Touch My Family, and You Die

"You're different from any of the Dutton family in this state. I understand that you grasp what your father and I are fighting for." Dan Jenkins gave a slight smile as he sipped his wine, nodding toward Susie, who responded with a polite expression.

Susie wasn't someone who acted impulsively, and although she understood Dan's intentions, she wanted to see how Dante would handle this problem.

How would Dante resolve this issue?

Not everything could be solved by brute force, and for that reason, she was eager to see Dante's approach to this challenge.

"Of course I know you, Mr. Jenkins. How could I not know the man who's been causing my family so many headaches?" Dante took a cigar from a small black metal box, then picked up a cigar cutter and clicked it shut.

Click!

Susie's eyes sparkled faintly, intrigued by the deliberate silence Dante was creating.

Dan Jenkins' smug smile faded as he realized he actually knew very little about the youngest Dutton, the one he had ignored. But now he saw that Dante was the most mysterious of them all.

In a fractured family like the Duttons, it was difficult for him to grasp that Dante might be a problem. But when he heard the youngest of the Dutton family had returned, he wanted to meet him. However, he hadn't expected this; it left him even more subdued.

After cutting the cigar, Dante picked up a fine-flame lighter and began to light it. "Your full name is Dan Jenkins, just a simple capital developer for Paradise Valley working here in Bozeman, Montana, and the surrounding areas."

"Everyone knows that," Dan retorted, trying to put Dante on the defensive, but Dante gave him no such chance.

"As a capital developer for Paradise Valley, you moved your development projects to Montana. Naturally, not without resistance, as you've already noticed." Dante raised his gaze, set the lighter aside, and took a puff.

After exhaling a cloud of smoke, his predatory stare fixed on Dan, and he continued, "During the development of your housing project near Bozeman, you met John Dutton, the owner of the cattle ranch—my father."

Dante let the smoke waft away as he said, "You know my whole family, right?"

"It's inevitable," Dan said, taking another sip from his wine glass.

"Good." Dante nodded, adding, "Because I also know your family, Mr. Jenkins."

"What did you say?" Dan's face twisted, as family was something he held dear and fiercely protected.

Dante snapped his fingers, and a man in a suit brought over a tray, then left without a word. "This is my gift to you."

"This smell…" Susie was surprised, glancing at Dante, searching for any hint of hesitation in his gaze. Instead, she found a chill that made even someone like her tense.

"What does this mean?" Dan, also noticing the scent of blood coming from the tray, looked back at Dante.

"My gift—open it." Dante's gaze remained fixed on Dan until he finally reached for the lid on the tray.

Inside were numerous photographs of his beloved daughters and wife, splattered with an unknown blood that was most likely from an animal.

"You're a family man. You and your wife Victoria have three children. Now they live here in Montana, but let me suggest that if you think about endangering my family, you better be ready to gamble with your own," Dante said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out five bullets.

Each one was engraved with the names of Dan's loved ones, which Dante placed in front of him, one by one.

Furious, Dan snatched up the photos and threw the blood-stained tray to the ground.

People around them glanced over, but upon realizing it wasn't their concern, they returned their attention to their own affairs.

"How dare you threaten me?" Dan pointed at Dante with an enraged expression.

Finding this amusing, Susie said, "From my perspective, Mr. Dutton here is showing you mercy. Don't you think you ought to be grateful?"

"You…" Dan glanced at the calmly composed woman and suddenly realized he was in the company of a viper.

Dante stood, took the bullets, and placed them in Dan's jacket, leaning in to whisper, "If you ever even think of hurting my family, remember that I'll be there, and I'll make your life a living hell. Just know, I have over a thousand ways to torment your mind before putting this bullet in your head."

"You don't know who you're messing with, boy." Dan trembled with fury but made no move.

He knew Dante wasn't just any man, so he would need to investigate further before making any rash decisions.

If negotiations with the government continued as they were, he would have to consider trying to eliminate John Dutton and make it look like an accident. But now, he would need to be far more cautious, or he risked something happening to his family.

"Have a good night, Mr. Jenkins. Get home safely," Dante said, signaling to a muscular man to escort Dan out of the restaurant.

The man, nicknamed Crocodile, nodded and spoke into his microphone, informing the others that he was changing positions.

Once Dante sat back down, he began to cut his steak, saying, "Nothing like calming turbulent waters."

"I suppose you brought me here to deal with that old man. He's probably more of a burden to your family than he is to you," Susie accurately assessed Dante's previous actions.

She knew Dante was protecting his family, who, due to their power, were always in the eye of the storm, and every time, the family ranch was in jeopardy.

"Believe me, I don't enjoy exposing myself like this, but that man is the biggest thorn in my father's side, and I fear he might do something reckless if this continues." Dante then explained the ongoing issues with the ranch and how it had become a target for numerous companies.