Page 120 of Joker

“No,” he says immediately, still grinning like a bastard. “Not even a little.”

Cain’s mouth twitches. “Well. That explains a lot.”

Dom, without missing a beat, mutters, “Statistically, this was inevitable.”

I look at him. “The fuck does that mean?”

He shrugs. “Proximity. Trauma bonding. Hypervigilance. Protective behavioral adaptation. Also, you stare at her like a serial killer with a Hallmark card.”

Blaze nearly falls over laughing.

I point at Dom. “I liked you better when you spoke less.”

“Objectively false,” he says, already looking back at the screen.

Logan’s still grinning when he straightens and pushes off the bar. “Alright, Romeo, what exactly are you telling me here?”

I hold his gaze. No bullshit. No joking. No backing off now that it’s out there.

“I’m telling you if this goes bad, I’m not playing detached. I’m in it. She stays protected, the kid stays protected, and ifanybody’s making calls or plans involving either of them, you clear that shit with me.”

That wipes the last of the amusement out of Logan’s face. Not because he’s mad. Because now he knows I’m serious. He nods once. “Done.”

Cain straightens a little too, his expression going from entertained to locked in. “That includes us tightening eyes?”

“Yeah.”

“Already happening,” he says.

Good.

Logan studies me for another second, then asks, “You told Grinder yet?”

That one hangs in the room for a beat. Because everybody here knows exactly what that question means. Not just that Raven’s his daughter. That he’s president. That there’s politics attached now whether I want there to be or not.

I don’t answer immediately.

Which is answer enough.

And that, apparently, is what brings Logan’s grin roaring right back to life. “Oh, hell no,” he says, laughing again. “You have not.”

I glare at him. “I was busy.”

“Yeah,” Blaze says. “We all know.”

I ignore him.

Logan points at me like he’s issuing chapter orders. “Absolutely not. You do not make that call without me there.”

“Why the fuck would you need to be there?”

“Because I want to hear Grinder’s reaction when you tell him you claimed his daughter.”

Cain outright laughs this time.

Even Shadow loses his fight against it and snorts into his hand.

I’m surrounded by children.