11

Wind in the Smoke

Chapter 11: A Provocation?

"Are you going to work?"

"They assigned me to train some horses. I should start as soon as possible." Kayce Dutton, Dante’s brother, looked at his young wife, whom he had married recently.

Of all the brothers, Kayce was the one who quickly became the most hated by their father, who had even branded his chest because of a decision that went against him.

This all stemmed from the fact that Kayce had impregnated a woman from the Indian reservation, something scandalous because John had always had problems with the Indians due to their desire to reclaim the territory that had been stolen from them.

When Kayce decided to keep his child, everything John had fought for shattered, and he didn’t want to hear from his son for more than five years.

Dante hadn’t seen him since he went to university years ago. He knew that his brother had joined the army in the special forces and only now returned.

"What do you want?"

Kayce, sipping on a cup of coffee, heard the commotion outside, so he walked to the door of his home, wondering what was going on, especially since his brother-in-law Robert’s voice didn’t sound very friendly.

It was only when he looked into the distance that he saw a familiar silhouette, one that resembled both him and his older brother Lee. Knowing who it was, he murmured, "Brother..."

…

Dante looked at where his brother lived and couldn’t help but feel pity—not sorrow, but pity because his older brother could have been living in better conditions without having to depend on his father-in-law.

"We should stop wearing suits; it doesn’t seem appropriate." After seeing the conditions in which they were moving, Dante knew his men shouldn’t be wearing suits.

"Yeah, I think the same."

Just then, in the distance, a tanned-skinned man, not very tall but with clear Indian features, approached, carrying a shotgun slung over his shoulder.

William frowned and muttered, "That guy doesn’t seem very friendly."

"Let’s not make a scene." Dante, an expert in dealing with all sorts of aggressive men, stepped forward to introduce himself: "I’m Dante Dutton. I was wondering if a man named Kayce lives here. He’s my brother."

Robert didn’t respond immediately. He looked at the other men who had gotten out of the trucks accompanying Dante, and then he said, "How can I know you’re really just here to see your brother?"

"I suppose trust is given in degrees with strangers, but I’m just passing through." Dante knew the type of person in front of him. Robert was part of the group of Indians who lived hating those who had taken their land.

Truth be told, the way this hatred had evolved was understandable. The racism that the Indians still faced was alarming. Even Mexicans were less discriminated against than the Indians, who hadn’t yet found a way to adapt to the current circumstances.

Dante hated dealing with such situations unless they brought him some benefit, but he figured it would be common in this place.

"I don’t have much time, so if you help me this time, I’ll owe you a favor." Dante wasn’t smiling; he looked calmly at Robert, who seemed to be looking for any excuse to fight.

"I don’t fight with kids." Robert smirked and turned around, then looked at Kayce, who had appeared at the door of his house, and signaled to him, "Your brother’s looking for you."

Dante, watching this, said to Robert, "By the way, I don’t remember your name."

"That’s because I haven’t introduced myself, and there’s no need."

"Have people around here forgotten their manners?"

Robert turned back to face Dante, but William, a few meters behind him, showed his weapon and said, "We don’t want trouble, but if you’re looking for it, you’ll find it."

"You come to my house to threaten me?"

Dante gestured for everyone to calm down and said, "I understand the type of man you are—a war veteran, perhaps. I thank you for your service. But your attitude is a bit offensive. Let’s put trivial matters aside and make it clear we don’t like each other. Still, for everyone’s sake, let’s leave it at that and get on with our lives."

Robert looked at Dante with disgust and turned away. He wasn’t eager to be the one to start a fight, but he was sure that if the other side had made a move, he would have been more than willing to fight.

"Robert..." Kayce greeted his brother-in-law, but he walked past without acknowledging him.

"You live in a cozy home, little brother." Dante looked at Kayce without a smile.

Kayce squinted slightly in the sunlight, glanced at the departing Robert, and said, "I suppose you get used to it. If you don’t fall into their childish games, you won’t have problems."

Dante approached his brother and gave him a long hug. Although they hadn’t been close for some time, they cared deeply about each other’s well-being.

"How’s school going?" Kayce smiled as he held Dante by the shoulders.

Dante, unbothered by his behavior, responded cheerfully, "I graduated with honors."

"After only two years?"

"Yeah, I don’t plan to go back."

"So, what will you do now?"

"That’s not important, brother. I brought you a gift." Dante changed the subject and handed Kayce a present.

"A watch?"

Seeing his brother’s enthusiasm, Dante, as if age didn’t matter, said, "You should try reconnecting with Dad. I think he’ll need it."

"Don’t spoil my happy morning with that, Dante."

"Living here isn’t right for you, but that’s not the only reason I came. I’m opening a pub and need a manager to run it properly. Maybe you could help me with that." Dante wanted to offer his brother a job with good pay.

Kayce was confused. As far as he knew, his brother couldn’t be more than twenty-two years old, so how did he already own a pub in the city?

"The pay is good, and you’d have the chance to get away from this family that surely doesn’t treat you well, and you wouldn’t have to depend on our father either." Dante’s maturity couldn’t be underestimated—he was no less capable than an older man.

Maybe it was this unique trait that helped him beat out so many competitors in New York City.

Kayce thought about it while looking at his watch and said, "I’m fine here."

"Here?" Dante’s tone grew more serious at this response. "That idiot seems to hate our family. You live with his father, in his home. Do you prefer to depend on a family that isn’t yours?"

"I won’t argue with you about this." Kayce didn’t want to burden his mind with something he had struggled to accept for years.

"If you don’t want the pub job, I have a farm nearby. You could work there for me and live there rent-free. You’d even make a profit."

Kayce looked at his younger brother and asked, "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"That’s not a topic for conversation. I just wanted to see how life’s treating you here, but I see it’s a hell of a place. Here’s my phone number. If you need my help, call me. And keep this in mind; I built my businesses on my own, without any help from our father."

"I’ll think about it..." Kayce looked at the men who seemed to be bodyguards and didn’t know what to think.

Their father didn’t have bodyguards, but his brother did. What kind of business was Dante involved in to need that kind of security?

…

"We shouldn’t have come with him. Now your brother will be suspicious of you." William understood the kind of man Dante’s brother was.

Dante, on the other hand, said, "If I know anything, it’s that my brother can handle my secret and more. I think he could even be my right hand in this business."

"He is your brother, after all."

"Yes..."