To Have and to Master (Masters Unleashed 3)

having to replace the general manager of one of his older shops, one thing had led to another and those few days had become two weeks, which had turned into three. Now there was an investor in Nebraska interested in making a deal, and three more days of scheduled negotiations loomed.

Varushka had been understanding at first—more than he’d expected. They’d texted back and forth like mad for a couple of weeks, but in the past few days she’d gotten moody. Part of him was desperate to get his ass back to Russia before she decided he was bad news. To be fair to her, though, maybe it was better that she have time to give serious consideration the fact that he was bad news.

Every time he thought about how innocent she’d been when they’d met and all of the things he’d done to her, he wanted to kick himself. Introducing her to his perversions, especially so quickly, had been selfish of him, and it made him wonder if changing her life’s course so radically was the most profound evil he’d ever wrought in his life.

He’d wanted her, so he’d taken her. If that wasn’t the epitome of covetousness and greed, he didn’t know what was.

Now, to top everything off, if he married her there was a good chance it would damage her relationship with her family. Could he live with himself if he took that from her, too? Would a man who truly loved a woman fuck up her life so completely and feel no remorse?

Right now she was young and sweet and in love. But as the years passed, would she hate him for taking so much from her?

His guts churned as he scratched Beda behind the ears. The white goat leaned affectionately against his leg, then nipped his finger. He winced and frowned at the thing, wondering if she’d been sent to remind him that life had a way of getting even with assholes.

He fed the chickens, then lay back on the grass and waited.

The sound of Ambrose’s booming laugh preceded his friends as they walked around the corner to the back of the house.

Hopefully they’d brought beer.

They’d probably be more comfortable inside, but the goats needed exercise and attention, especially since he’d given the woman who took care of them the day off.

“Sweet. The white one killed him. You owe me five bucks.” Ambrose clapped his hands together once and Konstantin opened his eyes to check that the goats hadn’t been scared off, and that they weren’t doing some unauthorized snacking in the garden.

“He’s still breathing. I’m not paying up if he’s still breathing,” Banner replied.

“He is not breathing.”

“If you were a real friend, you’d give him mouth to mouth.”

“I’m not allowed to if Everly isn’t with me. She wants to watch. She’s even offered to pay.”

“More than five bucks?” Banner asked. “You might make more money kissing men for your wife than you do betting against me.”

“Oh, she wants to see more than kissing. Trust me. She’s such a fucking pervert.” Ambrose sighed happily. “I love her so hard.”

“Quit talking about molesting my corpse.” Konstantin sighed heavily. “Have some respect for the devil.”

“Here we go.” Ambrose groaned, nudging Kon’s knee with the toe of his shoe. “If we have to listen to him going on about what a horrible person he is, I’m claiming this whole case of beer for myself. I can’t listen to all of this again sober.”

“Prince Hamlet isn’t going to be content until Ophelia drowns herself, Ambrose. Get with the program.”

“Does anyone even say ‘Get with the program’ anymore? I mean, other than high school teachers trying to prove how hip they are?”

“Shh. I think Prince Hamlet has a soliloquy coming on.” Banner, the gentleman that he was, cracked open a beer and handed it to Konstantin.

“I guess twenty-three beers should do it. But if he starts talking about how smart and beautiful and sweet she is, and how he doesn’t deserve her, I’m going to need the number for that brewery that delivers.”

“Shut up. Our best friend is having an existential crisis. It’s not time to be a comedian.”

“Then why am I here? You should’ve brought Kate. At least she’s a therapist.”

“I love my wife too much to subject her to this.”

“Why are my friends such horrible people?” Konstantin asked no one in particular. “When they were struggling with their relationships, was I not there for them?”

“Actually, you were in Russia when I was working through the beginning of my relationship with Kate,” Banner reminded him.

Ambrose snorted. “Yeah, and I seem to remember that when I was having issues with Everly, your solution was to offer me the use of your slaves.”