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🕑 Added 2024-11-30 09:12:49 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 33: A Question
The arduous work of the past few days had finally ended, and Dante returned to his ranch, where he kept things low-key to ensure his family remained unaware.
At Dante's home, Susie had prepared a feast.
Dante didn’t expect such a dangerous woman, as beautiful as a serpent, to know her way around the kitchen. But she surprised him with her signature dish: roasted duck.
Noticing Dante watching her, Susie, aware that these days of relaxation were about to end, looked back at him and said while pouring herself a glass of wine, “I suppose a beautiful woman has never cooked for you before. Are you a bit excited?”
Though he had long grown used to Susie’s sarcasm, Dante still found himself slightly unsettled.
Maintaining his composure, he replied, “It’s only right for a woman to cook for a man, especially when he’s the one providing all the food. You’ve tasted my cooking; I don’t need to be impressed by yours.”
Susie, ever perceptive, brushed off his comment and said, “That’s because you haven’t tried my duck yet. Ever thought a drug supplier would serve you roasted duck?”
Susie’s family situation was typical of those who ran drug organizations. Ruthless with anyone who crossed them or tried to leave, their lives were filled with feuds, parties, and drugs—just part of the environment they had to navigate.
Unlike her brother, Susie was like a peacock, the one holding her father’s business together while he sat in prison. She was the only one keeping the organization stable, occasionally receiving instructions from her father.
It was clear that if Dante had any intentions of taking the Glass family’s only daughter, unfortunate consequences might follow.
Dante pulled out a pocket watch and said, “My enemies are thinking harder than ever that I want to take what belongs to them—or what used to belong to someone else.”
“Even a seven-year-old would understand that you’re a threat to their organization. You have the infrastructure to take over their business overnight,” Susie said knowingly, referring to Ghost, a neighbor who ran a clean operation.
The attacks had become more frequent, and Dante wasn’t exempt from these strikes. His bank had been robbed of several hundred thousand dollars. Though this amount was negligible considering the hundreds of similar safes across New York, no one stole from the Sons of Anarchy and flaunted it without consequences.
Gang life in the U.S. was far different from what Dante knew in the U.K. It was wilder, and things could spiral out of control overnight.
The presence of Russians, Chinese, and Latinos had darkened the underworld Dante had entered.
Generous as ever, Dante offered every gang leader a chance to work under him, declaring that the Sons of Anarchy would now control cannabis distribution.
Of course, the Sons of Anarchy would never touch cocaine.
Dante knew full well that stepping into that business would invite law enforcement scrutiny he didn’t want.
“Even if I don’t want to, I have to meet them, clear out the riffraff, and deal with that persistent Felipe Lobos.” Dante didn’t want to believe it, but he thought the attacks on his organization were an unfortunate coincidence. “If that lunatic obsesses over me any further, I won’t be able to move freely across the country.”
Susie didn’t object. If Dante didn’t settle things with the leader of the largest Mexican cartel at the moment, his organization wouldn’t find peace.
Reflecting on the meeting he was about to have, Dante said, “I’m not afraid of anyone. I fear what I might do if I’m cornered. I know I can do a better job than everyone around me. I could take Ghost’s business and his friend Tommy’s just by showing them that Ghost’s lover is a damn prosecutor.”
“I could make a lot of money and invent a way to stay on the sidelines without involving myself. But right now, all I want is to focus on my family, to be happy with what little or much we have.”
Dante already had enough enemies to deal with. The last thing he needed was to become a cocaine supplier.
Susie poured Dante a glass of wine and said, “You’re ambitious and cautious. Associating with people like them will only bring you trouble. Why do you think my family doesn’t touch the cocaine business?”
Dante understood. Cocaine was a far more dangerous trade than even arms dealing. Unlike other drugs, cocaine was more addictive and incredibly lucrative for sellers.
Millions of dollars could move in a single day in this business.
Dante had long grown accustomed to the harshness of the underworld, but now he had a family he wouldn’t expose to such risks.
“How’s the duck?” Susie asked as Dante stared at the fireplace for a while.
“It’s delicious. Is this a recipe from your mother?” Dante asked, picking up his utensils to resume eating.
Susie smiled at the cheeky joke and said, “It’s a recipe I found online. It took me six years to perfect it, but now you’re tasting the results.”
“Then I’m lucky,” Dante said, visibly satisfied with the meal. Then he asked, “Have you ever been to New York?”
