The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 103

The night had settled over the city like a thick blanket, wrapping the streets in a familiar darkness that Luis and Maria had come to know intimately.

This was their domain, the place where they thrived—where shadows moved with intent and silence was never really empty. The lights of the city flickered below them and from the rooftop of their penthouse. It felt like they were standing on top of the world.

But Luis knew better than to feel complacent. The city was never truly yours—it was always a step away from turning on you.

Maria leaned on the railing, her sharp eyes scanning the skyline. “Jaxon’s patience is wearing thin. It won’t be long now.”

Luis nodded, his expression calm but inwardly focused. “He’s getting desperate. That’s exactly where we want him.”

Over the past week, their strategy had been relentless—whispers, strategic sabotage, and subtle moves that slowly eroded Jaxon’s control over his crew. Luis and Maria had always known that Jaxon wasn’t a long-term player. He had been useful for a time, a necessary pawn to keep the city from turning into a free-for-all while they were gone. But now he was standing on the crumbling ground.

“Bones said there’s been talk among Jaxon’s lieutenants,” Maria continued. “Some of them are questioning his ability to lead. They know he’s slipping.”

Luis smirked, though the gesture didn’t reach his eyes. This was how it always went. Leaders fell when their men lost faith. Jaxon had believed he could control the dockyard with brute force and intimidation, but the cracks in his foundation were showing, and soon the whole thing would collapse.

Maria turned to face Luis, her expression sharp. “We should move in before he has a chance to regroup. The longer we wait, the more unpredictable he becomes.”

Luis considered her words for a moment. She was right, of course. Jaxon had been erratic lately—his moves more reckless, his decisions fuelled by fear rather than strategy. Desperation made people dangerous, and while they had played their cards perfectly so far, Luis knew the risk that came with letting someone like Jaxon linger too long.

“We’ll make our move soon,” Luis said finally, his voice calm but decisive. “But I want him to fall apart on his own first. His men need to see that he’s weak, that he can’t hold this city together.”

Maria’s lips curled into a faint smile. “You want them to lose faith in him completely before we strike.”

Luis nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Exactly. When we take him out, it won’t just be about power. It’ll be about control. His men will have no choice but to fall in line—or disappear.”

Maria’s smile widened, her satisfaction clear. This was how they operated. They didn’t just take control; they dismantled everything their enemies had built brick by brick until there was nothing left to oppose them. By the time they made their final move, Jaxon would be a shell of the man he had once been, and no one would be left to challenge them.

“What about the Eastside?” Maria asked, shifting the conversation. “Miguel’s old crew has been quiet, but there’s still talk of them trying to rebuild.”

Luis’s expression darkened. Miguel was gone, but the remnants of his organisation hadn’t disappeared entirely. Some of his lieutenants had gone underground, trying to regroup, waiting for an opportunity to rise again. But Luis wasn’t worried about them—not yet.

“Let them try,” Luis said coolly. “If they make a move, we’ll deal with them. But for now, the Southside is our focus.”

Maria nodded, her gaze drifting back to the skyline. “Then let’s make sure we finish Jaxon before they even think about stepping into our territory.”

Two days later, the final cracks in Jaxon’s leadership began to show. Luis had orchestrated everything to perfection—disrupting his supply lines, spreading rumours among his men, and turning his lieutenants against him one by one. It was a slow, deliberate dismantling, and now Jaxon was teetering on the edge of collapse.

Luis stood outside an old building on the southside, the cool night air biting against his skin as he watched the entrance. Inside, Jaxon was meeting with what remained of his inner circle, desperately trying to rally them. But Luis already knew the outcome of that meeting. Jaxon was done. His men had already started to pull away, questioning his every decision and doubting his ability to keep them safe.

Bones stepped up beside Luis, his face impassive as always. “He’s unravelling. One more push and his crew will turn on him.”

Luis didn’t respond right away. He could feel the tension in the air, the sense that everything was about to fall into place. This was how he had always worked—controlling the outcome before his enemies even knew the game was being played.

“He’ll try to make a move soon,” Luis said, his voice steady. “When he does, we’ll be ready.”

Bones nodded. “What about his lieutenants? Some of them are still loyal.”

Luis’s eyes darkened. “They won’t be for long.”

Inside the building, Jaxon sat at the head of the table, his face drawn and tense. His lieutenants sat around him, their expressions a mix of frustration and doubt. The room was thick with the smell of cigarette smoke and cheap alcohol, the air heavy with unspoken tensions.

“We’re losing control,” one of Jaxon’s lieutenants, a stocky man with a scar across his cheek, said bluntly. “Luis and his crew are cutting off our supply lines, and now the Southside is slipping through our fingers.”

Jaxon’s jaw clenched, his hands gripping the edge of the table. “We haven’t lost anything yet. We still have the dockyard, and I’m not about to let Luis take it.”

Another lieutenant, a wiry man with sharp eyes, leaned forward. “Then what’s the plan? Because right now, it looks like we’re getting picked apart, and you don’t have an answer.”

Jaxon’s gaze snapped to him, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and desperation. “We take the fight to Luis. We hit him where it hurts; show him that we’re not backing down.”

The room fell into a tense silence, the lieutenants exchanging uneasy glances. Jaxon’s plan was reckless, and they all knew it. But none of them dared to say it out loud.

“We need to play it smart,” the stocky lieutenant said after a moment. “If we go after Luis now, we’ll be walking straight into a trap.”

Jaxon’s eyes flashed with fury. “You think I don’t know what Luis is doing? He’s trying to make us look weak, trying to turn you against me. But I won’t let that happen.”

The tension in the room deepened, and Jaxon could feel the weight of their doubt pressing down on him. He was losing control, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“We’re making our move tomorrow,” Jaxon said, his voice sharp. “Either you’re with me, or you’re against me.”

The lieutenants exchanged another glance, their loyalty wavering. They had followed Jaxon for months, but now, as his grip on the Dockyard slipped, they were starting to wonder if they had backed the wrong horse.

Outside, Luis watched as the lights in the building flickered, his gaze cold and calculating. He had already set everything in motion. Jaxon was spiralling, and soon he would make the fatal mistake that would end his reign once and for all.

Maria stood beside him, her expression sharp as she watched the entrance. “He’s going to try something reckless.”

Luis nodded, his voice low. “That’s what we’re waiting for.”

The next morning, Jaxon made his move. It was exactly what Luis had predicted—a desperate attempt to reclaim control by launching an all-out assault on one of Luis’s key operations on the Southside. But Luis had been prepared. By the time Jaxon’s men arrived, they were met with overwhelming resistance, and within hours, the attack had crumbled.

Luis stood at the centre of it all, watching as Jaxon’s forces fell apart. It was over—not just for Jaxon, but for anyone who had thought they could challenge Luis and Maria’s control of the city.

Bones approached, his expression grim. “Jaxon’s men are retreating. What do you want to do with him?”

Luis didn’t hesitate. “Bring him in. It’s time to end this.”

That evening, Jaxon sat in a darkened room, his hands bound, his face bloodied from the fight. His eyes were wild with desperation, the realisation of his defeat settling over him like a heavyweight. He had lost everything—his crew, his territory, his power. And now he was at Luis’s mercy.

Luis stood across from him, his expression unreadable as he looked down at the man who had once thought he could take control of the city. Jaxon had never stood a chance—not really.

“You thought you could win this,” Luis said quietly, his voice calm but cold. “You thought you could take what was mine.”

Jaxon didn’t respond, his chest heaving with laboured breaths as he stared up at Luis. There was no fight left in him.

“But you were never in control,” Luis continued. “You were just a pawn in a game you didn’t understand.”

Jaxon’s eyes narrowed, but there was no defiance left—only fear.

Luis leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “The city isn’t for people like you. It’s for people like me.”

Without another word, Luis turned and walked out of the room, leaving Jaxon to his fate. It was over.

That night, Luis and Maria stood on the balcony of their penthouse once again, looking out over the city. The dockyard was theirs. The Southside was secure. And Jaxon—along with anyone who had dared to challenge them—was gone.

“We’ve reclaimed everything,” Maria said softly, her voice filled with satisfaction. “It’s done.”

Luis didn’t respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the city below, his mind turning over the next steps. The city was theirs again, but he knew better than to think it would ever truly be finished. There would always be more to take, more to control, and more to protect.

“We’ve won,” Maria repeated, her tone firm.

Luis finally turned to her, his expression hard but satisfied. “For now.”

Maria’s eyes glinted in the low light. “Then let’s make sure we hold it this time.”

Luis smiled faintly, the fire still burning in his eyes. This time, they wouldn’t just hold the city. They would dominate it.

And anyone who thought otherwise would soon learn just how dangerous it was to challenge Luis and Maria Borsen.