Chapter 2Nix

2

Nix

D ear Ivan was staring at Nix, his mouth gaping open like a fish. Poor baby. Had he really thought he was summoning a warrior demon like Kai?

That was hilarious.

And maybe it had been a little naughty of Nix to let him continue thinking that. Nix hadn't intended to trick him, at least not initially. He always kept the smoke column up because he needed time to assess which form to take to appeal most to his bargains. But then Ivan had requested a weapon, and Nix had realized his form didn't matter—Ivan wasn't summoning him for incubus purposes.

More was the pity, as the brother Nix had been spying on was even more appealing up close, with coloring as cold and icy as his voice. Pale-blue eyes, pale lashes, white-blond hair he kept shorter on the sides and combed neatly on top. His features were surprisingly pretty for a man who must be nearing his forties, though he filled out his suit in a way that suggested he was hiding some muscle underneath it.

And, judging by the little hitch of breath and dilation of his pupils when Nix had appeared, Ivan liked Nix's true form just fine.

For all that he only wanted Nix as a weapon.

And while Nix had been a bit naughty, so had Ivan. Really, shame on him for asking for such deliberately vague terms in his contract. Secure his empire, keep his family safe? If one read it by the letter, Ivan could keep a contracted demon at his side for a long, long time. After all, when was the family of a mafioso ever truly safe?

Any demon would have been a fool to take it.

Any demon that actually wanted to complete their contract, that was.

Nix, however, was in no hurry. It was positively delicious to be back in the human realm. And how enticing to have been summoned by this human in particular. How—

Oops, there he went.

Nix darted behind the desk and steered the cushy desk chair under Ivan right as the human collapsed, his pretty eyes rolling back in his head, clearly hanging on to consciousness by a thread.

Poor baby indeed. Initiating a contract did tend to take it out of a human. It was actually quite impressive that Ivan was managing to stay conscious at all. He must have a particularly strong force of will.

But Nix already knew that. He could feel it in the soul piece lodged in his chest, given to him by their bargain. And what a soul piece it was. Absolutely scrumptious, this little tidbit. Full of complex, conflicting emotions.

All soul pieces tasted slightly different—some were sweet, some were salty, some were so bitter they were hard to stomach. But this one was like a big, juicy hamburger with all the fixings. ( Not that Nix had ever had a hamburger. But the human commercials made them look awfully tasty.)

Ivan let out a weak gasp, and Nix focused back on the human the delicious soul piece had come from. Ivan's head was rolling on his shoulders, his chin brushing against his chest. He seemed to be having a hard time looking up, so Nix dropped onto his knees, placing his elbows on Ivan's legs and resting his chin on his folded hands.

"You're not—" Ivan began.

"A big, bad warrior demon?" Nix finished for him. "Afraid not, sweetums."

"Your voice…"

"Oh." Nix hid his grin, clearing his throat with a weak (fake) cough. "Must have been the smoke." He blinked guilelessly. "Sorry if you got the wrong impression."

"You're small ."

Nix pinched Ivan's thigh. "I beg your fucking pardon." They were practically the same height, both of them reaching six feet at least. And if Ivan was talking about other things…well, Nix wasn't small there either.

Ivan didn't react to the pinch, just kept staring. "You—you're—"

Nix threw him a bone. "I'm an incubus."

Ivan's brow furrowed adorably. "Isn't that a type of sex demon?"

"Some would say that." Nix's lips curled into a catlike grin, and his pinching gave way to a soothing stroke. "Why, Vanyechka, you have need of one?"

Now Ivan stiffened under his touch. "I don't fuck men," he said coldly, gathering his composure from who knew where.

"Good thing I'm not a man." But Nix put his hands back under his chin. No more petting for the repressed mafioso.

"I don't fuck male demons either. "

Nix pushed his lower lip out into an exaggerated pout. "More's the pity."

Was now a good time to tell Ivan he could smell desire? Probably not. Poor thing was shell-shocked enough as it was. He was just…blinking at Nix now. He seemed to do that a lot.

"Do you need water?" Nix asked him. "Or maybe some smelling salts?" It had been a while since Nix had catered to a human, and he'd never had the pleasure of one of these newer, modern models. He was a bit embarrassed to realize he was out of practice. "A massage, perhaps?" he asked hopefully.

Ivan ran a hand through his hair, mussing those perfectly coiffed strands. "How am I going to fix anything with this? With you ?" A muscle in his jaw clenched. "We'll break the contract. I'll send you back and try again."

Nix's tail flicked with irritation, even as he tried his best not to be offended. His new bargain didn't mean to be hurtful. But still. "No can do, handsome," he said, clicking his tongue. "A contract is binding."

"Then I'll summon another."

Nix narrowed his eyes. Rude . "Only one at a time, sugar pie. Only one, full stop, actually. One summoning per lifetime."

"God damn it ."

Goodness. Poor Ivan was a real high-strung piece of work, wasn't he?

"Hey," Nix soothed, choosing to be the bigger and better person, despite Ivan trying to throw him out like yesterday's trash. "So I'm not a warrior. I can still help you. I'm stronger and faster than any human you'd find. And I'm impervious to human weapons. And I can do this ." Nix shifted forms, choosing Ivan's secretary, plucking her image perfectly from Ivan's memories.

Nix couldn't read minds, exactly, but he could take certain images. Glimpses. It helped him when it came to giving a contract exactly what they desired. Exactly who they desired .

"Oh." Nix had expected a bit of shock, but Ivan's stunned gaze grew immediately calculating as it roamed over Nix's new, familiar form. "That's a very neat trick."

Nix preened, trying to flip his hair before he realized the secretary kept it in a high and tight bun. "Isn't it, though?"

He switched back to himself, not missing the flash of appreciation before Ivan caught himself.

Not interested in male demons? Tell me another one, Vanya baby.

"Now, Ivanushka." Nix settled his chin more firmly in his hands, batting his lashes up at Ivan. "Tell Nixie here all your troubles."

"That would take an eternity."

"Even better." Nix was in no rush. The more time in the human realm, the better. If he was lucky, he could milk this contract until the end of Ivan's (hopefully) very long life.

Ivan stared off at a point somewhere above Nix's head. "My father was a Mafia man."

Starting right off with the father. Nix knew it. He could smell daddy issues a mile away.

"He came from Russia. Built his business in New York from the ground up. Raised me to take over. My younger brother Alexei was supposed to be my second." Ooh, those were some real bitter emotions coming up with the brother. Nix jotted that down in his imaginary Ivan notebook. "My youngest brother, Sascha, was meant to…stay out of it. Stay safe. Protected."

Sascha. That was the brother who'd summoned Kai. Well, he was certainly protected now, with a warrior demon at his side.

"My father died five years ago," Ivan continued, his voice not giving away how he felt about that at all. "And I took over. Two years ago Alexei botched a deal on purpose. He ran off, leaving me out of millions of dollars and on bad terms with another family. I lost my temper. I was…harsher with our business associates than maybe I should have been."

Ivan's fingers reached out absentmindedly, and for a moment, it seemed he was going to toy with the ends of Nix's ponytail. But after a pregnant moment, he seemed to realize what he was doing and drew his hand back like he'd touched fire.

He cleared his throat. "One particular family, the Carusos, sent someone after Sascha. They stabbed him. He recovered, but…they had to have inside help—the attacker confirmed it." A twinge of real hurt and despair resonated in Ivan's soul piece, there and gone. "The Carusos will be dealt with. I expect my brother and his demon at any moment. It's the rest…" Ivan hesitated. "I don't know who to trust. How to hold on to my men."

"And letting it all go?" Nix asked because honestly, all this Mafia mess sounded like more trouble than it was worth.

"Isn't an option," Ivan answered quickly.

His voice was firm, but there was something there. Some deep pain. Nix was tempted to poke at it, but he let it go.

At least for the moment.

"Then we'll fix it," Nix said brightly. "I'm yours to use, Ivan."

Lust pulsed through the air, sharp and heady, even as Ivan's face remained completely impassive. Well, wasn't that interesting? But just as quickly, it was gone. Ivan's eyes began to droop.

He really had been staying awake out of sheer force of will, hadn't he?

Ivan slumped forward, eyes shutting completely as he lost the battle with consciousness. Nix pushed him gently back into the chair, wheeling it over behind the desk.

He hit the intercom button, modulating his voice to fit Ivan's. "No interruptions for the rest of the day."

"Yes, Mr. Kozlov," the secretary responded promptly.

And now all Nix had to do was wait.

It didn't take nearly as long as Nix had expected for Ivan to stir.

Strong force of will indeed.

Or such a lack of trust in his surroundings his subconscious was unwilling to remain unconscious for any extended period of time.

Or maybe a little of both.

In the meantime, Nix had explored the office. Or the whole floor, really. The office he'd been summoned in was high-ceilinged and expensive-looking with its hardwood floors and big windows, but it was…empty, for lack of a better word. There was the massive desk, sure. Ivan's chair and a few on the other side. An uncomfortable-looking leather couch. And that was mostly it. No decorations. No plants. Not a throw pillow to be found.

Like Ivan was allergic to comfort. To beauty.

There was also a fat stack of ledgers on the desk Nix had peeked through. Ivan seemed to be in charge of a number of businesses, varying in their levels of legal legitimacy. Nightclubs with gambling in the basement and drugs passing through them. Laundromats used for laundering more than just clothing. Property on the docks that gave him some serious leverage with other families wanting him to look the other way on their suspicious shipments.

A busy man indeed.

Besides the main entrance off the elevator hallway, Ivan's office had two other doors. One led to a smaller inner office with a large conference table, and another led to living quarters of sorts, containing a bathroom that was surprisingly luxurious given the austerity of the other rooms and an inner bedroom with a spare bed, some extra sets of suits, and an absurd number of locks on the door.

Clearly Ivan spent the majority of his time here. There was no one else on the floor, not even the secretary Nix had spoken to. Perhaps she was on the level below?

Nix had been tempted to go down and see her—he did so love meeting new people—but he hadn't wanted to leave Ivan unattended.

And it seemed that had been wise, as the human was rousing already. Nix hopped onto the desk in front of the chair Ivan was passed out in, crossing his legs and waiting to be noticed.

Ivan blinked blearily for a moment—looking awfully cute as he did so, like a disgruntled owl—before his features settled into their usual cool mask, distrust practically radiating off him. "What did you do to me?"

"Moi?" Nix pressed an innocent hand to his chest. "Not a thing, my dove. The contract takes it out of a person. Your body needed to recharge." At Ivan's continued suspicion, Nix gave in to the urge to roll his eyes. "I can't harm you, even if I wished to. The contract doesn't allow it. I can only ever act in your best interests."

There was an almost imperceptible release of tension in Ivan's body. "Right," he murmured. "And Sascha hasn't come looking for his Book yet?"

"I told your secretary not to disturb you." At Ivan's sharp look, Nix shrugged. "I didn't think you'd want anyone else to see you incapacitated. Was I wrong?"

There was a brief flash of surprise across Ivan's face, there and gone in an instant. Was it so foreign to him, to have someone else watching his back? It must have been, the touchy creature.

Nix scooted a little closer on the desk so his knee was mere breaths away from brushing into Ivan. "So what now?"

"We wait. I need Sascha and his demon for my next move."

Nix nodded seriously because that seemed to be the right thing to do. "I see."

They stared at each other for a bit. Ivan didn't seem to blink much, other than the times when he was clearly processing some sort of shock. It could have been creepy, but Nix enjoyed the intensity, especially paired with the little curlings of desire Ivan had no idea he was giving off.

How long would it take him to break? To acknowledge his attraction to Nix's form? With how much Ivan seemed to value self-control, Nix was a little worried it could be a very, very long time.

But then again, time was something Nix had an awful lot of.

Eventually Ivan spoke again. "Tell me. Why did you accept the contract if you're an incubus?"

Nix smiled guilelessly, swinging his top leg so it tapped Ivan's chair. "I like to be useful."

Ivan's hand darted out, clamping tightly around Nix's ankle, halting his movement. "Is it in my best interest to lie to me?"

Oh, he was sharp. Nix's grin grew slightly less guileless. "White lies don't count, handsome."

Ivan only stared back at him, all cold and expressionless, his fingers digging into Nix's skin. He was probably amazing at poker, as long as he didn't touch the other players.

Nix sighed, kicking his foot to break Ivan's hold and stretching out on his side on the desk, facing Ivan, placing his own head on his palm. "Maybe I was bored," he offered. "We're stuck between contracts, you know. In a place called the Void. There's nothing to do. Nothing to see." Unless spying on the human world counted as a hobby. "No one to fuck," he added pointedly.

Ivan quirked a brow. "You think we'll be fucking?" he asked, his tone suggesting it was the most preposterous concept he'd ever heard of. Like Nix had suggested they ride an ostrich straight to the moon.

Just as an example.

Nix arched his own brow. "A demon can dream, right?"

Ivan's fingers flexed. "You're lying on my ledgers. "

"So I am." Nix bolted upright, just to be obliging. Maybe also to see if Ivan would flinch.

He didn't.

"Why do you have all these, anyway?" Nix asked, pushing at one of the ledgers. "Shouldn't everything be digital now?"

"They're left over from my father's time. I've been…modernizing since he passed. Though, it's a slow-as-fuck process. I'm going to have Cooper digitize them."

"Who's Cooper?" Nix asked quickly, much more interested in the people in Ivan's world than the business. "Is he hot?"

He didn't miss the flash of annoyance on Ivan's face, there and gone as quickly as his surprise had been.

Ooh, was Nix's mafioso feeling possessive?

"My cousin," Ivan said coldly. "Also my employee. He takes care of the…digital side of things."

"And is he h—"

"Did you miss the part where he's my cousin ," Ivan snapped, finally letting some of that temper out in his voice.

Nix grinned at him. "Testy, testy." And no wonder, with those massive bags under Ivan's eyes. Nix wagged a finger. "You need real sleep."

Ivan ignored him.

"I saw a bedroom," Nix pressed. "Sleep while we wait for Sascha. We can tell your people to let us know if he arrives."

Ivan leaned back in his chair, pinching at the bridge of his nose. "And how am I going to explain you?"

"Tell them I'm your new personal assistant," Nix said, placing a good amount of emphasis on the personal part of things .

"You?" Ivan's gaze roamed over Nix, hot as a brand. "Looking like that?"

Nix glanced down at himself. "And what's wrong with the way I look? "

Ivan's eyes flicked to Nix's shirt, then back down to his leather pants. "Flamboyance doesn't play well with the Bratva."

Nix narrowed his eyes at him. Sure, he could shift forms at will, if it was really an issue. But he didn't want to—not for any extended period of time. Ivan had accepted the contract with Nix as he was (and yes, Nix had tricked him, but so what?), and Nix couldn't remember the last time he'd had a contract where he'd gotten to be himself. Ivan couldn't take that away from him already. "Lucky you're the boss, then, isn't it? What you say goes, isn't that right?"

Ivan's fingers flexed again. "That's right."

The lust tendrils in the air thickened, as did the tension in the room. Oh, Ivan. Babycakes. Boss man. You're too easy.

Nix licked his lips exaggeratedly. "We're all just here to serve you, aren't we?" he crooned, leaning closer. Close enough to smell Ivan's cologne, some intriguing scent with a peppery finish.

And just like that, the lust in the air dissipated. Ivan's expression shuttered, all the heat leaving his gaze. "You're toying with me," he accused flatly.

Nix fought the urge to pout. Grumpy much?

Definitely in need of a nap.

"I'm an incubus," he said easily. He wasn't going to be scared off by a little mood swing. "We like to tease. You can handle that, can't you? Handle little ol' me?"

"You're laying it on a bit thick."

"I like it thick."

Ivan's lips twitched.

Holy crap. Had Nix almost gotten a smile?

Ivan stood from his chair, not even giving Nix a moment to appreciate his victory. "I'll sleep. You'll keep watch."

Nix tossed him a salute. "Sir, yes, sir."

"And if Sascha comes, you'll wake me immediately. "

Nix hopped off the desk, trailing after him. "How shall I wake you? With a kiss?"

Ivan stopped abruptly, so much so that Nix bumped into his back. He turned and offered Nix an impressive glare. "May I remind you, you're here to help me, not seduce me."

Nix grinned at him. "Why not both?"

Honestly, Nix had no idea what he was doing at this point. He was pushing too hard, and he knew it. And as a master of seduction, he knew better. But Ivan's reactions were so varied and strange—hot one moment, cold the next—it was like Nix couldn't help poking at him.

Bad incubus , he chided himself. Very naughty.

Ivan stepped away from him and stripped off his suit jacket, tossing it onto the leather couch. Yes, those were definitely some muscles lurking under that button-down. Nix resisted the urge to lick his lips again, this time for real.

"It's you who couldn't handle me," Ivan told Nix coolly, loosening his tie.

He strode across the office to the door to the inner bedroom, Nix hot on his tail.

Then Ivan shut the door right in Nix's face.

See? Hot and cold. A poor demon could get a serious case of whiplash.

Still, Nix grinned at the wood in his face. "I've handled worse," he told the door. "And I managed just fine."