To Have and to Master (Masters Unleashed 3)

He sighed loudly. “Shit. I can’t leave this negotiation. I’ll lose the contract. I can’t go for a few days. Damn it.” She could hear the helpless frustration in his voice. “I really can’t.” He made a sound like he was in pain. “I’ll arrange everything and follow you as soon as I can. Unless you can wait?”

“No.” Her hands shook so much she nearly dropped the phone. “I don’t know if he has a few days. I was going to leave today.”

“Varushka,” he said wearily and she pictured him rubbing his face like he did when he was lost. “You can’t go alone.”

Straightening her shoulders she told him, “Yes, I can. I can do it. I remember how.” Her stomach tightened. She would do it for her family, God help her.

He stayed quiet for a long moment. “I can see if I can leave early . . .”

“No!” If she messed up this contract for him, or whatever, she’d never forgive herself. Too many people in Nasva relied on the money he made. If she was selfish and insisted he accompany her now, it could take money directly out of programs he ran in the village. “I can do this.”

“I know you can. You’re a big girl. I just feel like shit for not being able to go with you. I’d leave Bruce in charge here, but this Franklin guy gets all power-trippy about needing to talk to me instead of my people.” He groaned. “And he’s already pissy about how long it took me to get down here for this meeting.”

Varushka was the reason he’d delayed those meetings in the first place. She’d asked him to stay and play with her and he’d postponed going for two weeks to do just that. He’d missed so much work because of her already, that if he wasn’t self-employed, he probably would have been fired.

“Please,” she begged in a small voice, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please, Master. I can do this myself.”

Another long pause then he sighed again. “All right.”

Relief mixed with nerves and now she wasn’t sure what to feel. “Thank you.”

“But you’ll text me before you take off and when you land.”

“Okay.”

“Right when you land,” he grumbled.

She winced but knew he wasn’t upset with her, just the situation. “Yes, Master. I will.”

“I’ll get your tickets now. Do you have the credit card I gave you?”

“Yes.” It was in her purse. She rose to start packing as he spoke.

“Good girl,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to use it for anything you want. Be careful. Call me if you have any problems. Anything at all. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master.” She threw her most modest clothing in a bag, then stopped as she eyed her one black dress. Tears streamed from her eyes, wetting her cheeks. A second later, she grabbed it and stuffed it in her bag, hoping she wouldn’t need it.

He talked her through getting the ticket he’d booked and finding the right gate. Then he demanded she call Kate or Everly for a ride to the airport. She’d planned to call them anyway to ask them to feed the animals while she was gone. Konstantin had said if they weren’t available, to call him back and he’d have Banner or Ambrose take her to the airport and that he had someone booked to take care of the animals. She hated being such a burden but she hadn’t gotten her driver’s license yet, and apparently a taxi hadn’t crossed Konstantin’s mind. He sounded more panicked than she did.

She was ready far too early since the first flight out wasn’t for six hours. In that time, she sat on the couch, bags at her feet, biting a stubborn hangnail. She wouldn’t think about her dedushka dying. She had to stay positive.

Maybe he’d recover and she could announce her engagement. Yes. That was a good plan. They could celebrate her dedushka’s recovery and her engagement together as a family.

* * *

As it’d turned out, Kate and Everly had both been working so Konstantin had arranged for Ambrose to bring her to the airport. She was glad now, going through customs, because his humor and easy conversation settled her nerves. He’d spent the whole ride trying to distract her with silly jokes. The sweet man had even insisted on parking and walking her all the way to the security line.

But now he was gone and she was on her own. By some miracle, she made it on her plane. Her hands shook as she buckled her belt. She almost forgotten to text Konstanin, then remembered at the last minute, before they announced they had to turn off the phones. She typed a quick message.

I’m on the plane. I love you. Talk to you in eight hours.

It would be a long eight hours. Maybe the pill Ambrose had given her would put her to sleep like he’d said. Her phone beeped.

I love you too, malish. Have a safe trip.

She smiled, feeling a soft glow in her chest. Would her family recognize how she’d changed? Would they see a new Varushka—confident and in love? Or were the differences too subtle? She prayed to god they wouldn’t see the last traces of guilt written on her face. She’d had sex before marriage. A lot of sex. And though she mostly believed that it was okay and she wasn’t a bad person, it was hard to completely erase that shame from her head. Those lessons had been thoroughly engrained in her. She was worried her guilt would show—she’d always been transparent with her feelings.

Ambrose’s pill had done the trick, making her drowsy just minutes after takeoff. She was able to sleep on and off, between meals, until landing safely in Saint Petersburg. While taxiing to the terminal, she turned on her phone and texted Konstantin. It was in the middle of the night there, but he texted her back right away.