The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 68

With his lieutenants cowed and his enemies in retreat, Nico tightens his grip on the city, but the cracks in his empire are widening. Fear has kept the underworld in line for now, but the cost of Nico’s ruthless tactics is becoming clearer.

As new threats emerge and old alliances begin to fray, Nico must confront the possibility that his reign may be more fragile than he ever realised. In a city where power is fleeting and loyalty is bought with blood, Nico faces his greatest challenge yet: holding on to the empire he built without destroying himself in the process.

The fall is coming, and no one is safe.

The nights had grown longer in the city as if the darkness itself was conspiring against Nico. He stood by the penthouse window, watching the faint lights in the distance flicker, like the dying embers of a once-bright fire.

The penthouse, once Santoro’s seat of power, now felt more like a cage—a throne at the top of a crumbling empire. Nico had forced his lieutenants to show their loyalty in blood, but he knew that kind of loyalty was brittle. And tonight, with the city murmuring beneath him, he felt the weight of that decision.

Luis entered quietly, his footsteps measured, his face marked by fatigue and doubt. He had always been Nico’s closest ally, but even Luis could feel the tension between them growing thicker with every day and every decision.

Nico had taken the city, but ruling it was becoming something entirely else. They both knew it, even if neither of them said it out loud.

“We need to talk,” Luis said, his voice steady but laced with something deeper—concern, perhaps even fear.

Nico didn’t turn around, his eyes still on the cityscape. “What now?”

Luis stepped closer, his hands in his pockets, his posture tense. “There’s been more movement. Vito’s keeping things quiet, but it’s clear some of the men are still talking. The smaller crews are nervous—some of them think it’s only a matter of time before the whole thing falls apart.”

Nico finally turned to face him, his expression hard. “And what do you think, Luis?”

Luis met his gaze, and for a moment, the silence between them felt like a canyon. “I think we’re heading for something we might not come back from.”

Nico’s eyes narrowed. “You think we’re losing control?”

“I think the way you’re holding on to control is making people desperate,” Luis replied, his voice low but firm. “You’ve crushed every threat that’s come your way, but the city doesn’t feel stable, Nico.

The smaller crews are starting to test the waters, and if we don’t give them something soon, they’re going to start coming at us harder. You can’t keep killing everyone who stands against you. Fear only goes so far.”

Nico’s jaw clenched. He had heard this before, in different ways, from different people. Luis wasn’t wrong, but he also wasn’t right. Nico had survived by being ruthless and by never hesitating when it came to making the hard choices.

The city was his because he had taken it in blood. And he had no intention of losing it now, not after everything he’d fought for.

“I know what I’m doing, Luis,” Nico said, his voice sharp. “I’ve kept us alive this long. We’ve come too far to start questioning everything now.”

Luis exhaled slowly, frustration creeping into his voice. “I’m not questioning you, Nico. I’m telling you that the city is slipping through your fingers. You can’t hold it with violence alone.”

Nico’s eyes flashed with something dark, something dangerous. “You think I don’t know that? Do you think I’m not aware of what’s happening out there? This city doesn’t respect anything but power, Luis. We’ve both seen what happens when you try to play it safe. We’re not here to be loved. We’re here to rule.”

Luis was silent for a moment, his gaze searching Nico’s face. “And what happens when there’s nothing left to rule?”

While Nico wrestled with the weight of his crumbling empire, the streets were alive with whispers. The smaller crews, once cowed by the brutality of Nico’s reign, were starting to make moves, feeling out the edges of his control.

It was subtle—territories being tested, deals being struck in the shadows—but the underworld had a way of sensing weakness, and right now, Nico’s empire was leaking blood.

Sal and Ricky, two of Nico’s most senior lieutenants, had been playing it safe, keeping their heads down after the brutal demonstration of loyalty Nico had forced on them. But even they could feel the tide turning.

They had watched as Vito had been forced to execute one of his men, and now, the fear that had once kept them in line was starting to twist into something else—doubt.

Ricky sat across from Sal in the back of a quiet bar, the dim light casting long shadows across their faces. They spoke in hushed tones, both aware that the walls in this city had ears.

“This can’t last,” Ricky muttered, his voice edged with tension. “Nico’s pushing too hard. The men aren’t going to take much more of this.”

Sal nodded, his expression grim. “I’ve seen this before, man. It’s Santoro all over again. He ruled through fear too, and look where that got him. Nico’s smarter, sure, but he’s playing the same game. And in the end, no one wins that way.”

Ricky leaned back, running a hand over his face. “So what do we do? We’re stuck in the middle of this. If we go against Nico, we end up dead like the rest of them. But if we stay with him, it’s only a matter of time before someone bigger comes along and wipes us all out.”

Sal glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “We need to think about our future. Nico’s strong now, but the cracks are showing. If there’s a chance to get out before this whole thing comes down on us, we need to take it.”

Ricky frowned. “You saying we make a move?”

“I’m saying we start looking for options,” Sal replied, his voice low and serious. “This city’s always got someone waiting in the wings. If Nico falls, we need to be ready to make a deal with whoever takes his place.”

Ricky didn’t respond immediately, but the idea was already taking root in his mind. He knew Sal was right—Nico was dangerous, but no one ruled this city forever. And when the fall came, Ricky wasn’t about to be on the wrong side of it.

As the days passed, the tension in the city continued to build. Nico’s retaliation against Mackin’s remaining allies had momentarily stifled the threat of rebellion, but it hadn’t silenced the whispers. Fear had kept the lieutenants in line, but the seeds of doubt had already been planted, and Nico could feel the shifting tides beneath him.

Luis returned with more troubling news. “It’s getting worse,” he said, dropping a report onto Nico’s desk. “Sal and Ricky—they’re talking. We’ve had ears on them for a while now, and it’s clear they’re looking for a way out.”

Nico’s face darkened as he scanned the report. “They’re planning to turn?”

Luis nodded. “Not openly yet, but they’re testing the waters. Trying to find out their options. If they find the right opportunity, they’ll jump.”

Nico clenched his fists, his mind racing. Sal and Ricky had been with him from the start, but loyalty in this city was always conditional. He had known that from the beginning. But betrayal wasn’t something he could tolerate—not now, not ever.

“Do they have anyone else with them?” Nico asked, his voice cold and dangerous.

“Not yet,” Luis replied. “But if they make a move, others will follow. The smaller crews are looking for any sign that Nico is losing control. If they think Sal and Ricky are about to jump ship, they’ll side with whoever they think is going to win.”

Nico exhaled slowly, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. He had fought so hard to get here, to take the city, but now it was slipping away from him faster than he could hold it. Every decision, every kill, every betrayal—it all felt like a piece of his empire crumbling beneath him.

“We can’t let them walk away,” Nico said, his voice low. “If they even think about turning on me, I’ll make sure they never get the chance.”

Luis hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. “What are you planning?”

Nico’s gaze was cold as steel. “We take them out. Both of them. Quietly, before they can rally anyone else.”

Luis shifted uncomfortable. “That’s a risky move, Nico. If word gets out that you’re killing off your lieutenants, it’s going to make the rest of the men even more paranoid. They’ll start wondering if they’re next.”

Nico’s expression didn’t soften. “Let them wonder. If they think they can cross me and walk away, they’re wrong.”

Luis met Nico’s gaze; the tension between them was thick. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

Nico leaned forward, his eyes cold and unyielding. “It’s the only game I know.”

That night, Nico made his move. Sal and Ricky had been summoned to a secluded meeting place on the edge of the city under the pretence of discussing business. But the real purpose of the meeting was something far darker. Nico had always been willing to make hard choices, and tonight, that choice would be to end the doubt once and for all.

The warehouse was dimly lit, the silence almost suffocating as Sal and Ricky entered. They had no idea what was about to happen, no inkling that this meeting would be their last.

Nico was already there, waiting, his face unreadable as they approached.

“Nico,” Ricky began, trying to sound casual, though his voice was edged with unease. “What’s this about?”

Nico didn’t answer immediately. He watched them for a moment, letting the silence stretch, letting their discomfort grow. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm but lethal. “I know what you’ve been planning.”

Sal frozen, his eyes widening in panic. “We—Nico, we haven’t been planning anything.”

Nico cut him off, his voice cold and final. “Don’t lie to me.”

Ricky’s face drained of colour. He took a step back, his hands trembling. “We were just talking, Nico. We didn’t mean—”

“Talking leads to betrayal,” Nico said, his eyes locked on them. “And betrayal leads to death.”

Sal’s breath came in short, panicked gasps. “Nico, we’re loyal. We never—”

Nico stepped forward, his gun already in hand. “Loyalty isn’t a choice. It’s an expectation.”

The gunshot rang out, sharp and deafening in the stillness of the warehouse. Sal fell first, his body crumpling to the ground in a pool of blood. Ricky stared in horror, his mouth opening to scream, but no sound came out.

Before he could react, Nico fired again. Ricky collapsed next to Sal, his life snuffed out in an instant.

Nico stood over their bodies, his heart pounding, his breath coming in slow, steady beats. The message had been sent. Once again, he had proven that betrayal would not be tolerated.

But as he stared down at the bodies of his former lieutenants, Nico felt something cold settle in his chest. He had won another battle, but the war was still raging, and every victory felt more hollow than the last.

The news of Sal and Ricky’s deaths spread quickly through the underworld, and the effect was immediate. Some saw it as a sign of Nico’s strength, proof that he still controlled the city with an iron fist. But others—those who had been wavering in their loyalty—saw it as something far more dangerous. Fear had kept them in line for now, but fear was a fragile thing. And the more Nico tightened his grip, the more the city seemed to slip away.

Luis returned to the penthouse with reports of unrest. “The smaller crews are spooked,” he said. “Sal and Ricky were known names. People are wondering who’s next. If this keeps up, you’re going to have more problems than just a few lieutenants.”

Nico didn’t respond immediately. He stood by the window, staring out at the city below. It had been his once. Now, it felt like a beast he couldn’t control, a force that was ready to devour him the moment he let his guard down.

“I did what needed to be done,” Nico said quietly.

Luis nodded, though his face was lined with concern. “I know. But there’s only so much killing we can do before everything starts to fall apart.”

Nico clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into fists. He had taken the city through blood, and he had held it through fear. But now, even he could feel the weight of it pressing down on him, threatening to pull him under.

“How do we stop it?” Nico asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Luis sighed, stepping closer. “We have to show them something else, Nico. They need more than fear to stay loyal. They need a reason to believe that things can be different. Better.”

Nico’s eyes darkened. “And what if there’s nothing else?”

Luis met his gaze, his expression sombre. “Then we’ve already lost.”