Chapter 161: Bronte’s Threat
Davey Land:
Perhaps I should address you as Mr. Callander instead—it depends on whether you intend to become my friend.
You and your friends have destroyed my moonshine business, costing me a great deal of money. On top of that, the long-term partners who worked with me were mercilessly killed by you.
Maybe I ought to report this to General Wofford—let him know that a group of notorious fugitives butchered his fellow countrymen. I wonder just how furious the General would be after hearing such news.
Of course… I could choose not to tell him, if you agree to hand over the recipe for your moonshine.
It’s excellent moonshine, truly. I must admit, I enjoy the taste. But two bucks a bottle, Davey? You’re destroying the entire market. Fuck that—along with those damned group deals.
You have one week. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll take it as a refusal to be my friend.
Then it’ll all depend on your luck. And if your luck is rotten… well, there’s nothing I can do about that, is there?
I trust you’ll make the sensible choice, Mr. Land—or should I say, Mr. Callander.
Angelo Bronte.
Davey finished the letter with a dark expression. It was a naked threat.
Before reading it, he had thought it might be from Stella or Miss Catherine—he’d opened it with pleasant expectations, only to be met with the worst kind of news.
He had long known that Bronte would become his enemy, but he hadn’t expected the man to be so aggressive and domineering.
Compared to the Van der Linde Gang, Bronte had far more avenues to pressure Davey—Bronte operated openly.
Land’s identity gave Davey the ability to legally buy property and open accounts, but Callander’s fugitive status could never be erased. That was the hidden danger—Davey’s greatest weakness.
Because of that, he had never dared step into a major city like Saint Denis.
Davey could always claim, “Whatever Callander did has nothing to do with me, Land.”
But anyone who wanted to could simply arrest Callander rather than Land.
It all depended on how the confrontation unfolded.
And Bronte certainly had the power to exploit this.
Unlike businessmen such as Cornwall, Bronte was a crime boss with an army of gunmen who cared nothing for the law.
Still, out in the West, Davey wasn’t afraid of him—and he didn’t intend to reply to the letter.
Even with all his men, Bronte’s influence ended at Saint Denis. The West was still cowboy country, and Davey had plenty of manpower of his own.
Even if Bronte sent dozens of gunmen after him, there was no way they could kill Davey.
From the game storyline in his previous life, Davey knew Bronte didn’t have any real sharpshooters. Otherwise Dutch and the others would never have been able to ambush him so easily, capture him, drown him, and feed his corpse to the alligators.
Davey stepped out of the study with a smile back on his face.
There was no reason to show worry about Bronte; that would only make others anxious as well.
Despite his arrogance, Bronte wasn’t like Dutch—he wasn’t running a gang roaming the West. Publicly, Bronte was just a wealthy businessman in Saint Denis. Most of his followers were Italians, not fugitive outlaws.
And Davey also knew Bronte’s men weren’t all loyal.
Take his second-in-command, the so-called “underboss” of the Italian mafia—Guido Martelli.
In the game’s original storyline, after Dutch killed Bronte, it was Guido Martelli who took over the Saint Denis mafia.
That had everything to do with how the mafia was structured.
In the country, “gangs” and “organized crime” might sound similar, but in reality they were nothing alike.
If Bronte really wanted to push things to the bitter end, Davey would happily show him what real outlaws looked like.
...
Valentine Police Station.
Davey arrived with several of his men, carrying gifts: crates of moonshine, premium cigars, and an invitation to a banquet at Wells Restaurant that evening.
“Oh, Davey, you really are my best friend,” Sheriff Malloy said with a grin.
Thanks to Davey, Valentine’s law and order had improved dramatically—robberies had nearly disappeared.
A number of local troublemakers had been taken in by Davey, now helping sell moonshine or doing other jobs. This greatly reduced the police department’s pressure and gave the townspeople a stronger sense of belonging.
Many outside merchants were now willing to invest in Valentine, and Sheriff Malloy’s extra income had been steadily increasing as well—something owed largely to Davey.
The construction of Land Elementary School especially convinced more families to settle in Valentine.
Schools existed only in the East; the West didn’t have a single one.
Land Elementary would become the first elementary school in the West.
Police officers received a special benefit—their children would be able to attend Land Elementary for free.
After finishing matters at the police station, Davey turned to his next priority: the Veterans’ Club.
The Veterans’ Club had grown far beyond Mickey, the fake soldier—now numbering dozens of members.
It wasn’t many yet, but a single spark could set a prairie ablaze. The seeds would grow and bloom in time.
And it also stood as a charitable institution—Davey’s strongest shield of protection.
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