Page 221 of Joker

I lean down, press my forehead to hers, and let out one rough breath before I finally manage the truth. “You’re trying to kill me.”

Her smile finally comes all the way out then, bright and soft and so fucking beautiful I can barely stand it. “That’s dramatic.”

“No,” I say, my hand sliding down to her hip, fingers spreading over the place just above the tattoo without quite touching it again because I’m one second away from losing all sense if I do. “That’s accurate.”

She laughs, and I swear to Christ, I could live the rest of my life chasing that sound and still die grateful.

Then I kiss her again, slower this time, my mouth less desperate now but no less full of all the things I don’t know how to say right.

Mine. Loved. Chosen. Home.

I’d probably keep going until we both forgot there was a whole yard full of people ten feet away if Lexi didn’t come tearing around the side of the building at full speed with tears streaming down her face.

“Mama! Joker!”

Every part of me changes in an instant.

Raven whips around so fast I have to catch her by the waist to keep her from stumbling on the step. I drop into a crouch the second Lexi reaches us, and she launches herself straight into me, little arms locking around my neck hard enough to make it difficult to breathe.

I take the hit without blinking. “Hey, bug, hey.” I settle one hand over the back of her head and the other between her shoulder blades, scanning her fast. No blood. No limp. No obvious injury. Good. “What happened?”

She pulls back just enough for me to see the outrage under the tears. “Gio said his dad is the toughest superhero in the club,” she says, words breaking around a sob. “And I said no, my dad is. And he wouldn’t listen.”

Everything in me stops.

Not because of the argument. Not because of Gio. Not even because Dom’s kid, Kya’s kid, technically, but that boy is Dom’s in every way that matters now, apparently decided to start a war over which biker qualifies as the clubhouse’s resident comic-book hero.

No.

I stop because of two words.

My dad.

Lexi says them like it’s nothing. Like it’s obvious. Like it’s been true long enough that she doesn’t even think about it before she says it.

My dad.

I look at Raven. She’s staring at Lexi with the exact same stunned expression I can feel pulling at my own face. Her lips part. Then close again.

The whole world goes weirdly quiet around the edges for one beat.

Then Lexi sniffles hard and rubs at her wet cheeks with one fist because apparently she’s already moved on from detonating the emotional structure of my entire body and is back to the business of her crisis. “So I need you tell him.”

Raven makes a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob.

I can’t do either yet. I just keep looking at Lexi, all pink nose and righteous fury and complete trust, and feel something inside me settle all the way down to the bottom.

My dad.

Jesus fucking Christ.

I clear my throat once because apparently that part of me still works. Then I brush her hair back from her face and say with absolute seriousness, “Well, first of all, he’s wrong.”

Lexi’s whole body straightens in my arms like she knew I’d eventually come around to common sense.

Raven presses her lips together, clearly trying and failing not to lose it completely.

I keep going. “Second, Dom talks a lot of shit for somebody I could definitely beat the hell out of.”