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BABY BOY

♧

BEYONCÉ , SEAN PAUL

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I DUNKED MY sixth shot, the burn barely registering anymore. I leaned closer to the mirror, reapplying my lip liner while Val spritzed her face with setting spray. The smell of coconut and vanilla filled the air.

Malakai was behind Koko, running a straightener through her hair with a look of pure concentration. "You move too much, baby girl," he muttered, carefully pressing another section between the plates.

Koko rolled her eyes. "Maybe you're just slow."

Val snorted, capping her setting spray. "Or maybe your ADHD ass can't sit still for five seconds."

I smirked, blotting my lips. "She's got a point."

Koko stuck her tongue out at me in the mirror. "You bitches swear I'm the problem."

Antonio was outside in the car, on the phone. Probably handling business. I didn't even have to see him to know his jaw was clenched, his fingers gripping the wheel like he wanted to crush it. A chill ran down my spine as I remembered what we would've been doing if Val hadn't interrupted earlier.

Val caught the look on my face and grinned. "You still thinking about getting dicked down?"

Malakai made a face. "Jesus Christ."

I scoffed, but my lips curled slightly. "No."

"Liar."

I ignored her, grabbing my purse. "Let's go. I need another drink."

Malakai finally let Koko go, running his hands over her hair. "You look hot. Now let's get out of here before Antonio comes in here acting like a warden."

We all grabbed our things and made our way out, laughter spilling through the hallway. The night was just getting started.

We piled into the car, the night air warm against my skin as I slid into the passenger seat. Antonio was still on the phone, his jaw tight, but his eyes flicked toward me briefly.

"Who's getting aux?" Koko asked, already reaching for the cord.

"Rock, paper, scissors," Val said, cracking her knuckles.

Malakai smirked. "Oh, y'all don't want this smoke."

We held our fists out and counted off. Rock, paper, scissors—shoot!

Koko threw paper. Val had rock. I had paper. But Malakai? Malakai had scissors.

"Boom, bitches!" He snatched the aux cord, grinning like he just won the lottery.

"Ugh, here we go," Val groaned, already bracing herself.

Malakai wasted no time. The second his phone connected, the bass of Sean Paul's Get Busy blasted through the speakers. "Shake that thing, miss Cana Cana, shake that thing—"

I laughed as Koko immediately started moving her shoulders to the beat. Antonio sighed heavily, gripping the wheel.

"Malakai."

"What? This is a classic."

Antonio didn't argue. He just switched lanes, smoothly weaving through traffic, his free hand resting on my thigh like it belonged there.

Gasolina by Daddy Yankee came on next, and the whole car turned into a concert.

"Dame más gasolina!"

Val and Koko screamed the lyrics, Malakai rapped every word, and I leaned my head back, the music vibrating through my chest. Antonio stayed quiet, his fingers tapping against my thigh in rhythm.

I glanced at him, taking in the way the streetlights flickered against his sharp jawline.

His eyes flicked to mine for a split second before he looked back at the road. "What?"

"Nothing," I said, but my lips curled.

The club lights were already visible in the distance, and I had a feeling this was going to be a very interesting night.

The second we stepped into the club, the music swallowed me whole. Heavy bass, flashing lights, bodies moving like they had nowhere else to be but right here.

I didn't hesitate. I grabbed Val's hand and pulled her straight onto the dance floor, Malakai right behind us. Koko had already spotted someone she wanted to flirt with and disappeared into the crowd.

Gasolina was still playing, and I let it take over. My body moved with the beat, hips rolling, hands in my hair as I lost myself in the music. Val was doing the same beside me, our energy bouncing off each other.

Malakai grinned. "That's what I like to see. Hold up—" He pulled out his phone, probably recording us for his Instagram story. "Give 'em a show, ladies."

I flipped him off with a smirk but kept moving, my pulse thrumming in time with the music.

Then I felt it.

Antonio's eyes.

I didn't even have to look to know he was watching. I could feel the weight of his gaze from across the room, burning into me like a warning. Like a promise.

I turned my head just enough to find him, and there he was—leaning against the bar, a glass in hand, expression unreadable.

I let my smirk grow, arching my back slightly as I let my hands skim down my body, my hips moving even slower now, just to see how he'd react.

His grip on his glass tightened.

I licked my lips. Game on.

The night blurred into a haze of neon lights, heat, and the burn of liquor sliding down my throat.

We had nearly eleven drinks between us—starting with tequila shots, then moving to vodka cranberries, whiskey sours, a round of rum punches, espresso martinis when Malakai got the brilliant idea that we "needed energy," then switching to straight-up gin and tonics, and finally, a few rounds of champagne that someone—probably a man who thought he had a chance—kept sending to our table.

The music pounded in my veins, bodies pressing too close, the air thick with sweat and sin. I felt untouchable, electric, high off the way Val and I moved together like we owned the floor. Malakai had somehow ended up on the table at one point, waving his shirt around like he was the main event, and Koko had disappeared into a dark corner with some guy who would probably be left heartbroken by sunrise.

Antonio had stayed at the bar, watching. Always watching. I knew that look. Possessive. Predatory. Like he was deciding whether to let me have my fun or drag me the fuck out of here.

I wasn't done.

A slick, hot hand ran down my arm. Some guy. He leaned in, breath laced with alcohol. "Wanna dance, mami?"

I smirked. "I already am."

Before he could react, I was gone, Val's hand in mine as we stumbled toward the VIP section. There, right in front of us, sat a half-empty bottle of Henny, abandoned by some idiot who didn't know how to finish what he started.

Val looked at me. I looked at her.

"Five seconds?" she asked.

"Three."

We swiped it like we were built for this. Malakai's mouth fell open as we made our way toward the exit, passing him the bottle as we giggled like criminals.

"Y'all are fucking insane." He took a swig anyway.

The second we hit the night air, the heat of the club was replaced by the sharp, cool sting of wind against our sweaty skin. Val was laughing, breathless, leaning against me as I chugged from the bottle. Malakai held his hands up, exhaling dramatically.

"God, I need to be inside someone."

"Babe, you were inside the whole club," I teased, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

Val snorted. "Antonio's gonna kill you, by the way."

I turned, and sure enough, there he was, standing by the car, jaw clenched, arms crossed, looking like the definition of not amused.

I tilted the bottle toward him in a mock toast and took another sip. "Guess I better make it worth it."

I took another swig before Val tapped my shoulder. "Look." She pointed at the strippers surrounding Antonio.

"We can't go one trip here without fighting bitches," I muttered, passing Val the last remains of the Henny.

"Who are we fighting?" Malakai asked, already intrigued.

"We are not fighting anyone," Koko said firmly.

"Why not?" We asked in unison.

"You're on probation," she pointed at Malakai. "You're already one drink away from getting banned from another club," she pointed at Val. "And if I get in trouble, my parents are shipping me back to France."

We all blinked at her.

"And?" Val finally said.

Koko exhaled, clearly exasperated. "And if I go back to France, I'll have to move in with my uncle, which means he'll drag me into whatever marriage alliance he's planning. I don't know about y'all, but I'm not tryna be stuck playing housewife to some old-ass man just to keep a business deal intact."

Val and Malakai turned back to me without missing a beat.

"Who we fighting, Cece?"

I nodded at the girls surrounding Antonio. "UTI Central."

Malakai grinned, pulling out a box of cigarettes. "Say less." He whistled looking at one of the curvy dark skinned women who was wearing more or less of string. "I think I'm in love"

Val squinted at the scene, then snorted. "Why are they acting like he's got money to hand out? This is not the sugar daddy section."

Malakai lit his cigarette. "Maybe he's their rent money tonight."

I rolled my eyes. Antonio wasn't even paying them attention, which only made them try harder. One leaned in close to whisper something in his ear, her hand grazing his shoulder.

I cracked my neck. "Time's up."

I turned and walked straight toward him, my heels clicking against the floor, Val and Malakai flanking me like a damn entourage.

As I got closer, Antonio finally looked up from his drink, eyes locking onto mine. I knew that look. He was waiting. Watching to see what I'd do.

I stopped right in front of him, not even sparing the girls a glance. "You done here?"

"And who are you?" One of the strippers asked.

"The woman he gave this ring to. Who the fuck are you?"

Val whistled low under her breath. "Oh, they fucked up."

Malakai took a slow drag from his cigarette and exhaled like he was watching a movie. "This gon' be good."

The girl who spoke had the nerve to look unimpressed. "Cute ring. You sure it's real?"

I smiled sweetly, tilting my head. "You wanna bite it and find out, bitch?"

Her friend snickered, twirling a piece of hair around her manicured finger. "You actin' real bold for someone whose man is out here entertaining other women."

Antonio's grip on his glass tightened, but he said nothing. Watching. Waiting.

I leaned in, voice dropping. "Sweetheart, entertaining would mean he acknowledged you. I could've set y'all on fire and he wouldn't have noticed."

Her smirk faltered, but I wasn't done.

"See, that's the difference between us. You dress like a wish-list version of me and still end up sitting here begging for his attention." I flicked my eyes up and down her outfit with faux sympathy. "You want a tip? Stick to your day job."

Val covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Malakai didn't bother.

The first girl scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Ain't nobody begging. We just don't see why he's with a stuck-up, basic-ass bitch like you."

I shrugged. "Maybe because I don't have to shake my ass for rent."

That was it.

The second I saw her face change, I knew it was coming, and I welcomed it.

She lunged, nails aiming for my face, and I caught her wrist midair. Then I drove my fist into her gut so fast she folded like a bad poker hand.

"Oh, we fighting? Bet." Val tossed her drink aside, cracking her knuckles.

Malakai grinned, flicking his cigarette. "I was hoping y'all would say that."

The club erupted into chaos.

It started small—some girl bumping into Val a little too hard, spilling her drink and refusing to apologize. Val wasn't the type to let things slide. Words were exchanged, voices raised, and then the next thing I knew, Val was swinging.

Koko was in the middle, hands on Val's arms, trying to drag her back. "Val, we are not getting arrested in a foreign country! Let it go!"

The girl was shouting something, and I caught just enough of her words to know she needed to shut the hell up.

I stepped forward before Koko could stop me, grabbing the girl's wrist just as she tried to shove Val. Then I slammed my fist straight into her nose.

Blood. Immediate.

She screamed.

More chaos erupted. People were pushing, drinks were spilling, and suddenly, half the club was either trying to fight or trying to stop a fight. I didn't even see Antonio coming.

One second, I was about to hit her again just for good measure, and the next, Antonio's arm was around my waist, yanking me off my feet.

"We're leaving." His voice was sharp, final.

I struggled. "Antonio, put me the fuck down—"

"Not happening."

I barely registered the people shouting behind us as he carried me through the crowd, pushing past bodies like they were nothing. By the time we were outside, my blood was boiling.

Antonio finally put me down, but he barely had a second to breathe before my palm connected with his face.

Slap.

His head barely moved from the impact.

"What the fuck were you doing entertaining those bitches?" I snapped.

His jaw clenched. "Celine, you went out on a fucking date with another man today! And your mad a few women were circling me?"

Slap. Harder this time.

Antonio's head tilted slightly from the force of it, his tongue running over his bottom lip. His eyes darkened, dangerous, but I didn't care.

"I don't give a fuck about what I did today." I stepped closer, my chin tilted up. "You are mine. I don't share."

Antonio exhaled a sharp breath through his nose. "That's real fucking funny, because I don't either."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Then act like it."

He let out a dry laugh, low and humorless. "Celine, you're insane."

"You married me." I leaned in, my lips just inches from his. "Which makes you worse."

Before he could respond, the doors swung open behind us, and Koko stormed out, Val on her heels.

"You two can have your husband and wife shit later. I'm still trying to fight a bitch."

"No more fighting," Koko sighed, her voice full of exhaustion. But of course, that didn't stop the chaos. The two girls were already charging, fists flying, ready for round two.

Koko whipped around, hand raised, but I was already out of Antonio's grip, moving quickly to tackle one of them. I didn't hesitate, landing hard on her as I threw a punch, aiming straight for her gut. She staggered back, but I was right on her again, shoving her to the floor.

Val wasn't far behind. She was tangled up with the other girl, hair flying in all directions as she yanked at her opponent's locks. The girl screamed, but Val didn't stop. She pulled harder, ripping a chunk of hair free, and the fight only got messier from there.

Antonio's patience snapped. He moved in swiftly, his hands wrapping around both Val and me, lifting us out of the chaos with ease. He put Val down first, but kept a firm grip on me, pulling me close to him. I struggled a little, wanting to get back into the fight, but he held me with a strength that made escape impossible.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Malakai stroll in, his lips covered in a fresh layer of gloss, like he was too cool for all the madness. "I got that girl's number—love tonight!" he declared with a grin, completely unfazed by the chaos around him.

Antonio's gaze flicked over to him, a look of irritation crossing his face. He blinked once, holding me effortlessly in one arm, then his voice dropped, low and venomous. "Malakai?"

"Yeah?" Malakai's casual response did nothing to stop the fire in Antonio's eyes.

Antonio didn't even flinch. "Shut the fuck up." His tone was cold, final.

The tension in the room shifted as Antonio's words hung in the air, his grip on me tightening ever so slightly. I could feel the heat of his irritation radiating, but I couldn't help the fire that still burned in me. The fight hadn't even begun to fizzle out, and I was itching to get back into it.

Before Antonio could stop me, I pulled away from him, slipping out of his grasp and jumping back into the fray. My body moved on instinct—quick, sharp, calculated—as I dove back into the chaos. The girl I'd tackled earlier was back on her feet, but she was still dazed. She swung at me wildly, and I dodged with ease, landing a punch square on her jaw. She stumbled backward, her eyes flashing with rage.

Val was in her own battle, twisting and turning, trying to break free from the girl's vice-like grip. She gave a sudden, violent tug, sending her opponent crashing to the ground with a loud thud. But Val wasn't finished—she grabbed a handful of hair and yanked again, pulling her opponent's head back, exposing her neck.

I was getting lost in the adrenaline, the excitement of the fight rushing through my veins, but Antonio wasn't having it. He was there in an instant, his hand on my arm, pulling me away from the girl just as I was about to land another hit.

"You're done," he growled in my ear, his voice so low it was almost a warning. I didn't even have a chance to fight him off. His grip was unshakable, and I felt the frustration building inside me. I wasn't done yet.

"I wasn't finished!" I snapped, struggling against him, but he held me tighter, his body pressing against mine as he lifted me off the ground, keeping me firmly in place.

"Too bad," Antonio muttered, his voice cold and unforgiving. "You need to learn when to quit."

I glared at him, knowing that no matter how hard I tried, there was no way out of his hold. For now, anyway.

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i deadass cannot believe I finished this chapter this must've been one of the hardest ones I've written in awhile I swear it was supposed to come out earlier but I was so stuck I suck at writing fighting scenes 😭😭

anyways y'all how was it?? did y'all like it let me knoww !!

and tell me if y'all would like CRO4L's aesthetics!!

Remember to drink water !!

- zio 🍸