Chapter 56

Dwayne Stone's Office, Rogue Rider Mansion, Beverly Hills, California. United States

"What were you thinking!" the leader of the Rogue Riders boomed, his voice making the many strange objects around his office vibrate on their shelves creating a sinister noise.

"I was thinking that a huge heist was going on under our noses and someone had to do something about it," Gen said, standing tall, her chest high, although she was vibrating with nerves that felt like they'd make her fall over at any moment.

Dwayne Stone narrowed his beady eyes at her, towering over her from the other side of his desk. "Do I need to remind you that you haven't finished training and weren't cleared to work a case, let alone go off on your own and make a mockery of this city?"

"Sir, I stopped a huge robbery at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art," Gen argued, feeling Emperor in her mind, trying to keep her from saying the wrong thing and getting in trouble. However, she thought she was miles past that, having done apparently a lot of things wrong that she was, presently and probably for the rest of time, going to pay the price for.

"You created a huge disturbance, breaking glass all over the museum," Dwayne argued, the vein in his head throbbing more than ever before. "You and Emperor are responsible for a ton of damage all down Wilshire Boulevard as well as destroying a warehouse."

Gen drew in a breath, her anger trying to get the best of her, but her mind owning her presence, thankfully. "I think you're missing the fact that we intervened in a major heist that would have happened if we didn't stop it. We kept the majority of those medieval artifacts at Los Angeles County Museum of Art from being stolen. We stopped Hamilton Dixon who is now under arrest. We found not just the valuables from that day's heist but also apparently from many more over the last year. We solved a huge case involving tons of museum robberies. And because we called in the authorities, we had dozens of thieves arrested."

"Did you think to call me?" he asked in a punishing low voice.

"I didn't have your number," she replied at once with a mischievous grin.

Dwayne shook his head, looking ready to reach across the desk and strike her down, he was so angry. "You aren't a Dragon Elite…"

"I know that, sir," Gen said, thrown off by the remark.

"Then why are you intervening in crimes, taking down thieves?" he questioned, his nostrils flaring. "Our job is to monitor them. To regulate. To make them work for us."

"But those men weren't working for us," she argued. "They were outside your radar."

Like he was suddenly growing bored of this conversation, Dwayne reached out, running his finger over the surface of his desk, as if checking for dust. He inspected his finger, shaking his head with disgust, either at the cleanliness of his office or at Gen. She thought it was the latter. "Yes, but you misunderstand that we are supposed to allow crime to happen to keep the world safe."

"I get that, but the crime at the museum hurt the taxpayers who fund this city," Gen countered. "Whoever is behind all those stolen valuables in the warehouse was robbing from the citizens of Los Angeles. That crime benefited rich men who were selling things that didn't belong to them to buy exotic islands in the world. That crime was not the petty stuff that keeps the balance. It's crime that goes too far that we need to squash. Don't you see sir, that we are in the best position to regulate crime because we know what good is. If we allow bad things to happen, then we're the criminals."

He narrowed his eyes at her. Flexed his fists by his sides. Looked ready to explode with fury. "You understand nothing. You've upset a delicate balance in this city by intervening and not minding your place?—"

"Is this about the Los Angeles Commissioner?" Gen dared to ask, interrupting her boss.

Dwayne froze. His gaze gripped at her for a moment, like he was trying to strangle her with his stare. His jaw tensed. "That's none of your business."

He wasn't lying, she knew. But he also knew that if he tried to, that she'd spot it. So Dwayne was avoiding answering the question.

"I know that the new Director of Security for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art was appointed by the new Commissioner," Gen said, knowing that confessing what she knew was risky, but she had to see how her boss reacted to this information.

"So?" Dwayne asked plainly, not giving anything away.

"So, why is it that there's an influx of criminals and major heists are happening in the City of Los Angeles?" Gen dared to question. "What's going on, sir?"

He threw a hand to the side, pointing at nothing at all, but meaning something specifically. "You just stepped through a freaking gate into this time period and you dare to question me on why our world and events are happening the way they are? You know nothing about this city or how it works."

"Sir, I know right from wrong," Gen cut in.

Fury swept across Dwayne's tight expression. "You are as green and uneducated as a newborn baby. But you're also as ill-behaved as a toddler, breaking rules that you don't even understand."

"Sir, we caught criminals who would have gone unchecked by you."

"You don't know that," he said, but something shifted in his gaze. He wasn't lying, but was hiding something.

"Sir, what did you know about the crimes happening at the Los Angeles museums lately?" Gen asked, realizing that she was very close to a murder attempt on her life. Still, she needed to see his eyes when he answered that question.

Dwayne cleared his throat. Swallowed. Shook his head. "It doesn't matter. This is about you…"

He was hiding something. Whether it was his own incompetence or his own treachery, Gen really didn't know, but she was definitely going to figure it out.

"You will not be acting on your own accord anymore or you will be terminated as a Rogue Rider," Dwayne Stone continued, his face suddenly slack and neutral. "You will train as I've dictated. And you won't so much as look at a criminal without my permission let alone intervene in their activity unless I deem it so. Do I make myself clear?"

Gen was absolutely grateful that she could spot liars. And she was even more relieved right then that she could lie without detection. She nodded. Held her chin high. Faked a smile. "Of course, sir. You have my word."