Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 54 - Another Day at the Ranch
During lunch, Dante and Lee had a rare argument.
Naturally, the dispute was about lunch itself—specifically, the perfect way to cook eggs. Their disagreement nearly made them forget about the food on their plates.
“Sure, fried eggs are good, but I’d prefer something with more vegetables,...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 53 - Ponies
On the way back, as he passed the ranch, Dante stopped again, pulling his truck off the road.
The sound of brakes and a door opening drew the attention of Lloyd, who was busy setting up an electric fence.
He looked up and shouted in an exasperated tone, "No one knows how to fix it! The ponies are about to escape ...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 52 - Ghost's Gift
"The Jiménez Cartel, as reckless as the Wolves and unafraid of this man, someone even I didn’t want to challenge." Dante was seated in a café in the city, receiving a detailed report.
He had learned more about the Jiménez Cartel through Julia, and it was clear that becoming their enemy would be a bad decision...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 51 - The Taste of the Wind
In the main house's living room, John was engrossed in reading the newspaper while Dante sat on a long couch, fiddling with his phone, producing strange sound effects.
John tolerated it for a while before snapping, “Alright, enough with the noises!”
“This is my new app. It’s incredibly usef...
Wind in the Smoke
Wrapped in a cozy handwoven blanket, Dante watched the sun rise over the mountain, not far from where his room was.
With an oversized steaming cup of coffee in his hands, he curled up in the wicker chair and tried to shake off the drowsiness.
He thought he wouldn't have ...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 49 - Time Between Siblings
Dante took Beth for a walk around the ranch, reminiscing about their past and how it shaped their lives as adults.
“If I hadn’t insisted on going with you that day, you might not have had the chance to be a mother now,” Dante said, recalling the time he intervened when Beth, as a desperate teenager,...
The Black Moon Assassin
Chapter 140 - The Attacks
A few hours later, following the attack on Jun’s fortress, the entire place was engulfed in flames.
Jun, who had been holding back the enemy with attacks on their ranks, faced a frontal battle that ended much sooner than expected.
Although they didn’t kill Jun, his army was crushed, and the city was t...
2024-12-12 08:43:13 +0000 UTC View PostWind 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 i...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 47 - Why I Chose Dante
Dante turned his head and looked at her incredulously. "Are you serious? You can't drive?"
Julia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "It's not that I can't. It's just that I haven't been behind the wheel much these past few years. Living underground, hidden from everyone, has its drawbacks."
Dante, driv...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 46 - Slight Discomforts
"I’m here now. If that woman isn’t here, I want a valid explanation."
Dante had a problem. He wanted to reinforce the security systems of his organization, and for that, there was no one better than Julia, the girl from the dark web.
In secret, they had been searching for Julia for a long time. Sh...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 45 - Ranchers' Association
At noon, Dante hurriedly ate lunch on his way back to the cabin.
With no time to visit the natural coal extraction zone, he went straight to work on the old ranch.
Fortunately, the spring hunting week had come to an end.
Currently, Dante and the two brothers were closely collaborating with o...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 44 - Family Dependence
On his birthday, Dante was fortunate enough to avoid being assigned a shift to watch over the cows, allowing him a peaceful night of uninterrupted sleep.
However, early the next morning, he was intercepted by his older brother, Lee.
At thirty-eight, Lee looked even older than his years. His neatly trim...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 43 - Learning More About the Ranch and Future Dreams
The calving season is the most stressful time of the year on the ranch. After all, being the largest ranch in the entire country comes with its challenges, and during this season, those challenges are magnified.
Most ranchers in Montana choose to have their cows calve during the...
The Black Moon Assassin
Chapter 139 - Ri Boku's Plan
The western wind roared as warhorses galloped, their fierce neighs echoing across the riverbank near the enemy army. A large red flag fluttered against the cold breeze.
"I feared this might happen, which is why I reserved a third of our forces to confront this enemy, who had yet to reveal their claws."
The Black Moon Assassin
Chapter 138 - Gathering Power to Drive Out the Enemy
The night was dark and cold. A bonfire burned deep in the mountains. Though the fire could not fully ward off the biting chill of the surroundings, it blazed intensely, fueled by the dry wood of an old tree.
Except for the soldiers on guard duty, most of Ri Boku’s private forces had...
2024-12-09 02:17:42 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 42 - The Difficult Birth of the Cow
Montana, a night like any other. When everyone had gone to bed, Dante was curled up on the couch, half-asleep. A brief, sharp howl in the distance disturbed his slumber.
The intercom next to the couch suddenly crackled to life.
Immediately after, a low bark sounded beside him. Before...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 41 - Farewell
After the meeting, Susie Glass prepared to return to managing her father’s business.
Dante had been clear in their final conversation, and she respected his words, choosing not to argue further. Things had unfolded so quickly that a break to process everything seemed the best course of action.
Dante, focusing...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 40 - Good Things Don’t Last Forever
"So, here you are, about to meet a boss feared by many for how lunatic he can be." Dante, inside an elevator, glanced at Susie, who was dressed in a conservative outfit.
Susie turned her head and said, "Well, I wanted to know before leaving if you'll end up making enemies of the Mexicans. I nee...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 39 - A Light Conversation
In a dark room where only a chair was present, and on it a woman with her eyes blindfolded, a man entered and slowly removed his jacket. He then put on leather gloves, looked at the woman who seemed to be speaking in Spanish, and then made the lights turn on.
"I thought of so many people attacking me, and ...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 38 - The Sons of Anarchy
"Zz... Entering the building!"
A group of men clad in black tactical combat gear slipped into the backyard of a seven-story building. They scanned their surroundings, and when a dog stared at them, a soldier stepped forward and shot a tranquilizer dart at it.
Bang!
The dart pierced the dog's c...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 37 - The Calm Before the Meeting
“They fear you.”
In the backseat of a black SUV, Susie, scrolling through her phone, spoke as Dante silently observed the city.
“They don’t fear me; they fear what I’m capable of. Even if they manage to kill me, their entire world would crumble.” Dante knew James’s life inside a...
Wind in the Smoke
Chapter 36 - A Different Person in New York [2]
"My interests lie in weapons and weed; I have no desire to meddle in your business. We're all in agreement on that, right?" Dante spoke as they walked through a neighborhood that had once belonged to another gang.
Around them were houses with children playing nearby. No one dared to even glan...
The Black Moon Assassin
Chapter 137: The Cavalry
When Ri Boku's army was stationed at the most vulnerable point in Qin's defenses, Duke Hyou, determined to defend this position to the death, found himself surrounded by enemies. He knew Ri Boku well, this man had united most of the warring states to attack Qin. Killing him was a necessity, even if it meant dying toda...
2024-11-30 09:15:02 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 35: A Different Person in New York [1]
Dante had no intention of returning to New York City so soon, but some tasks required his presence. As the leader of a criminal organization, he had always been extremely cautious.
Before adopting the identity of Dante—or before Dante's emotions fully took over—he was a grounded, pragmatic in...
2024-11-30 09:14:06 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 34: The Situation Changes
At the hotel where James St. Patrick lived, he was having a secret meeting with Tommy to discuss the recent hits on their business.
The attacks hadn't stopped, yet halting drug sales was not an option. If operations didn't resume soon, they would fail to meet their commitments to Los Lobos, the powerful Mexic...
2024-11-30 09:13:26 +0000 UTC View PostWind 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...
2024-11-30 09:12:49 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 32: Buying Land
On a rural road in northwest Montana, a pickup truck was driving slowly.
Looking around, apart from the distant mountains, there were pastures that had started to turn yellow.
The land agent was taking Dante on another inspection trip. They had just finished checking an area in the southwest near the other ranche...
2024-11-30 09:12:11 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 31: An Important Dream for Me
Dante had originally thought it would be enough to rely on some of his workers, but now it was clear that wasn’t enough.
Now, he had two crucial businesses that were gaining more and more power. The first was the truffle business, and the second was the yogurt factories using milk from the cattle on his...
2024-11-29 07:34:39 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 30: Working on Truffles
A few days later, after starting the construction of underground drug factories, Dante turned his attention to a legal revenue source: truffle cultivation, as a way to launder money and diversify the family's income.
The idea of cultivating truffles had vaguely crossed Dante’s mind after enjoying a pasta dish...
2024-11-29 07:33:33 +0000 UTC View PostWind in the Smoke
Chapter 29: New Business and Horseback Riding
"Do you want some company?" Lloyd asked as he helped Dante with the saddles for both horses.
Dante looked at Susie and said, "I could use your help if you have time. I also want to check out an area of the ranch that might bring good business opportunities for my father—something he might not ha...
2024-11-29 07:32:48 +0000 UTC View Post