Page 107 of Celestial Combat

She hesitated for only a second before following me, pushing through the crowd.

We reached the edge of the cage just as one of the sponsors grabbed Tony’s arm.

“Draw it out,” The man said under his breath, his eyes darting towards the high rollers in the VIP section. “Let’s get more bets going.”

Tony gave a slow nod and stepped into the cage.

A slow hum of anticipation built through the crowd. The roar of voices echoed in the massive space, multiple stories of the warehouse packed with spectators waiting to see if Tony would defend his unbeatable record.

The bell rang.

His opponent was huge, his confidence practically oozing from his stance. He cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders as he squared up.

But Tony wasn’t any less deadly. Standing at six-three, with a full sleeve and dangerously short temper that had both gotten him into shit and saved his life.

Tony’s guard went up, his body loose, calculated as he advanced, tension thick in the air. And then, when the man was in range–

Tony swung.

A brutal, explosive right hook.

The hit landed directly on the opponent’s jaw. And he dropped.

Knocked out cold.

Five. Seconds.

The crowd went insane.

The warehouse was still vibrating from his win. Cheers, shouting, fists slamming against metal railings. But he didn’t acknowledge any of it.

No raised fists. No cocky smirk.

Nothing.

Tony just walked out of the cage, his expression unreadable as he took off his gloves.

The staff was already waiting for him at the edge of the pit, handing him his sweats and phone. He took them without a word, zipping his hoodie in one sharp motion.

He tipped his chin up, nodding behind Kim. “Let’s go,” he said, voice low and hard.

Kim shifted. The neon lighting from the overhead signs reflected in her dark eyes, making them almost glossy.

She exhaled sharply, turning to me with a small smile. “Congrats on the win. Bye, Kali.”

“Thanks. Goodnight,” I said quietly with a small apologetic smile.

Tony was known for his… Intensity.

His fingers wrapped around Kim’s arm – firm, decisive. Not hurting her, but making it clear.

I watched them disappear into the crowd, Tony moving through the packed club with absolute authority, Kim at his side, struggling to keep up in her eight-inch platform heels.

Her head tilted slightly toward him as if she were saying something, a smirk on her lips – but he didn’t react, just shook his head. He just kept walking, jaw tight, fingers still wrapped around her arm. Kim didn’t pull away.

Watching them disappear into the sea of bodies made the corner of my lips lift with a smile for two reasons.

One of them being that no one was going to be on my ass tonight.