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🕑 Added 2024-12-12 08:40:59 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 48 - New Ranches
Dante parked next to the main house of the ranch he had chosen to host Julia.
"William, I want everyone here, except the IT guy, to carry weapons. As we know, they're looking for her, and even though we've hidden her trail, they might find her. We need to be prepared."
"Understood."
"Also, the items in the truck need to be brought inside. We'll help Julia settle in after dinner. We've been waiting a long time for a renovation, so we need to be quick but cautious."
William followed Dante and said, "We eliminated three assassins. They all seemed to belong to the same group."
"Any injuries?"
"None. But, boss, messing with them is…"
"I know, William. But they won't know it was us. We know how to cover our tracks. Unless they have probable cause, they won't attack us."
William understood and said nothing more.
Walking toward the most distinctive area of the ranch, Dante pointed into the distance and said, "That’s a beautiful lake."
"It is."
"I want to gift this ranch to my brother. We’ll move Julia to a more secure house equipped with everything she needs to work. But you know you can’t leave her alone. Who knows what trouble she might cause us?" Dante trusted people, but he also knew that not trusting was often the safer option.
In his business life, Dante had seen powerful bosses destroyed by those they considered their most loyal subordinates.
Nowadays, Dante didn’t even trust his own shadow, but he measured risks carefully to prevent this distrust from becoming a daily obstacle.
"Where’s Crocodile?"
"They were working on the other ranches, so there was a delay. But we’ve made good progress in the past few weeks."
Dante looked into the distance and said, "I’ll need managers for the pubs. I’ll appoint the most loyal and reliable people who have served me faithfully. Many need a break—what better way to motivate them than this?"
"If you give them power, they’ll seek more power. I recommend giving them a vacation instead and reserving the manager positions for the best assassins at your disposal." William recognized Dante's generosity toward his subordinates but believed clear limits were necessary to maintain control.
Dante smiled faintly and said, "Then I’ll leave it in your hands. Want a beer?"
"Of course."
The next meal, or rather dinner, took place amidst lively conversation.
The women who worked on the ranch gathered to share rumors about what was expected for Montana.
Dante leaned back in a porch chair and listened as William discussed plans to renovate the barn roof the next day.
"Maybe we should connect a drainage pipe to the cistern to prevent water from escaping," Dante suggested. "The excess water can be used for livestock and irrigation."
"That’s a good idea," William replied, raising an eyebrow. "But it hasn’t rained much this year, so we can take our time."
"Even so, we need the ranches in perfect condition. There should be no flaws." Dante watched as his workers organized the recently acquired ranches.
What he was essentially doing was entrusting the custody of a drug farm to a trusted individual who would act as its guardian.
Dante wanted to give one of the farms to his brother, but since Kayce had stopped contacting him, he had set aside the idea.
But he was sure he would try again. At some point, the family would need to reunite.
Whether through good times or bad, Kayce would come to understand that there was no one better to stand by his side than his own blood.
"Select our own people. Injured soldiers who can no longer serve can take charge of a ranch." Dante knew there were many good soldiers who had been wounded in war. Many of them were friends of his subordinates, making it easier to recruit them.
Many war veterans hadn’t received enough money to live worry-free for the rest of their lives. Most of them needed more than they had and often turned to private organizations.
But Dante paid much more than all of them combined.
…
Yellowstone Ranch, late at night
Dante returned to the ranch after a long day and found his sister, Beth, sitting outside the house, smoking.
"Do you miss the family?"
"More than I can bring myself to admit."
Dante approached his sister, to whom he was closer than anyone, and said, "Do you want to spend time like we used to?"
Beth looked at Dante and asked with a slight smile, "What do you have in mind?"
Comments
Nato J
Hacker needs a new identity, new face (surgery) and lay low for a few years. Dante has to plug a few leaks to his security and deal with new problems. that being Jiménez cartel and those backing them against Felipe.
