Abe's heartfelt words wiped the grin off Kev's face. It sounded so earnest, heartfelt even. "You'd be willing to betray your boss for this?" Kev asked.
"Yes!" Abe nearly shouted, his voice rapid. "I can't work if I can't relax! And it's not like you're actually—"
Abe's words were cut off with a sharp thwack as Fang's fist connected with the raccoon's jaw. Fang yelled, "Betray your boss? You're the worst!"
Kev grabbed Fang's arm as he raised his fist to take another swing at the now unconscious enforcer. "Stop, Fang! He was going to tell us something!"
Fang, although looking like a rabid coyote, did not immediately rip himself free from Kev's meager grasp. He looked back, lips pulled back, exposing his sharp canines. It was terrifying. Kev's stomach dropped and jumped into his throat. Trying to swallow back the lump, Kev said, "It was an easy deal to take."
"I would never make a deal with someone like that," Fang growled.
"Then why did we even come to talk with him?!" Kev shouted, surprising himself. It seemed to work. Fang blinked a few times.
"You needed to see," Fang said, his voice not sounding too confident. "The city is after us."
Kev pulled Fang's large paw up to his face and rubbed it against his cheek. "You're right, Fang. And Abe was going to help us, at his own risk."
"How can we trust the words of someone who would betray their boss?" Fang looked into Kev's eyes.
Kev looked back and said, "We don't need to trust them, we just need to hear them." Kev struggled with his thoughts for a moment before continuing, "What would Cindy say? She'd tell you to get every bit of information possible."
"But they could be lies," Fang said, his grip tightening on Kev's hands.
"He wanted to come back here to relax. Would he lie to us if he was going to be coming here often?" Kev questioned.
Fang looked back at Abe, who was sprawled out on the bed. "He might."
Kev sighed and said, "It's okay, Fang. If he lies to us, we will find out eventually."
From behind them, Talon asked, "Should I let Mr. Vlad know that Abe needs his attention?"
Kev and Fang looked back at Talon, who had been standing quietly in front of the door. Fang said, "Ugh, yes, Talon. It seems like this dirty raccoon will be spending another night at the club."
Talon nodded and left the cramped room.
"How about we go too? I don't think we'll be able to talk with Abe for a while," Kev said, pulling on Fang's arm.
Fang's anger was quickly dissipating, his fur falling back down and his voice losing its edge. "Yes, let's get some fresh air."
Kev reached up and pulled Fang into a hug. "You know so much more about this world than I do," he said. "Please don't let me stop you if I'm out of line."
Fang's tail wagged, and he hugged Kev back, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "You're my good luck charm," he said. "I would be foolish not to listen to you."
Talon quickly caught back up to them as they walked back through the west wing. The night was now in full, unapologetic swing. The quiet, conversational atmosphere had been consumed by a raw, primal energy. Public displays of affection, ranging from the tender to the overtly carnal, were happening in every alcove and on every piece of plush furniture. Laughter, sharp and uninhibited, mingled with delighted yells, throaty shouts, and the occasional, piercing scream of pure pleasure. A few naked customers, their bodies slick with sweat under the torchlight, strutted by as if it were the most natural thing in the world, their confidence a stark contrast to Kev's wide-eyed awe.
Kev's ears burned, the sights overwhelming, the sounds of lust and pleasure sending strange, unfamiliar tingles down his spine. He looked up at Fang, wondering if this chaotic atmosphere was something the wolfman enjoyed, but Fang's eyes were looking straight forward, his expression impassive, navigating the sea of debauchery as if he were simply walking through a crowded market.
They passed a leopard woman and a leopard gecko man artfully restraining a willing-looking antelope with thick, silken ropes, her eyes closed in a state Kev couldn't tell was distress or ecstasy. A pair of brightly colored parakeets were locked in a passionate, chirping kiss in a shadowed alcove. Further down, a massive rhinoceros man knelt on a velvet cushion, grunting softly as a tiny shrew woman, perched on a stool behind him, brought a thin, braided whip down across his broad back with a sharp crack.
And there, through the chaos, Kev saw Lanon walking straight towards them. The iguana man was a vision of decadent authority. He was shirtless, his lean, scaled torso adorned with multiple flashy, gold necklaces that glinted in the flickering light. Tight leather pants clung to his slender hips and legs, and on his arm was a stunning, statuesque zebra woman, her black and white stripes a mesmerizing contrast to his vibrant green scales. He moved through the throng with an effortless grace, a king surveying his chaotic, carnal court.
"Oh, shit," Fang said under his breath.
Kev glanced up, surprised. Was this the first time he had heard Fang... Off guard?
Lanon smiled widely as he stopped in front of Fang and Kev. "It is wonderful to see you out and about like this, Fang."
Fang avoided Lanon's eyes and grunted, "We were just leaving."
"Oh, come on, Fang, the night is still young," Lanon said. "If you need a bit of a refractory period, why don't you come and join me and..." Lanon stepped aside with a flourish, "Ms. Marsha."
The zebra woman blushed and swatted at Lanon's hand. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a kiss, sweeping her to the floor as she giggled loudly. When Lanon finally stood back up, he grinned at Kev and said, "So, tell me, what do you think of my facilities?"
Fang grunted, "Leave my assistant be, Lanon. We really must be getting back."
"Getting back to what?" Lanon's head snapped to Fang.
Fang shuffled his feet and looked down. "We, uh, were going to get some fresh air."
Lanon nodded and smiled. "Yes, a bit of fresh air has always been reported to be good for the humors." Lanon looked over at the zebra and whispered, "You know, the humors were thought to be bodily fluids. Maybe we can explore our own." The zebra blushed and giggled again.
Fang coughed and said, "I'm sure we will see each other later." Fang led Kev past Lanon and towards the main barroom, Talon following quickly behind them.
Lanon called towards Fang, "We'll be talking about it tonight, Boss! Our normal time!"
Kev looked up and asked, "Normal time? Do you and Lanon talk every night?"
Fang shook his head, glancing into the fighting pit room as they passed it. Lanon and I have set meetings a few times a week to discuss..." Fang's voice trailed off as he looked down at his assistant, "... discuss all sorts of things."
Kev shuddered and decided not to press Fang on what Lanon would want to talk about. The sensual lizard was off-putting to say the least. Not like Rex or Vlad, whose intentions were predatory but straightforward. Lanon made Kev feel like he was being dissected for some reason, his motivations and desires catalogued for some future use.
They stepped into the main barroom. The music was loud, and the dance floor was alive. Fang leaned in to Kev's ear and said, "Do you still want some fresh air?"
Kev nodded and said, "You know I enjoy walks. Let's just explore the backyard tonight, no need to have any more excitement."
Fang smiled softly and nodded. "I'm not getting into that van ever again."
Even after glancing back to see Talon's frown, Kev couldn't help but laugh. Through the busy barroom and out into the backyard, the night air was refreshing, and the soft sounds of crickets made it feel like stepping into a different, less stressful world.
Kev pulled the blunt Horns had rolled for him out of his pocket and lit it as he allowed himself to be led along the manicured grounds. The backyard at night was a different world from its sunny daytime persona. The moonlight cast long, dappled shadows across the lawns, making the familiar space seem mysterious and vast. The shimmering surface of the pool was a dark, obsidian mirror reflecting the stars. Torches, their flames dancing in the gentle breeze, lined the stone pathways, their warm, flickering light creating an intimate, almost magical atmosphere. The distant, muffled thrum of the club's music was a faint heartbeat beneath the symphony of chirping crickets and the soft gurgle of the fountain.
As the herbs relaxed him, a pleasant warmth spreading through his limbs, Kev decided it was finally time. The secret felt heavy, a stone in his gut, and he knew he couldn't keep it from Fang, not after the wolfman had shared his own vulnerability in the graveyard. He glanced back at Talon, who was a silent, watchful shadow a respectful distance behind them, before holding Fang's arm a little tighter.
"Fang," he said, his voice quiet.
"Yes, my love?" Fang replied, his gaze turned up towards the full moon, his profile handsome and serene in the silver light.
"I had a bit of an exciting day before you woke up," Kev began, his voice carefully casual.
"That is good," Fang rumbled, his arm giving Kev a gentle squeeze.
"Yes," Kev said, taking a slow drag from the blunt. "It was, uh… actually, I got to go down to the park and see the fountain."
Fang glanced down at Kev, then back at Talon, a faint smile on his lips.
Kev quickly continued, "It really was nice. You were right. The buskers and the artists, everyone there seemed to really enjoy it."
Fang smiled, a pleased look in his amber eyes. "I'm glad you had a nice time."
"It was all really great, except one thing," Kev said, trying to sound relaxed, but when the words left his lips, he felt Fang tense beside him. The easy rhythm of their walk faltered, and Fang's arm, which had been a relaxed weight, suddenly felt like a band of steel across his shoulders.
"What was it?" Fang asked. Even from behind them, Kev could almost feel Talon's posture shift, the silent sentinel suddenly at full attention. Fang's voice was no longer the relaxed purr of a lover enjoying a stroll; it was the low, dangerous growl of a predator who had just caught the scent of a threat to his territory.