Dance Moms - Lorelei (3) James & Hilliker

Chapter 16 : Proposition

They walked for an hour to find a parking lot, where Kalani stole another car. Chloe was uncomfortable seeing the girl casually breaks into anything and treats it as her own. What's worse, Kalani had no intention hiding her doing.

"Are you sure this is wise??" Chloe looked where Kalani stopped the car.

"Why? You don't like their food?"

Kalani made one last check from the receipt, got out the car and went inside the Ukrainian restaurant, they were immediately greeted by an unfriendly face.

"We're closed." a big man said.

"Then perhaps you should hang a sign." Kalani sat down at a table like she owns the place. "I'll have one of your most expensive caviar, along with your best vodka."

"We don't serve, the kitchen is closed." said the man without emotion, but Chloe could feel the unwelcome tone.

"I have money."

"Money is not an issue here."

"But wait till you see whose money."

Kalani slapped a wallet on the dinner table, Chloe recognized it belonged to one of the Albanian guards. The man wasn't impressed, but he picked it up and disappeared behind the service door.

"What are you doing?" Chloe whispered.

"Start a war." Kalani sat back and smiled.

Moments later the waiter returned, behind him was a man in full beard. The beard man took seat across the table and adjusted his suit.

"What do you want?"

"The Albanians gunned down two of your men." Kalani lied, Chloe couldn't help but look at her friend.

"And?"

"You have been watching their territory. You want them to go down, but you can't afford to leave your signature, it will raise a war and killings to no end."

The man stayed quiet and waiting for more.

"You want an outsider, someone who is not tied to your organization, someone using different tactics and ammo, untraceable back to you."

"You are Columbian." the man pointed out.

"Dirty as it comes!" Kalani said proudly.

"Then explain to me why I shouldn't shoot you right now."

Right after he said it, the waiter drew out a gun, pointing the barrel at Kalani's head. Chloe almost scream in panic, but Kalani simply laughed.

"P32, favorite by Ukrainian mafia all over the US." Kalani spoke as if the gun wasn't there. "But nothing compare to my Glock 43 unregistered, right down my back."

Kalani carefully raised both hands in a surrendering gesture. The waiter reached down and took her gun, checked and nodded, passed it to his boss.

"It's a ghost gun." the boss examined. "Where did you get this?"

"My supplier is someone you don't want to hear."

"Just who are you?"

"Let's just say someone who hates the Albanians."

The beard man removed the magazine, returning the gun across the table.

"Go back and tell your boss, he has no place here. We don't need a third party."

"Wrong again." Kalani smiled. "I'm a freelancer. I don't work for anyone."

"And what does it benefit you?"

"Can I get something to eat? I'm starving."

Moments later the waiter brought in cold ham sandwiches and coffee, Chloe had no appetite under the high tension, but Kalani eating away as she gave her proposal.

She presented two more wallets, ones she took from customers at the warehouse, still carrying their IDs and business cards, one a high ranking police officer, another a local judge, both held high value for blackmailing.

"And you think you can bring the Albanians down? Alone?" the boss asked. "Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm from El Centro." Kalani leaned towards him. "The REAL El Centro."

"You're Alberto's man?" the man alarmed for the very first time.

"I would rather you don't use his name." Kalani said with a cold smile.

"And you're doing this for personal interest? I find that hard to believe!"

"Do you know his organization?"

"Is this a threat?" the boss grew tense.

"Then you know your small time crime is nothing within his interest. But!" Kalani leaned back and returned to her coffee. "If you have any funny ideas about harming me or my friend, let's just say you don't want to see his people here."

"And what do you want in return? If you want no part of the territory?"

"I need your connection with the police. You and them stay out of my way." said Kalani sipping her coffee.

"We have no connection with the police."

"Oh come on, you won't keep your business if you don't have the police to back you up. The Albanians would have run you over like a bulldozer!"

The boss stayed silence, but his eyes calculating.

"Stay away, that's it?"

"And an all-you-can-eat free pass at all your restaurants."

"You've got to be kidding me!"