Page 157 of Joker

I turn my head slowly toward Joker. He does not look even remotely apologetic.

“You knew,” I accuse under my breath.

He doesn’t deny it. “Maybe.”

I narrow my eyes.

His hand tightens at my waist once, like he knows I’m one second away from either blushing or bolting and he’s prepared to physically keep me from doing either.

The traitor.

Logan glances around the room, waits until everyone’s settled enough to listen, then says, “Tonight, we’re doing what this club’s always done when one of our brothers finally gets his shit together enough to claim what’s his.”

The room immediately erupts in hoots, whistles, and enough laughter that I feel my face catch fire.

Joker, unbelievably, just looks amused.

Shadow yells, “About fucking time.”

Blaze adds, “We all suffered through the pining long enough.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Joker says flatly.

The room laughs harder.

I should probably die where I stand. Instead, I stay right where I am because Joker’s arm is still around me and, embarrassingly enough, that’s enough to keep me standing.

Logan lifts his beer a little higher and looks directly at me then. And whatever teasing was in the room softens. Not completely. Just enough that what he says next lands where it matters.

“Raven,” he says, voice steady and warm all at once, “Joker claimed you, which means this family’s yours now too.”

My throat tightens instantly. Hard enough to hurt.

The room stays quiet. Listening. Present.

And for one brief, dizzying second, I can feel all of them there.

Not just a crowd. A family. A unit. A structure.

Something bigger than blood and certainly bigger than paperwork. Something chosen. Something defended.

Logan raises his glass.

“To Raven.”

The room follows immediately. Every glass. Every bottle. Every can.

Joker’s arm tightens around my waist.

And then, with the whole room gathered around us and the music low and the lights warm and my heart beating too hard to be safe, Logan gives the toast. “Here’s to a long life and a happy one,” he says.

The room echoes it back.

“A quick death and an easy one.”

More voices. Louder now.

“A good girl and an honest one.”