and have him removed.

They had wanted a fresh mind on the board.

Not a fucking narcissist.

“It’s becoming crystal clear he is a disruptor. That type of behavior and drive isn’t right for a board environment. We need someone who will contribute, read the damn reports—which he clearly didn’t—and understand markets. Again. He doesn’t.”

Logan watched Laura chew her pen and slowly nod.

Excellent body language.

“We did want a diverse board. Logan, I thought back then—and I’ll say it out loud now—you’re only thirty-four. A spring chicken compared to me. We don’t need aDoug. If you want fresh ideas, let’s bring in a creative agency or consultant on a project basis.”

Logan had thought about it at the time, but the cost was far greater than a new board member. In hindsight, it would have been the smarter idea. Or they just had the wrong person.

Probably both.

This was the thing with business—sometimes, you fucked up, and if you learned from it, that was all that mattered.

---