Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 84 - Between Bullets and Blood
“Son of a bitch...” Dante clutched the wound in his abdomen, but upon realizing it wasn’t too deep, he grabbed another rifle from the floor to keep moving forward.
He was well aware that the damage he had sustained so far was severe.
However, these injuries could prove fatal if they accumulated, so he needed to be extremely cautious not to get hurt again.
As Dante was about to exit th...
2024-12-30 07:54:31 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 83 - It's Not for Anyone
"Ahhhh!!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Those are elite soldiers of the High Table…"
"Yes, I can see that."
Dante couldn’t comprehend the situation he was caught up in, but there was no time to dwell on unnecessary thoughts. Above all else, survival was the priority.
He also didn’t understand why Jack hadn’t left yet. Most of his men were already dead.
It could be confidence...
2024-12-30 07:53:35 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 82 - A Fight
"You’ve made a grave mistake, Mr. Dan."
Jack stood in front of Dante, signaling that even in these circumstances, he cared about Dante's safety. However, what Jack didn’t know was that these men weren’t here to kill him or his family—they were here to take the life of his sister’s fiancé.
From behind, Dante assessed the people who had entered the room after those uninvolved had fled. In mere secon...
2024-12-29 09:16:14 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 81 - The Song of Blood, Part 2
"The hotel has been surrounded. What are your orders?" Crocodile had reported that armored buses had arrived at the hotel's gates.
Dante, adjusting his black suit that covered him entirely, didn’t respond immediately.
"Not everyone needs to die here for a fight that isn’t theirs. I’ll stay and do what I can. The rest of you will fall back and secure an escape route, while Crocodile’s grou...
2024-12-29 09:14:49 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 80 - The Song of Blood
Thirty minutes ago.
"I want everyone in formation. It's known that there are many assassins concentrated in our location, so it’s very likely they’ll come for us tonight," said Dante, looking at the men seated beside him.
The people under Dante’s command were a special unit of highly trained soldiers prepared by William to ensure his protection.
What he had discovered so far ...
2024-12-28 09:13:17 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 79 - The Reason for the Mistake
"This is very unsettling," Susie said confidently as she entered the room alone where Henry Collins was waiting for her. She continued, "I hope there's no issue with my money. That would complicate things."
It was evident Susie knew Henry was laundering her money while organizing the fights in which her brother was currently competing.
"It's not about the money," Henry said, watching the fight t...
2024-12-28 09:11:50 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 78 - The Day Has Come
After a week of rest, the day of Jack's fight against the Ripper had finally arrived.
For this special occasion, Dante’s security was extensive. The fight was set to take place in a private venue within a hotel, and the seat Dante occupied was one of the most coveted for viewing the bouts—though it was also the most exposed.
At that moment, Dante's informants had reported that Eddie was meeting with S...
2024-12-27 08:30:44 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 77 - Things in Common
"Mr. Dutton, please, sit down and have a glass of wine with me." Eddie had invited Dante for a more private conversation to get acquainted with this new individual, who seemed far more dangerous than Susie and her family combined.
"Just call me Dante; it reminds me of my father, which is uncomfortable." Dante didn’t want to be addressed as "Mr." as it didn’t suit his style.
Eddie nodded, poured a glas...
2024-12-27 08:29:55 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 76 - That Encounter 2
"Are you my sister's boyfriend?" Jack approached Dante and asked this question angrily.
"It’s true. Did she tell you?" Dante seemed to know that things had reached this point and couldn’t be undone. Since he had spent the night with Susie, he would take responsibility and marry her. "I’m not sure if she’s expecting a child, but I’m here to meet my new family."
Bam!
But jus...
2024-12-26 06:12:50 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 75 - That Encounter
At this moment, they were entering the lands of the current Duke of Halstead, one of the many places where Susie's family had conducted their business.
Like any duke of the modern era, the dukes Susie worked with owned vast territories, forgotten by those investigating drugs. This made them the perfect places to hide an underground cannabis greenhouse.
Dante had copied this idea—or rather rented it—and ...
2024-12-26 06:12:01 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 74 - Pursuit
“They’re following us,” Susie said, glancing at the black car trailing them in the rearview mirror.
Dante, sensing the situation could turn interesting, pressed a button on his smartwatch. “Alright, let’s get them off our trail. But first, let’s head somewhere secluded.”
He wanted to ensure it was just the one car tailing them. Once he confirmed this, Dante pulled a pistol hidden in his jacket and at...
2024-12-25 05:44:12 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 73 - Meeting
Dante was looking at his reflection while standing in the elevator. After a long night of rest, the time had come to meet Susie again, but under different circumstances.
The agents under his command were everywhere, and it only took pressing a button for them to come to his aid. However, there was nothing to worry about—or at least, that's what he thought.
Still, the reason he was at this hotel was to take care ...
2024-12-25 05:42:56 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 72 - Traveling to London
"Are you sure you don't need me there?" Dante made a last-minute call at the airport before boarding the plane to London.
"You can work in London if you love business administration as much as you claim during meals. I remember you used to skip classes and hide in the kitchen to avoid being caught. Enjoy the trip, appreciate your youth, and stop calling me," John ended the call, hoping his son wouldn’t bot...
2024-12-24 07:27:22 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 71 - Taking Responsibility
"I want you to take Robert's family to your new ranch along with his children. You can build a cabin away from your own so they can start fresh." Late at night, Dante shared these words with Kayce, hoping he would agree to care for the children of the man Dante had killed.
His family would be shattered; an important figure for his brother's wife had died at the hands of someone close to him. It was a heavy...
2024-12-24 07:26:42 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 70 - Identity Revealed?
“If you want our cattle, come and get them!” shouted Lee, still mounted on his horse, lagging behind as the rest of the group retreated with the recovered cattle.
But then, a shot from a high-caliber rifle shattered the silence.
Bang!
The bullet narrowly missed Lee, and when he noticed the figure not far from his position, it had already collapsed to the ground from the impact.
“What t...
2024-12-23 05:59:19 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 69 - Family Comes First
When the helicopter landed, Dante, who had been scolded by his brother Lee, glanced at their father, who was approaching to calm the commotion.
“You’ve turned this into a mess,” said John as he walked toward an elderly man seated in the back of a pickup truck.
“It was like this when we got here.” Lee tried to avoid their father’s criticism but was reprimanded anyway, despite doing nothing wr...
2024-12-23 05:58:20 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 68 - The Length of the Problem
“So that’s what it’s about, huh? Yes, send about six more agents to support my brother and secretly protect him.” Dante was in the middle of changing when he received a call from William, who informed him about some things he hadn’t known about the situation.
In just a few hours, he learned that there was a lot of activity at the Painted Horse Casino Hotel to celebrate the fact that Thomas Ra...
2024-12-21 07:45:33 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 67 - Sentinel Force
The next day, early in the morning.
Dante drove an off-road vehicle and parked it in the wilderness, watching the cattle grazing not far away.
More than five hundred cattle belonging to wealthy ranchers moved across the plain in unison, creating an impressive sight as dust rose into the sky while they ran toward the corral.
Horses and off-road vehicles lined up, following closely behind.
The exp...
2024-12-21 07:44:49 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
At noon the next day, Dante drove home leisurely, carrying the large trout he had caught before his brother Kayce arrived.
The land is so vast and sparsely populated, which feels like a real shame at times like this.
Normally, when someone catches something impressive, they want to show it off. But here, there weren’t many people around to admire a trout.
That’s why Dante made a detour to a barn wh...
2024-12-20 05:37:51 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
The next day, Dante walked slowly along the northern branch of the river on Kayce's ranch, scanning the water for signs of trout.
That morning, he had brought several supplies to the restored cabin. The albino grizzly bear was still missing, but the bowl beside the sofa was empty, and all the food he had left there had been consumed.
Upon closer inspection, he n...
Wind in the Smoke
"I don’t need to go to a damn hospital; I’m fine, for God’s sake." John, his face half-covered in blood, was trying to get out of the ambulance as soon as he received emergency medical treatment.
However, the paramedics, following strict instructions, wouldn’t let him leave. He needed to go to a hospital for a full-body checkup.
"Dad, you need to let the doctors examine you,"...
Wind in the Smoke
When they arrived at the accident site, they were met with overturned machinery, a large construction area, and their father lying ahead with his face covered in blood.
Dante's expression was calm, but no one should mistake his serenity for indifference.
"Kayce, make sure they take our father to a hospital for a full-body checkup." Dante gave the instruction as he ap...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 62 - Helping with Kayce's Ranch
The next day, Dante continued helping Kayce restore his ranch.
Thanks to systematic excavation work and yesterday's rain, the ground was moist and soft, allowing the recovery work to proceed smoothly.
Dante plowed the 120 square meters of land within the fence and applied fertilizer along the way.
After digging trenches one by one at intervals, he took a deep breath.
Digging ho...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 61 - Kayce's Doubts
Dante, using his scythe, cut down the weeds around him one by one. "You know you can’t run from the family forever. One day, your son will need to meet his uncles, grandfather, and true roots."
"He already has them with his mother."
"We are Duttons. Are you really going to let your own son miss out on the blessings of our family? Physically, we could give him everything he ever wanted. Don’t misunde...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 60 - The Abandoned Cabin
"In a good place, even bears love it, but once human activity starts here, I'm sure they'll move away," said Dante as he walked away from the spot where the bear had been resting.
Kayce had his rifle ready to fire at any moment, though, fortunately, there was no need for it.
"I'm going to explore the house."
Dante took a deep breath and quietly entered the dusty hunting lodge. He walked to th...
2024-12-18 04:27:35 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 59 - A Gift for a Brother
"Was it really necessary to give me a ranch?"
"The truth is, I want my brother to have the best."
The ranch Dante was gifting his brother was nestled in a river valley at the edge of the Rocky Mountains, located in the basin between the reservation and near the Yellowstone ranch.
The land here was rolling, with pastures surrounded by vast expanses of grasslands and low shrubs. The northern ...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 58 - A Busy Morning
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the old blinds at the back of the cabin, casting dappled patterns across Dante's bed.
The smell of beer and wine from last night still lingered in the air.
Dante furrowed his brows and stared at the ceiling with squinted eyes. He was dazed for a moment, his mind a chaotic mess.
Last night, he'd had a few extra glasses of wine, and now his head was buzzi...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 57 - A Long Night
The sky was darkening, and outside, the rain had been pouring down in torrents for quite some time.
Inside the main house, dim lights barely illuminated the entrance, while the curtain of rain beyond was hidden in the night.
Dante, John, Lee, James, Rip, and Beth were sitting in the main living room. The sofa had been used for many years and always squeaked when someone sat on it, something that brought e...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 56 - Hunting Season
Beth woke up the next morning in significantly better condition than when she had arrived home.
Having Scud, a warm little puppy, sleeping with her on the bed—curled up against her back or at her feet—was incredibly comforting.
Only once, in the middle of the night, did she suddenly feel alert.
At that moment, Scud leaped off the bed and ran to the living room, facing the front door. His tail...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 55 - A Conversation with Julia
After dinner, Dante settled into the barn, tossing the gear he had brought into the area designated for the night caretakers.
Since he wasn’t at his father’s ranch, he had to improvise a bit.
The monitoring area featured a small folding bed, a knitted blanket for warmth, and a heater.
Electricity had been installed in the barn earlier to provide light at night, facilitating calving...