OURS NOW

Nikolai's pov

Ivan was enjoying himself far too much. 

He had that sick little grin on his face as he pressed the blunt side of his knife on Ace’s wrists. I knew it didn't cut, didn't draw blood, but it pulled another startled cry from Ace, which was what he wanted.

“Brother,” Ivan said lightly, “he’s so jumpy. And I barely touched him.”

“I wonder why,” I muttered sarcastically.

The room vibrated with Ace’s panic. His voice was going to go hoarse from all the screaming.

Ivan enjoyed that but a headache bloomed behind my right eye. “Enough,” I snapped. How had Ivan not recognized him yet?

Although, a part of him was definitely attracted to him. He was so pleased when he'd found Ace hard for me. And he hadn't hurt him, not really. He was looking at him like he wanted to devour him whole. 

Ivan paused, hand hovering near Ace’s shoulder. I knew he wanted to press down on the wound he himself had wrapped meticulously, to make Ace scream again.

But no.

I walked towards him, boots echoing sharply. The moment Ace looked up at me— wide with terror —his voice faltered into soft, broken little breaths, pathetic.

And somehow… hard to look away from.

I stepped a little closer. He flinched.

God, I loved the fear.

I grabbed his chin and tilted his face left, then right, studying him properly. His features had sharpened over the years but he hadn't lost the chub in his cheeks, or the tiny mole under his left eye or the softness of his full mouth.

“Fucking Rivera,” I muttered under my breath. 

Then I straightened. “Ivan, come. We’re talking outside.” It seemed if I waited for him to realise, Ace might lose circulation on his hands from the ropes.

“What— wait, please—” Ace babbled. It was almost amusing how everything made him even more and more afraid.

We ignored him and stepped into the hallway. The moment the door closed, I hissed tiredly, “That’s Ace.”

Ivan’s brow creased. I knew he was bad with faces but this much? This man would forget how he looked if he didn't see me everyday. “Right, okay. And?"

“Ace Rivera… from high school.”

Ivan froze. I could see the emotions flick over on his face; the disbelief, quickly moving to surprise. He glanced behind us, at the closed door, and when he looked back at me, I could see excitement beginning to bloom.

“Oh shit,” he whispered. “That’s Ace Rivera? No wonder he feels so goddamn familiar.”

I smirked, pleased. I knew it, he'd been going easy on him. I had briefly speculated that he didn't recognize him anymore because he didn't like him again, but that was clearly not the case.

“Exactly.”

“Man, he’s even prettier now,” he said absent-mindedly. 

I nodded in agreement. Ivan was silent for a moment, biting his lip in concentration. “Nickolai… I want him.”

I shot him a flat look. Shocker. “You always fucking had.” 

“Yes, and so did you,” he fired back, smugly.

I didn’t deny it.

“So what do you want to do with him?” Ivan asked again, his excitement building, waiting for my call.

“I don't know yet. But definitely not to let him go, he's a liability,” I said, tamping down my own excitement.

Ivan leaned against the wall, a wild smirk playing on his lips. “Well he could earn his keep… I mean, we’re overdue for a new toy anyway.”

He wasn’t wrong, and I had been thinking about it. “Yes, we are.”

And now that Ivan was on board, I let the thought settle, the image of Ace on his knees taking my cock in his pretty pink lips. Exactly like how I'd always wanted.

“I’m going to test him. If he shows any hint of disapproval, I won't take him.”

Ivan smirked at that and we re-entered the room. 

Ace was crying again, tears drying on his cheeks, breath hitching. But his body was still saying something very different. The strain in his sweatpants was impossible to miss.

His face burned redder when he realized we saw.

I stepped toward him.

“I’m going to do something,” I said quietly, “and it’s going to determine whether you walk out of this room or not.”

I saw a flash of hope in his eyes. “Please,” Ace whispered hoarsely, “I just want to go home.”

“You have five seconds to prove that to me.” 

I could see the confusion clouding his eyes but I didn't bother to elaborate. I leaned down and pressed my mouth to his.

At first, he froze— rigid, shocked, uncomprehending. Ivan began to count, slow and amused.

“One…”

Ace tried to pull back, breath trembling against my lips.

“Two…”

Fear clung to him like cologne, and he made a distressed sound.

“Three…”

Then something in him cracked. I felt his resistance bleed away. 

“Four…”

His lips softened, and he leaned in, melting into the kiss. His mouth opened just slightly, enough for my tongue to brush against his. He didn’t flinch. Now pliant, he let me take what I wanted.

“Five.”

I know I hesitated for a second more before I pulled away, my dick twitching from the intensity of the kiss.

Ace stared up at me, dazed and horrified at himself.

“What was that…? Why did you—? Oh God.” His voice shook violently.

“I’ve gotten my answer,” I said.

He swallowed hard. “What answer?”

“It’s simple, Ace.” I crouched, letting my gaze drag slowly down his trembling body. “You become our new toy… and you live, you will have all your desires as well as protection from whoever wants to hurt you.”

He went absolutely still. 

“But if you want a chance to reject this,” I continued, “We’ll give you one more test.”

Ivan snorted, stepping forward. “Better pray your body doesn’t betray you this time, pretty boy.”

Ace’s face flamed. “I can't… I don't understand—”

Ivan tugged him closer by the chair. Ace gasped, his whole body jerking like he’d been shocked when Ivan placed a kiss at the crook of his neck.

“Test number two,” I said. “Let’s see if your cock stays still.”

The moment Ivan brushed his hand over the fabric, Ace shuddered violently, nearly thrusting forward. His breath broke into soft, humiliating little noises he tried desperately to smother.

“Ace,” I murmured, taking a fistful of his hair and forcing his gaze up to mine, as Ivan went lower and lower. “You're not doing a very good job convincing me you don’t want this.”

His eyes sparkled with tears, words dissolved into a breathy sound. The moment Ivan’s mouth hovered near the tip of his cock, the fabric still between them, he trembled, whimpering, his thighs shaking uncontrollably.

“Brother,” Ivan said with a grin, “I think he’s failing.”

Ace squeezed his eyes shut. “Please—” 

He let out another breathless moan as I tugged his hair harder and Ivan pulled his cock through the fabric.

“Last chance, Ace,” I said softly. “Say the word— tell me you want to be free— and your body better agree with you.”

He couldn’t answer, he physically couldn’t.

His breath hitched, broke, and he let out another involuntary sound as Ivan continued.

He had failed, beautifully.

“You're ours now, Rivera,” Ivan muttered, still groping his cock.

Yes. Ours.