Yellowstone: Wind in the Smoke

Dante looked at Vito, who was tied to a chair, waiting for him to say something to try to save his life.

"I thought you'd be an old man…" Vito's words caused all the armed men in the room to smile unconsciously.

Dante walked to a table and looked at a metal tray filled with ice and a champagne bottle submerged in it. He picked up the bottle, set it aside, and submerged his hands into the cold ice where a layer of icy water had accumulated.

"Everyone, get out. Call the cleaning crew and prepare for unexpected visitors," Dante ordered. After immersing his hands in the freezing water, he withdrew them and walked toward Vito, who gave him nothing but a look of intense hatred.

When everyone left, except for Cocodrilo, who stayed by his side, Dante asked, "Was it worth it?"

"Please, Dan, we both know that in this business, it's win or lose—there's no middle ground." Vito's eyes showed disdain as he murmured, "But before you do what I think you're going to do, I'll tell you who gave me the information to track you down."

Dante looked at Vito, thinking he was probably lying, but he still waited for his next words while wrapping his knuckles with bandages.

"The Jiménez cartel. They want you dead now that you've partnered with Felipe Lobos, who is probably dead by now anyway," Vito said with a triumphant smile, believing he had ruined one of Dante's most lucrative deals.

Isn't it grand? Ruining the plans of the man who would likely end your life.

"If that's the case, it would be a shame if Felipe Lobos died. He's a key player in controlling the cocaine trade across Latin America, not to mention the Colombians," Dante replied, assuming that some of Felipe Lobos' enemies had somehow obtained his information.

But for now, it wasn't a major concern. At least no one had uncovered information linking him to his family, which greatly reassured him.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Vito wanted to stand up in surprise, but Cocodrilo, standing nearby, forced him back into his seat.

Dante looked at Vito and said in a low voice, "I hate dealing with cocaine—it's a product that ruins lives. If I could, I'd eliminate it from the face of the earth. But that's not how things work. If I stop selling, someone else will take my place, and that would be a story impossible to stop. But, my friend, within all those thoughts, there's a possibility where I can limit cocaine sales in the biggest cities, raising its price at the same time."

After explaining his plan to control the market and drive up the price, Dante envisioned slowly reducing the number of addicts by offering formal jobs, keeping only those who could afford to spend thousands of dollars on a small bag containing a few grams of cocaine.

But this plan would be woven in a sea of blood, one where he would have to eliminate all the competition, no matter how small.

"Since you tried to kill me, it would only make sense to end your life and your family's to avoid future enemies. But there's one way they can survive—if you hand over all your businesses to me." Dante stood before Vito, who only looked up at him.

"Not only do you want to kill me, but you also aim to take all my businesses. You're quite an ambitious man. This negotiation isn't even worth discussing," Vito refused without hesitation.

Dante, expecting this, lifted Vito's chin and said, "But Vito, if I recall correctly, your family is currently in a cabin on the outskirts of the city, waiting for answers from you. The reason they're still alive is because I anticipated this from you. So, I'll ask one more time: are you willing to hand over all your businesses?"

"All I have is the arms trade. You could take all my warehouses, contacts, and distribution networks to ship weapons worldwide. But I'll only give you that if you promise not to harm any member of my family," Vito said after thinking it through carefully, finally giving in.

It was clear that the only thing he could do in this situation was secure the best outcome to ensure his family wouldn't be killed. Abandoned by the higher order, this was their only way out.

"I'm a gentleman; I don't harm the innocent."

"Then, in the safe, you'll find everything. The code is…"