Page 119 of Joker

“Do not make this weird,” I say without looking back.

Shadow barks a laugh. “Brother, it got weird the second you started cutting dinosaur-shaped pancakes for a kid that isn’t yours.”

“I did that once.”

Blaze nearly chokes. “You did what?”

“It was an accident.”

“There is no accidental dinosaur pancake.”

“There is if you mind your own fucking business.”

That just makes them laugh harder.

Assholes.

By the time we make it inside, Logan’s already in the main room downstairs near the bar, talking with Cain about something low and irritated while Dom sits at one of the tableswith a laptop open, looking like he hasn’t slept and probably hasn’t.

Standard.

Logan glances up first.

Then at the two idiots behind me. Then back at me.

His expression changes almost immediately.

He knows something’s up. “Why do you look like you’re about to announce a death?” he asks.

“Because his freedom just died,” Blaze says helpfully.

Logan’s eyes narrow. “What?”

Cain leans back against the bar, crossing his arms. “Oh, this oughta be good.”

I should probably wait. Take Logan aside. Handle it privately like a rational adult with some semblance of self-control.

Instead, I look at the men in this room, the ones who matter, the ones who’ll need to know if shit gets ugly, and I decide I don’t really give a fuck about subtlety today.

“Raven’s mine,” I say.

Silence. Absolute silence.

Then Dom slowly looks up from the laptop.

Cain blinks once.

Blaze looks delighted.

Shadow looks like he’s trying not to laugh.

And Logan?

Logan throws his head back and laughs so hard I briefly consider punching him in the throat.

He braces a hand on the bar, still laughing. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

I stare at him. “You done?”