Page 1 of Gratification in Gluttony

Chapter one

Toni is a Weak Man

The streets of Gluttonywere dark and dreary, mostly empty save for a few strays scuttling into the shadows to seal shady business deals. Drugs, usually, though there was the odd corner-worker leaning against the faulty street lamps or waiting in the mouth of an alley for their next potential customer.

Tonight, though, only the toughest sex workers were out, the rest having taken shelter inside to escape the gusty weather. Wind blasted against Toni, stinging his cheeks and neck. He hunched his shoulders and ducked his head, briefly regretting forgoing a jacket.

He hated jackets or coats—anything with sleeves, really. The tight tunnels of fabric crushed the fragile fins on his arms, leaving kinks and soreness behind. So even when the weather turned bitter, Toni preferred to suffer through the cold rather than wear anything constricting.

After checking the street for traffic, he crossed over and picked up his pace. Guilt settled low in his gut as he approached the rendezvous point. He shouldn’t have been here, he knew that. IfGem ever found out—no, he couldn’t think about Gem, not when he was about to do something as stupid as this.

He knew better, hedid. He knew it wasn’t good for him. He knew he’d regret it tomorrow; he always did, didn’t he? But Toni was a weak man. His father had reveled in pointing that fact out at every opportunity during Toni’s adolescence. He was weak for many things: a pretty smile, a sharp tongue, the next thrill to fill his otherwise mundane nights.

It was why he’d worked for his father, however briefly. He’d wanted the high, the adrenaline rush. He’d wanted the respect that came with his family name, but he’d proven quickly that he didn’t have the stomach to do what was necessary to claim it.

He’d been faced with a choice then. Kill the version of himself that felt true and real. Or leave the family business and break his mother’s heart. As much as Toni loved his mother, he’d chosen himself, chosen living authentically, chosen happiness.

He had Gem to thank for a lot of it. Gem had shown Toni that being a man didn’t have to mean being hard or being cruel. Gem had taught Toni that softness and kindness weren’t weak, that beauty was something to be celebrated, not crushed.

Toni owed Gem a lot, which made his betrayal tonight even more egregious. Sure, Toni may have redefined what strength and weakness were, but he knew his choices tonight were pathetic. He wasn’t strong enough to resist temptation; the poison would destroy him, but he was able to convince himself that the moments leading up to the crash would be worth it.

At the mouth of the alley between an Avian take-away and a laundromat, Toni slowed to a stop. The wind smacked into his back, fucking up his hair and making it fall into his eyes.

It ain’t too late, that voice in the back of Toni’s mind said.You can still go home.

He could. But he’d already come too far. Tonight, he was falling off the wagon, and he couldn’t fucking wait.

Toni heard the Lupyn before he saw him, and he loosened his posture as he casually strolled deeper into the alley. The Lupyn’s eyes reflected the streetlamp behind Toni, and as he approached, he smiled, revealing sharp canines. His fur was thick and brown, his tail swaying warily behind him as he sized Toni up.

“Kenni, baby,” Toni greeted, and the Lupyn’s grin curled into something more like a sneer.

“You better be grateful I even came out tonight,” Kenni spat, tightening his coat against the harsh wind.

“Like you want the product sitting in your house any longer than it has to,” Toni snorted. “Don’t bullshit me.”

Kenni bared his canines. “You got the money?”

Feigning offense, Toni pantomimed a shot to the heart. “Have I ever let you down before?”

“Consistently,” Kenni deadpanned, and Toni laughed.

“That cuts deep. I thought we were friends.”

With an eye-roll, Kenni shifted his weight and glanced furtively around. “You got the money or not?”

“Of course I got the money.” Toni pulled out a roll of bills, and the Lupyn’s eyes flared. “Now, do you got whatIneed?”

“It’ll cost you extra,” Kenni said as he opened his trench coat to give Toni a glimpse of the package. “Another hundred.”

“An extra hundred? You’re fucking joking!”

“The borders are tighter than ever. Getting this shit through the veil when trade deals are getting dropped left and right ain’t no easy feat.” Kenni rolled his thick shoulders, clawed feet digging into the concrete. “Do you want the product or not?”

Toni slicked his tongue over his teeth, fighting to keep his expression neutral. “You know I ain’t a man to fuck with, right?”

“I know you’ve fallen out of grace with your daddy,” Kenni shot back smugly. “So, you can keep your threats to yourself. An extra hundred, or I walk.”

Frustration sent a growl rumbling through Toni’s chest, but he swallowed it down. Not fast enough for Kenni not to hear it, and the bastard’s cocky grin widened. Toni wanted to punch it off his face, but he resisted. Just barely.

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