Page 98 of Psycho Beasts

The title read “Mafia Laws,” and I grimaced at how dense it was.

Unless it had been severely miss-marketed, it wasn’t a romance book with simpering females and gallant men who saved the day. Those were the type of books I preferred to read.

Z said, “Study this and learn the rules. You will have a test in three days, and you can’t fight until you pass.”

“What happens if you don’t pass?” I asked as I flipped through and winced at the ridiculously small font.

“Don’t fail,” Z replied automatically.

“But say, hypothetically, that you failed. What would happen?”

Z fingered the barrel of the gun, and his expression didn’t change. But the scent of burning leaves spiked as he stepped closer to me.

His voice dropped an octave. “Don’t fail.”

“But if you did…” I pursed my lips and tried to look innocent.

Z’s nostrils flared, and his muscles seemed to expand as he took another threatening step toward me.

“Sadie, shut the fuck up,” Xerxes snapped.

His outburst was even more shocking because he’d barely spoken to anyone all day.

My stomach twisted tighter, and my cheeks burned.

Z kept staring at me.

“She’s being fucking annoying. Ignore her,” Cobra sneered, and Z shifted his attention toward the other alphas.

He grinned at Cobra as they shared a toxic-masculinity moment.

I mumbled under my breath about how it was confusing to make us take a test and not tell us the consequences.

“Shut up, Sadie,” Jax said quietly as he leaned closer to me.

Immediate tears swelled in my eyes. Everyone was a rude pig, but not Jax—that was too far.

“Please,” he whispered, and his voice cracked.

My eyes dried as I reminded myself that I was a bad bitch, and I focused on my stretching.

If I weren’t conserving the numb for the fight marathon that was apparently happening in a week, I would have switched it on.

For some fucking reason, I was feeling unnaturally emotional about everything, and it sucked.

What would Molly do?

I straightened my shoulders and focused on a speck of dust on the ground, keeping my head high and eyes averted from the men.

When it was time to leave for the day, thank the moon goddess—I’d been worried they’d keep us overnight in some type of dungeon—I jumped away when Ascher tried to lead me out by my lower back, and he had the gall to growl softly in displeasure.

Apparently, all the men were in a pissy mood, because Cobra slammed the car door like he was trying to rip it off its hinges, and no one said a word the entire way back.

At the mansion, Walter sensed our sour dispositions and quietly announced dinner would be sent to everyone’s room.

“I’m sure they’d all love to have dinner together. Just bring mine to my room,” I snarled as the old man looked warily back and forth among all of us.

A hiss shook through Cobra’s throat. “You don’t get to be the victim here.”

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