The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 29

The weight of the confrontation with Bruno settled over Mackin like a lead blanket. He had finally taken his cousin down, but Bruno’s last words clung to him, echoing in his mind as the car sped back to the mansion.

Lambo sat in the passenger seat, his face set in grim satisfaction. “We got him. It’s over.”

Mackin didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the city lights flashing past the window. “It’s not over,” he said quietly. “Bruno’s hiding something. Something big.”

Lambo frowned. “What do you mean?”

Mackin shifted in his seat, his mind racing. “Before we took him in, he said something—something about what’s coming. He was smiling. It wasn’t just the ramblings of a desperate man. He knew something.”

Lambo let out a low sigh, running a hand through his hair. “You really think there’s more to this?”

Mackin’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think. I know. Bruno had one last play. We need to find out what it is.”

Lambo nodded reluctantly, though the tension in his posture remained. “What’s the plan?”

“We dig,” Mackin replied, his voice cold and calculated. “Bruno’s men, his contacts—someone knows what he’s planning. We find them, and we make them talk.”

Lambo grinned, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Now that’s something I can get behind.”

As the car pulled up to the gates of the mansion, Mackin felt the weight of responsibility settle even heavier on his shoulders. He had taken down one enemy, but there was still more to do. The Mackin family was still fractured, and if there was any chance of holding it together, he needed to know what Bruno had been planning.

Inside the mansion, the atmosphere was tense but controlled. Mackin’s men were already making moves, clearing out the last of Bruno’s loyalists and ensuring that any remaining threats were neutralized.

Mackin made his way to his private office, where a folder awaited him on his desk—fresh intelligence on Bruno’s operations. He flipped it open, his sharp eyes scanning the contents.

It didn’t take long for something to catch his attention.

A name. A single name that stood out among the sea of contacts, accounts, and reports.

Castor Lachlan.

Mackin’s heart pounded as he stared at the name. Lachlan. The man Bruno had met with in secret. The man who had the power to disrupt everything Mackin had built.

He closed the folder slowly, his mind turning over the possibilities.

Lachlan was more than just a business associate. He was something far more dangerous.

Mackin’s phone buzzed on the desk, pulling him from his thoughts. He picked it up, seeing Lambo’s name on the screen.

“We’ve got a problem,” Lambo said, his voice tense. “Lachlan just made a move.”

Mackin’s grip tightened on the phone. “What kind of move?”

“He’s consolidating. Taking control of the last of Bruno’s resources. If we don’t stop him, he’s going to have enough power to go after us next.”

Mackin’s eyes narrowed, his pulse quickening. “Then we hit him first.”

At the same time, in a luxury high-rise on the other side of the city, Castor Lachlan sat in his lavish penthouse, a glass of whiskey in his hand as he stared out at the skyline. The city was his playground, and now, with Bruno out of the way, it was ripe for the taking.

But Lachlan wasn’t celebrating. Not yet.

He had expected Bruno to crumble, but the speed with which Mackin had dismantled his cousin’s operation had surprised him. Mackin Jones was more formidable than Lachlan had initially believed. And that meant he was a threat.

Lachlan took a slow sip of his drink, his mind already calculating his next move. He had resources, influence, and connections that stretched far beyond what Mackin could imagine. But he couldn’t afford to be reckless. Mackin wasn’t the kind of man who could be easily intimidated.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and Lachlan turned as one of his lieutenants entered.

“Everything’s in place,” the man said, his voice low. “Bruno’s remaining assets are under our control. It’s only a matter of time before we have full access.”

Lachlan nodded, setting the glass down on the table beside him. “Good. Keep the pressure on Mackin. I want him distracted, focused on cleaning up Bruno’s mess.”

The lieutenant hesitated. “What about Mackin himself? He’s not going to let this go.”

Lachlan’s smile was cold, his eyes gleaming with predatory intent. “Mackin is a problem. But every problem has a solution.”

The lieutenant nodded and left the room, leaving Lachlan alone once again. He stood, walking to the window and staring down at the city below. His empire was growing, and soon, Mackin would be nothing more than an obstacle in his path.

But Lachlan wasn’t foolish. He knew better than to underestimate a man like Mackin Jones. This war wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Across the city, Mackin and Lambo were already on the move. They had traced Lachlan’s men to several key locations—warehouses, front companies, places where the last of Bruno’s assets were being funneled. Lachlan had made his move, and now it was Mackin’s turn.

“Lachlan’s expecting us to come at him hard,” Lambo said as they drove through the city, the tension palpable. “He’s fortified his positions, doubled his security. It’s going to be tough to get in close.”

Mackin’s expression remained cold, his mind working through the possibilities. “We don’t need to hit him directly. Not yet. We go after his resources first. Cut off his supply lines, weaken him until he has no choice but to come to us.”

Lambo nodded, a grin spreading across his face. “Bleed him dry. I like it.”

As they approached one of Lachlan’s warehouses, Mackin’s mind was already two steps ahead. He knew Lachlan would retaliate, but that was part of the plan. Mackin needed him to react, to make a mistake.

The car pulled to a stop outside the warehouse, and Mackin and Lambo stepped out, their men already moving into position. This was just the first strike, but it was the beginning of the end for Castor Lachlan.

Mackin’s voice was cold and steady as he gave the order. “Take it down.”

His men moved in, swift and silent, dismantling Lachlan’s operation with precision. The sound of gunfire echoed through the night as Lachlan’s security forces were overwhelmed, their defenses crumbling under the weight of Mackin’s assault.

Within minutes, the warehouse was theirs.

Lambo approached Mackin, his face flushed with victory. “One down. Plenty more to go.”

Mackin nodded, though his mind was already moving forward. Lachlan would retaliate, but Mackin was ready. This was a war, and he intended to win.

That night, as the city lay in uneasy silence, Mackin stood on the balcony of the mansion, his thoughts heavy with the weight of what was to come. Lachlan was a dangerous adversary, but Mackin had faced worse. He had built his empire from the ashes of betrayal, and he wasn’t about to let it be taken from him.

But as he stared out at the city, Bruno’s last words echoed in his mind.

There’s something bigger coming.

Mackin knew that whatever Bruno had planned, it wasn’t over. Lachlan was just one part of a larger puzzle, a puzzle that Mackin was determined to solve before it was too late.

And when he did, there would be no one left to stand in his way.