The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 104

The morning after Jaxon’s fall was quiet.

Too quiet, Luis thought as he stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, watching the city below. The streets were moving again, the usual flow of life returning, but there was a tension simmering beneath the surface. The dockyard had been secured, Jaxon was gone, and Miguel’s influence had been crushed.

But Luis knew better than to believe the city would simply bow at their feet now that the throne was empty.

There was always something lurking in the shadows—the next challenge, the next rival. And for Luis and Maria, victory had never meant the end of the war. It simply meant a new battle was beginning.

Maria’s voice cut through the stillness, bringing Luis back to the present. “You’re thinking too much,” she said, stepping up beside him. Her reflection in the glass was as sharp and composed as ever, but Luis could sense the tension in her too. She was always calculating, always anticipating the next move.

“I’m always thinking,” Luis replied, his voice cool. “That’s why we’re still here.”

Maria smirked, her eyes narrowing as she looked out over the city with him. “True. But you need to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. We control the city now. Jaxon’s out, and no one else has the power to challenge us.”

Luis didn’t respond immediately. Control was always fleeting, especially in a city like theirs, where loyalty could shift with the wind and power was never as solid as it seemed. He knew better than to relax just because they had reclaimed what was theirs. The real danger wasn’t the fight for power—it was holding on to it.

“There’s always someone waiting in the wings,” Luis said quietly, his voice filled with a hint of caution. “Someone we haven’t seen yet.”

Maria crossed her arms, her posture tense but controlled. “If they’re out there, we’ll deal with them. Just like we dealt with Jaxon and Miguel. No one else has the network or the resources to make a move on us.”

Luis nodded, though the doubt still lingered at the edge of his thoughts. Maria was right, of course. They had rebuilt their empire, and with the Dockyard under their control, there were no immediate threats. But Luis couldn’t shake the feeling that something was brewing beneath the surface, something they hadn’t accounted for yet.

“I want Bones to keep an eye on the Eastside,” Luis said after a moment. “Miguel’s lieutenants went underground, and I don’t like how quiet they’ve been.”

Maria tilted her head, considering his words. “You think they’re planning something?”

“I think they’re smart enough to know when to stay hidden,” Luis replied. “But we need to be ready if they resurface.”

Maria didn’t argue. She trusted Luis’s instincts, especially when it came to the subtle movements in the city’s underworld. If he sensed a threat, it was worth investigating. “I’ll talk to Bones. We’ll keep tabs on anyone who had ties to Miguel.”

Luis nodded, satisfied for now. It wasn’t paranoia—it was survival. In this city, the moment you thought you had it all under control was the moment it slipped away. And Luis had learnt that lesson the hard way.

Later that evening, Maria sat in the grand study of their penthouse, going over the latest reports from their various operations. The Dockyard had stabilised quickly under their control, and the Southside was once again running like a well-oiled machine. But Maria wasn’t content with just maintaining what they had. She was already thinking about expansion—consolidating their influence across the entire city.

“We need to move into the Eastside,” she said suddenly, looking up from her papers as Luis entered the room.

Luis raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You want to push into new territory?”

Maria’s eyes gleamed with ambition. “The Eastside is fractured. Miguel’s fall created a power vacuum, and no one’s stepped up to fill it yet. If we take control now, we can lock down the entire city before anyone else has the chance.”

Luis leaned against the doorframe, his gaze thoughtful. It was a bold move and one that could solidify their reign. But it also came with risks. The Eastside had always been volatile, even before Miguel’s crew had tried to claim it. There were too many factions and too many variables that could go wrong.

“Who’s left over there?” Luis asked, his tone measured.

Maria flipped through the files in front of her, pulling out a list of names. “A few smaller crews, but nothing organised. Miguel’s lieutenants are scattered, and the rest are trying to keep a low profile. We could move in and take control before they even knew what hit them.”

Luis considered her words carefully. The Eastside was tempting, but he didn’t want to make a mistake by moving too fast. “If we make a move, we need to do it carefully. We can’t afford to spread ourselves too thin.”

Maria’s smile was sharp and confident. “We won’t. I’ve already started making contacts with some of the key players over there. They’re looking for leadership, and they know we’re the ones who can provide it.”

Luis smiled, impressed by her foresight. That was why they worked so well together—Maria was always thinking ahead, always looking for the next opportunity. And together, they could make moves that no one else saw coming.

“Let’s start small,” Luis said after a moment. “Move in quietly, take control of the supply lines, and work our way up. We don’t need to take the whole Eastside at once.”

Maria nodded, pleased with the plan. “Agreed. Once we control the flow, we control the power.”

As the days passed, Luis and Maria began their quiet infiltration of the Eastside. It was a delicate operation, one that required patience and subtlety. They didn’t want to draw attention too soon, not until they had a firm hold on the territory. Bones had set up meetings with key contacts, and slowly but surely, they began to build their influence.

Luis stood in a nondescript building in the heart of the Eastside, watching as one of their new contacts, a man named Reyes, laid out the situation. The Eastside was fractured, just as Maria had predicted, and no one had the resources or the connections to unify it.

“They’re all fighting for scraps,” Reyes said, his voice low but steady. “No one trusts each other, and everyone’s waiting for someone else to make the first move.”

Luis nodded, his expression thoughtful. “And what about Miguel’s lieutenants? Are they still in play?”

Reyes shook his head. “Not really. Some of them are still around, but they’re keeping a low profile. Most of them don’t have the support they used to, and without Miguel backing them, they’re not much of a threat.”

Luis glanced at Maria, who stood silently beside him, her sharp gaze taking in every detail. This was the perfect opportunity—the Eastside was ripe for the taking, and no one was in a position to stop them.

“Then it’s time we step in,” Luis said quietly. “We’ll take control of the supply lines first. Once we have that, the rest will follow.”

Reyes nodded, eager to solidify his position as their ally. “I can help with that. I’ve got contacts who are tired of the chaos. They want stability, and they’re willing to work with you to get it.”

Luis smiled faintly. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. The Eastside didn’t need another king—it needed order. And Luis and Maria were the ones who could provide it.

As the weeks went on, Luis and Maria’s influence in the Eastside began to grow. It was a slow, careful process, but it was effective. They secured control of the supply lines, established new alliances, and slowly, the fractured territory began to come under their control. The smaller crews that had once fought for dominance either fell in line or disappeared, and soon, the Eastside was on the verge of being fully absorbed into their empire.

But even as they consolidated their power, Luis couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming—something they hadn’t planned for.

One night, as Luis sat in his study, going over the latest reports, Bones walked in, his expression more serious than usual.

“There’s been talk,” Bones said, his voice low. “About someone new in town. Someone with resources.”

Luis looked up, his eyes narrowing. “Who?”

Bones shook his head. “No one knows for sure yet. But whoever they are, they’ve been meeting with some of the old crews from the Eastside—ones we haven’t locked down yet.”

Luis’s jaw tightened. This was what he had been waiting for—the next challenge. The next rival thought they could take what he and Maria had built.

“Keep an eye on it,” Luis said, his voice cold. “Find out who they are and what they want.”

Bones nodded, but Luis could already feel the weight of it settling over him. The city never stayed quiet for long. There was always someone waiting to take a shot at the crown. And now it seemed that someone had arrived.