Chapter 6

If at any point in his life, someone had told him there'd come a time when he'd be naked in the middle of a massive living room, being leered at by three of the richest men on the planet, he would have laughed in their face.

Honestly, it was tempting to laugh still over how absolutely ridiculous this all was, but the fear and that never-ending swirl of curiosity that always haunted him kept him from doing so.

Nix needed to come up with a plan, but his brain was struggling and he was starting to get chilly. He quickly sorted through the information he had, though it wasn't much. They were looking for someone who'd gone against the super-elite club they were all a part of and had mistaken him for that person.

Okay.

Now they knew Nix was not in fact who they were looking for.

Good.

But West had confirmed what Lake had already suspected, and they knew Nix had still hacked into their systems. Obviously, there was more to the app, just as he'd supposed from the start. Somehow, the app and the club were linked. Therefore, even if it wasn't anything as serious as trying to break into the club itself, messing with the app was still pretty bad. Right?

Of course.

They wanted to know why, and it'd certainly be easy enough to explain, to tell them all about Branwen and his secret mission to find out who had pushed her to the edge. Only…What if it'd been them?

If Lake was a King on the app, it was safe to assume the other two were as well. All Nix had to go on was his cousin had been speaking with a King before her death.

If he tipped his hand now, he may never get answers.

Lake was too observant, though. If Nix fully lied, he'd catch on and then…Well. That part was less clear, but considering he'd already allowed Yejun to forcefully strip Nix and inspect his ass, whatever came next couldn't be good.

So, as close to the truth as he could manage without giving himself away. He could do that.

Hopefully.

"I did it for fun," he said, swallowing when it was clear none of them believed that. "Seriously. I knew I was transferring here, and when I heard about the app, I was curious."

"And you just decided to hack in and play around…because?" Yejun asked.

"I'm a senior this year," Nix replied. "I didn't think I'd have time for the other tiers, and I wasn't planning on staying on it long term."

"No?" Lake's eyes narrowed.

"No."

"Then why do it at all?"

"I told you," he repeated. "For fun." This wasn't going to work. He needed to give them more. He dropped his gaze and crossed his arms, allowing himself to look meek on purpose. "My cousin died recently. They left me a note."

"A note?" West tilted his head, and Nix could tell this part he was starting to buy into.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I've been a straight-A student all my life. I don't have many friends back home. Most of my time was spent studying."

"That's why you're so good with computers."

"Probably. I've been learning since I was ten so." He shrugged. "Anyway, my cousin told me they wanted me to be different this year. To…try and break out of my shell or whatever. Since it was their dying wish…" He let his words trail off. "It's stupid."

"That part isn't," West said, "but messing with my programming? That was next-level idiotic." He seemed to be considering something for a moment before he snapped the laptop shut with a loud click and put it back on the end table. "I can think of a few ways you can make it up to me though."

"Excuse me?" Lake straightened behind his chair and slid his hands into his front pockets. The silent warning he sent down at his friend was somehow deafening.

"What? You don't expect me to just let him get away with it, do you?"

"Please," Nix felt panic sink its claws back into him, "I didn't mean anything by it. Really."

"I believe you," West reassured, but before he could feel any sort of relief in that, added, "But it doesn't mean shit to me. Actions have consequences, Nixie. Demons don't forgive. You want to walk out of here and let bygones be bygones? You're going to have to pay the price for your deception."

Nix cast a pleading look to Lake.

Lake was clearly the one in charge here. If he told his friend to forget it—

"All right," Lake said, and Nix felt the floor drop out from under him. "I set the terms."

West seemed like he wanted to argue but then agreed with a single shoulder shrug.

"One final Favor," Lake held his gaze, "isn't that right, Songbird? That's all you have left to earn that crown you wanted so badly."

"You're not really thinking about giving it to him?" Yejun asked incredulously, then laughed when he took in Lake's expression. "Well damn." He tipped his head at Nix, eyes dropping to his dick. "I mean, he's got a hot body, sure, but is it worth all that?"

Despite his earlier thoughts, Nix moved his hands in front of his junk, earning a chuckle and another wink from Yejun.

"You do the Favor," Lake continued. "You enter the King tier. And you stay there for the rest of the year. Understood?"

Right, because Nix had lied about wanting to achieve it just for shits and giggles. He couldn't understand what possible reason Lake could have for wanting to order him to stay on the app, but that wasn't the main issue right now.

Did he lie and say he wanted nothing more to do with them or their app? Or did he play into this and potentially tip his cards? They'd obviously be able to tell he wanted it if he agreed too easily, but…If he missed this chance and Lake changed his mind and kicked him out after all he'd never get answers.

Become a King.

Hunt one down.

Avenge Branwen.

He was so close to the next step. Was he really going to give it all up because of a silly thing like pride?

"What—" he paused and licked his suddenly dry lips, "What's the Favor?"

Lake moved so he was fully behind West and then clapped both hands down on his shoulders. "Suck his dick."

Oh.

"Don't look so disappointed, Nixie," West drawled, already reaching to undo his fly, as though Nix had already agreed and this was a done deal. "I promise it'll be fun ."

He flinched. He'd been hopeful that Lake would make him do something with him. Even in front of the others, he probably could have handled that, but to do something so intimate with a stranger…

How was Lake any better, he scolded himself. Nix hadn't even known he was Maestro all this time. Everyone in this room was a stranger, whether he liked it or not.

And, whether he liked it or not, he was going to have to do this.

"I do this," he directed the question to Lake, "and we're even?"

"If you're asking if you're forgiven," he corrected, "sure. There's nothing that ties you to the hacks into Club Essential. The app is just a pet project of ours. Something to pass the time with."

"You're not a threat," Yejun translated for him, "is what he's saying." He moved closer, holding up both his hands in a sign of surrender a second time when that had Nix instantly retreating. "Relax, Firebird, I'm just getting comfortable so I can enjoy the show."

He sneered before he could help it.

"Is that a problem for you?" Lake asked.

"We share everything," West told Nix, slipping his pants down to his ankles to expose his semi-hard cock. He grabbed onto himself and began stroking, smirking when that had Nix's eyes going wide. "Ever sucked a fat one before, Nixie?"

Lie or tell the truth?

He looked to Lake who was watching him far too closely for his liking.

"Yes," he admitted.

"Perfect," West motioned him closer with his other hand, "then get over here and show me what you got before I decide to ask for something more than a blowjob. Feel fortunate that I'm the only one here who didn't take a peek at that sweet ass of yours. Maybe that's the only reason I'm willing to settle."

Nix couldn't believe he was about to do this. He moved slowly around the coffee table, movements jerky and awkward, but if any of them noticed, they collectively chose to go easy on him by not pointing it out.

Easy on him.

Yeah right.

Even still, there were only so many steps between them, and once he got there, Nix hesitated.

"Don't be such a little bitch." West reached out and latched onto Nix's wrist, yanking him down onto his knees between his spread thighs.

All the while, Lake stood behind him, towering over his friend, staring down at Nix with unblinking green eyes. Yejun was also watching, but it was different—and not only because he already had his dick in his hand was stroking himself.

There was an intensity to Lake, a darkness that warned things could go from bad to worse if Nix chose not to cooperate. It was the fear of finding out how that could be that finally spurred him into motion.

West's cock was thick with a slight curve. He was big, but Nix could almost wrap his hand around it. It felt hot to the touch, already slick from the precome West had rubbed over himself, and when Nix gave a tentative pump, his balls twitched.

Not wanting to push his luck, he only stalled for a few seconds before Nix shifted into a more comfortable position on his knees and then leaned in, opening his mouth to welcome the silky crown. Tentatively, he licked at it, flicking his tongue over West's slit. A burst of salty musk hit him and he closed his eyes, telling himself to block out everything else and pretend.

Pretend he wasn't the only naked person in the room.

Pretend he wanted this.

Pretend—

He gasped when fingers dove through his hair and he was forced down, the entire length of West's cock spearing through his mouth in one go. He pushed against West's thighs, inhaling deeply the second he was lifted off, and then lowered himself, setting a gentler pace in the hopes the man would take the hint.

Wishful thinking.

"This is a punishment, Nixie," West growled a moment before his grip on Nix's head tightened, "remember?"

That was all the warning he got.

There'd only ever been two other people Nix had experienced this with in the past, and neither of them had been assholes about it. They'd allowed him to set the pace, let him get used to the taste and feel of them, figure out the best way to go about fitting their girth in his mouth.

It'd been a joint experience, pleasurable for all involved.

Absolutely nothing like this.

Nothing about this was mutual, even if he'd initially consented.

Tears and saliva streamed down his face as West's strong hands gripped his skull and fucked into his mouth. His thick cock hit the back of Nix's throat, causing him to gag, but that only seemed to spur the demonic man on further.

West humped his face like it was his own personal sex toy, careless about the fact Nix needed oxygen. He buried himself deep with every inward stroke and took his sweet time pulling back out, always stopping with the fat tip resting on Nix's tongue.

He struggled to breathe around it, but that cock continually blocked his airways, and it wasn't long before Nix grew lightheaded and felt himself swaying. His lips hurt from being stretched, and his throat wasn't too far behind. Every time he felt West slam against his passage he winced.

"You're going to bruise him," Yejun said from where he was still sprawled out on the couch at their sides. Despite his comment, he continued to wring himself in time to West's thrusts, his flushed cock straining toward Nix as though wanting a turn.

He wouldn't have to take him next, right?

The thought had Nix's gaze shooting back up to Lake, but their leader's expression was blank. For the life of him, he couldn't get a read on what he could possibly thinking. Nix tried to speak, gurgling around West's cock, but it was no use.

For his efforts, West dropped his head back and moaned, fingers digging even harder into the back of Nix's skull as he spread his thighs wider and yanked Nix forward. Once he was buried again, he held him there, making another sound of pleasure when Nix started to panic, his struggles increasing as he desperately tried to shove himself away from the other man.

His vision started to wink out as his lungs burned. He slapped at his thighs, begging him to release him, only to be ignored.

Was this seriously how he was going to die?

Suffocation by cock?

Humiliated and used and—

West grunted and suddenly came, hot come shooting down Nix's abused throat fast enough he choked on it. "Swallow it all, babe," the demon warned. "Unless you want to go another round?"

Nix's eyes widened and he tried to shake his head, swallowing as he was told. He kept doing so even when West finally stopped unloading. Even when he started sliding his cock free. Nix's tongue sought him out as he'd retreated, licking forward to lap at his rosy crown one final time.

"Holy shit." Yejun came next, still aimed Nix's way. He covered him in spunk, laughing when Nix jolted when a string of it hit him on the side of the face.

Before he knew what was happening, West was tossing him aside and standing. He tucked himself back into his pants and readjusted, Yejun doing the same. In no time at all, the only proof left that anything had happened between them at all was naked Nix, on the floor, white globs of their release sticking to his skin.

"Thanks, Nixie." West leaned down and patted him derisively on the cheek, laughing when Nix slapped him away.

"Guess we'll be seeing you in the King chat," Yejun said, moving to leave with West when the other man walked around the couch and headed toward a set of winding stairs on the other side of the room.

Nix stared after them, an odd feeling of rejection and degradation flashing through him, causing more tears to prickle at the corner of his eyes.

"Clean yourself off and get out of here," Lake said, reminding Nix that he was still there.

When he turned to look at him, however, he'd already been dismissed.

Lake followed after his friends without so much as a second glance back.