Sunday, Eleven am 
  
Ko guarded boss Tara until three in the morning. During that time they shared information on the Turks and other plans. But he hadn’t heard from Rica since last night. No text, no anything. She must still be upset at me, he thought, while he sipped green tea in the kitchen, pretending not to care, until his phone rang. He answered immediately. 
  
“Hello? Gun Kae? Where’ve you been?” 
  
“Ko!” a graveled voice, “Jun-Seo is at Dacia’s right now. Meet me in the parking lot, hurry!” Click! 
  
“Dacia’s? That isn’t one of Jun-Seo’s clubs though. Hello? Gun?” No answer. Ko re-dialed the number but the call went straight to voicemail. “Dammit!” He dropped the phone and quickly dressed for action.  
  
Meanwhile, In the East Village. 
  
Rica’s impeccable style and love for fashion was a trait learned from her mother. It also served as a weapon against the hubris of poorly educated organized crime figures. Meaning men too stupid to figure out Rica’s charms were a competitive advantage against them during negotiations. 
  
She loved that. That’s why she wore her Vera Wang cream knit mini skirt, with a pair of Prada thigh high boots to her meeting that Sunday morning. She needed all of her weapons at the ready as she stepped into the high end Cafe Matador for brunch. Rica’s wolf, Ian, escorted her along with three more of her toughest brutes, Lewis, Chris, and Erwin. All of her men wore handsome dark suits that she picked out. 
  
“Little boss, where Bling at?” asked her biggest man, Lewis. 
  
“He’s handling something for me,” she replied then looked up at her brutes who surrounded her. 
  
“What’s up, boss?” Ian asked. 
  
Rica scowled at them. “Listen to me all of you. I’m going to meet with this guy in a minute and he may say things to me you four will not like. So take this!” She reached up and pinched all four of their cheeks! 
  
“Ow! ♡ Why, little boss?” They cried, rubbing their loved faces. 
  
Rica stomped her sexy leather boot. “Hmph! That was a reminder that no matter what this guy says to me you boys better not get all mad and try to kill him in here! I can handle it, do you hear me?” she barked. 
  
“Yes, little ♡ boss!” they replied in unison. “But what if he-” 
  
“No buts, now come on!” 
  
With a whip of her ponytail the crime-diva strutted into the colorful eatery with her brute men in tow. And they in turn snarled at every male patron that dared cast a glance at their precious little boss. 
  
Rica and her men strolled past the well dressed diners to a reserved booth in the restaurant’s rear. A man seated at the booth, and surrounded by his own three bodyguards, stood up with a head tilt as Rica stepped toward him. She offered the handsome man a cruel smile to alleviate his confusion. So the man spoke. 
  
“I was to meet with a representative for Bad Tara. So who are you?” The man asked, as he eyed the under-aged Rica. 
  
“I’m the representative you requested. Now, are you still going to invite me for brunch or should I leave?” she answered, as her goons leered at the man. 
  
The man smirked with defiance alongside his bodyguards as they postured in front of Rica and her brutes. “All right little lady. It’s only brunch. And by the way,” He bowed. “My name is Jun-Seo Kim. Boss of the Kim clan.”  He stared in her eyes. “And who might you be?” 
  
“I’m Rica, and I’m here to listen.” 
  
“Rica?” The well dressed Jun-Seo blinked at her name. As if he recognized it. 
  
She caught his look. “Is there a problem, Mr. Kim?” she asked, glaring at him. 
  
“No.” He smiled, clearing a path for her to sit. “No problem at all...Rica.” 
  
This guy. 
  
Wary of the dapper Jun-Seo’s creep factor, Rica chose not to mince words with him and got straight to business. “Mr. Kim, from what I understand you can offer my boss something she wants, am I correct?” 
  
As she asked the question Jun-Seo focused on her from across the small table. “Yes, but I think you’re underestimating what I can offer, Ms. Rica.” 
  
“And what can you offer? And be plain Mr. Kim. No need to speak in riddles.” 
  
“Hmm..” He leaned back in his chair with a squint, “How old are you, Ms. Rica?” 
  
As soon as Jun-Seo asked the question Ian stepped in front of his little boss at the table in a fury, followed by her other men. But as Jun-Seo’s guards reacted Rica pulled Ian, “Don’t!” she barked, calming Ian, and her angry brutes. 
  
In response Ian grit his teeth, growling at Jun-Seo, “You’d better show her respect right here and right now or I’ll fuck you up in front of your bitch ass boys you gaping faggot!” 
  
Jun-Seo immediately raised his hand to stop his men from attacking Ian, while staring at Rica. “Is this how we’re to start business talks?” he asked her. 
  
Rica’s eyes lowered to slits. “Mr. Kim, unless you think my wolf is bluffing, then I suggest you keep your questions business related.” 
  
“Oh?” Jun-Seo looked at Ian, who scowled back at him, “Is that right?” 
  
“Yes Mr. Kim. And If you don’t believe me..” She leaned back in her chair, “Then you’re more than welcome to test him.” As she spoke Ian cracked his knuckles with balled fists. His rage emanated from the table, as the other brutes backed him up. 
  
“Ah.” Jun-Seo looked over at Ian with a smirk. He then said something to his men in Korean and they chuckled like misogynist bitches. Meanwhile Rica tugged on Ian’s coat, keeping him calm. 
  
But soon Jun-Seo was the only one laughing at his own joke. “I’m sorry about all that,” he said as a waitress brought ginger peach black teas to the table. “Now I was saying, Ms. Rica, that I think you’re a pretty young lady and I was maybe hoping-” 
  
“What can you offer my boss, Mr. Kim?” Rica asked as she accepted her tea. 
  
“Oh, that’s easy.” He sat back lifting his cup. “I can give you and her Ahmed, alive. Provided Tara wants him.” 
  
What? Rica slowly placed her cup down and paused, offering Jun-Seo a moment to correct himself. “You can bring us the Turk boss, Ahmed?” she asked. 
  
“Isn’t that what I said?” 
  
“Hmm.” She squinted with suspicion. “And I'm supposed to believe you? Why?” 
  
“Well.” Jun-Seo smiled. “Because it’s the only thing I can offer to Tara that she really wants and that will get me what I want, sooo.” 
  
“And you want the Han clan out of the Flushing bay docks so you Kims can take it over, am I right?” Rica asked. 
  
“Not a tall order for the mighty boss Tara! Because I know for a fact that she doesn't give a fuck which set of Koreans run the docks so long as she gets her thirty percent. But me, I’m gonna offer her much more!” He said with a smile. “I’m gonna offer her what she’s been after the whole time.” 
  
“Oh? And what would that be, Mr. Kim?” 
  
“Haha!” He wagged his finger, “Legitimacy, Ms. Rica, I can offer her legitimacy with the South Korean shipping Chaebols so they can do business right there in Flushing Bay. Millions in legit shipping business every year. Keyword: legitimate. No more cops, no more feds, no more rival distributors.” 
  
Rica listened, but ever a pessimist about criminals, she didn’t believe him. “Ok, it sounds to me that you really believe the BS coming out of your mouth, and I doubt Tara will be interested in-” 
  
“Is it because I’m not your type, Ms. Rica? Hmm?” Jun-Seo grinned. 
  
“Type? Mr. Kim, you are far from my type,” she fired back 
  
“Really?” His face perplexed. “But am I not as pretty your teen assassin boyfriend, Ko?” 
  
 Rica eyes flinched, but she remained calm, How is Jun-Seo aware that she knew Ko? 
  
Jun-Seo appeared to notice her reaction, “I said, I’m a Korean boy too you know, since you seem to swing that way.” 
  
“Ok, Mr. Kim. I think you-” 
  
“He’s probably gonna run out on you. Leaving you with my cousin Kayla!” He glanced at her with a smirk, seemingly judging her reaction to his words. 
  
And his words certainly struck Rica. In a span of a sentence Jun-Seo revealed he knew she had Kayla, and he was going to kill Ko. However, those issues had nothing to do with Tara’s business with Jun-Seo, and Rica couldn’t use Kayla and Ko as bargaining chips. So she played cool. 
  
“May I call you, Jun?” she asked. 
  
“I would love that, Rica!” he answered. 
  
“Yeah, Jun. Here’s the thing. Since we’ve met in the last few minutes you’ve done nothing but spew platitudes to your own greatness, but yet here you are groveling to gain an audience with my boss, sooo~” 
  
“Ah,” said Jun-Seo, “Seems once again you’re underestimating me, Ms. Rica-” 
  
“No, Jun-Seo, I’m calling out your bullshit, there’s a diff-” Mid-speech her phone buzzed. Bling sent a voice-to-text. She read the displayed message. Oh no! Not good news, but she kept cool. She needed to keep Jun-Seo talking. If he at least knew where Ahmed was, that’d be a start. But still, that message.
  
“Is everything ok? Jun-Seo asked, grinning. 
  
“Everything is fine.” 
  
At that moment a waitress brought two sets of dollar sized pancakes to the table. “Good morning everyone! I have your pre-ordered cafe style pancakes,” sang the pretty red haired waitress. 
  
“Ah, right on time!” Jun-Seo smiled at Rica, “And just when I thought you were losing your appetite with me.” 
  
Rica smirked, “Not at all. I have a strong stomach.” 
  
“Oh good, because as I was saying.” 
  
Jun-Seo continued gabbing about what he could do for Tara, while Rica ate her delicious pancakes. But anxiety weighed on her heart. She never told Ko she planned to meet with Jun-Seo. And if Jun-Seo told the the truth he’s aware of her relationship to Ko, and targeting him. 
  
Rica grit her teeth in frustration while pouring more syrup on her pancakes. She had a job to do, but that message from Bling. Holding her phone under the table she re-read the text:  
  
Little boss, Ko left the apartment with heat thirty minutes ago. But I think he caught me following him and shook me at twenty seventh street, and now I don’t know where the fuck he went!
  
Still hiding her phone, she quickly dialed Ko’s number, but the call went straight to voicemail. 
  
Dammit you stupid hunting dog, you’re in danger! And I’m worried about you!