For men, Susie was an extremely beautiful woman, someone worthy of conquering. Winning her heart would be a blessing for anyone, and touching her body would become an addiction worse than any drug.
With her extravagant clothes that highlighted her exquisite figure, she was poison for the mind of any man, especially those who couldn't control their impulses.
As Dante was preparing lunch outdoors, he noticed two black trucks speeding toward him. He didn't need to be a fortune-teller to know who was approaching.
Casually, he stopped what he was doing, wiped his hands, and raised his hand. Only then did some people get out of the trucks, carrying suitcases.
At the same time, a beautiful woman with skin so pale that it stood out against her black coat and fox fur scarf elegantly approached Dante, extending her hand to greet him: "I never expected you to like places like these, Mr. Dotton. Is this where you plan to spend your vacation?"
"You must be exhausted from the trip. Would you like to have lunch, or would you prefer to rest?" Dante smoothly changed the conversation with a question that discreetly suggested a pause.
Susie was an attractive woman, and her subtle charms were something Dante quietly enjoyed. A woman like her was what he deserved. Together, they could achieve incredible things, but he knew the problems would outweigh the benefits.
"I'll take a cup of coffee. I've heard that breakfast in this country is quite heavy, especially in the countryside," Susie said, always trying to catch Dante's gaze, eager to know what he was thinking. But no matter how much she stared at him, he always seemed different from the man she was familiar with.
What had changed in such a short time?
They had only been in business for two years, but since the last time they met, the air around Dante felt colder, as if his personality had been shaped by murders.
While preparing coffee for Susie, Dante couldn't help but ask in a slightly hoarse voice, "Do you know why we are meeting at a ranch in Montana?"
Susie shook her head. Other than how peaceful the place was and its proximity to Dante's family, she couldn't think of a valid reason for staying there.
"The blood that was shed to take over all of New York as my territory to sell the herb created victims. Those victims had families, and I believe they will seek revenge," Dante said, walking confidently toward Susie, placing the steaming cup of coffee in front of her.
Afterward, he walked toward a tray of food he had prepared, served it before Susie, and placed some freshly baked bread on the table before sitting down. "You advised me not to get involved in the cocaine business, and I've followed that to the letter. But now that I've taken control of an entire city, I'm wondering if I should expand across the rest of the country."
"I would advise against biting off more than you can chew, Mr. Dotton. The cartels here are much more aggressive. You could end up facing Mexicans, black gangs, Ecuadorians, Jamaicans, and many other mafias," Susie suggested, not particularly caring what Dante did, as she was only interested in the business they had built together.
Dante smiled slightly and said, "I killed many of them to forge that small empire in New York, but as in all places, there are always people who attack others' fortunes."
Susie looked at some photographs placed on the table of an attractive woman with a bullet wound in her head.
"You're the only one who knows about our business, so I wonder if you have any idea who's attacking me." Dante didn't suspect her, but he knew she might have a clue as to who was behind the attack.
While one attack could be overlooked, negligence could seriously damage his entire network. Now that he was thinking of expanding, he couldn't afford such a blow.
"The dancers you mentioned—it was only a matter of time before they were attacked, but I'm surprised it's one of your clients." Susie knew that the herb didn't cause hallucinations unless mixed with hallucinogens.
The dancers discreetly sold Dante's product. Instead of selling their bodies, they made a living selling his product, which had improved their lifestyles.
But now that someone had been killed, things would change.
Every dancer on the street would carry a weapon to defend herself. If this was a coordinated attack, they would soon know and take action.
"Do you think this has something to do with me?" Susie asked, clearly annoyed by the situation.
Dante shook his head and asked, "Just tell me, who were your other clients before you decided to work only with me?"
"Hmm, there were many."
"If you have that information, we could build a solid investigation to find the attacker."
…
Southeast New York City.
In a dark room, a woman wearing pink boots hurriedly dressed while speaking on the phone with a man.
"Zz... Did you attack the Sons of Anarchy and Ghost's business at the same time?" A raspy voice came from the phone, and the man speaking didn't seem happy.
The woman on the phone had Latino features, revealing the likely origin of the attack. "I did what you told me. Should I keep going with the plan?"
"I told you not to confuse who you were killing; are you stupid?"
"If both criminal gangs fight, it would be more beneficial to follow the plan this way," the woman said as she finished fixing her hair before heading out.
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