Page 122 of Joker

That’s mine.

And I know it with a certainty so sharp it almost feels like violence.

I’m not letting her go.

Not to Cal. Not to fear. Not to some future where she disappears because this was only ever supposed to be a stop on the way to somewhere else.

No.

She’s here. She’s in my clubhouse. In my space. In my head. Under my skin.

And whether Grinder likes it or not, whether Raven’s ready to hear it in those exact words yet or not, whether the whole goddamn world burns around us before this is over…

I’m keeping her.

Logan must see something in my face when I glance back toward the lot, because after a beat, he pushes off the bar and jerks his chin toward his office.

“C’mon,” he says.

I don’t move. “For what?”

His grin comes back, mean and entertained. “Because there’s not a chance in hell I’m missing this call.”

Cain laughs under his breath.

Blaze perks up like somebody just announced free beer.

Shadow folds his arms and leans against the wall like he’s got nowhere better to be.

I look at all of them and immediately regret every life choice that led me to this exact moment. “You’re all real fucking annoying.”

“Yet,” Logan says, already heading toward his office, “you keep choosing to live here.”

I should tell him to go fuck himself.

Instead, I follow him, because much as I hate to admit it, he’s right about one thing. This isn’t a call I should make alone. Not because I need backup. Because Grinder’s going to lose his ever-loving mind, and Logan’s gonna want to be there when it happens.

Asshole.

By the time I step into Logan’s office, he’s already dropping into the chair behind his desk with his phone in hand and a look on his face that says he’s having entirely too much fun with this.

I stay standing.

Shadow, Blaze, and Cain crowd in behind me like vultures.

Logan scrolls through his contacts, then glances up at me. “You sure?”

I don’t hesitate. “Yeah.”

That sobers him a little. Enough to remind me this isn’t just entertainment. This matters.

He hits the call button and puts it on speaker.

It rings twice before Grinder answers. “Pearce.”

Logan leans back in his chair. “Grinder.”

“Something wrong?”