The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 69

With the deaths of Sal and Ricky, Nico’s control over the city becomes more tenuous than ever. The smaller crews, once cowed by fear, are starting to fracture, and even Nico’s most trusted allies are beginning to question whether his reign can survive.

As the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse, Nico must confront the reality that fear alone is no longer enough to hold his empire together. New enemies are rising from the shadows, and the city is ready to burn.

The final reckoning is coming, and Nico is running out of time.

The city was unravelling.

The cracks in Nico’s empire, once small and hidden beneath layers of blood and fear, had grown into deep chasms. The deaths of Sal and Ricky had sent shockwaves through the underworld, and the fragile alliances Nico had built were beginning to fracture.

The smaller crews that had once feared him were now quietly forming new allegiances, drawn to the whispers of rebellion that lingered in the dark corners of the city.

Nico sat in the penthouse, his hands gripping the edges of his desk. The room felt colder than it had before, the shadows stretching long and dark across the walls. His empire was slipping through his fingers, and no amount of violence seemed to be enough to hold it together.

The city that he had fought so hard to claim was now poised to devour him, and every move he made felt like another step towards the abyss.

Luis stood in front of him, his expression heavy with concern. He had seen this before—the rise and fall of kings. He had watched Mackin and Santoro fall to the same forces that were now gathering against Nico. But this felt different.

Nico was fighting harder, pushing further, but in doing so, he was burning everything around him. Luis wasn’t sure how much longer they could hold on before the entire city collapsed under the weight of it all.

“It’s getting worse,” Luis said, breaking the heavy silence in the room. “We’re hearing more from the smaller crews. Some of them are already moving against us, trying to carve out pieces of territory.”

Nico exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening. “Which crews?”

“The Stone Harbour boys hit one of our supply lines last night,” Luis continued, his voice low and controlled. “And we’ve heard rumblings from the Dockyard crew. They’re starting to act like they’re not afraid of us anymore.”

Nico’s eyes darkened. The Stone Harbour crew had always been trouble—small-time thugs who had never truly posed a threat until now. The Dockyard crew, however, was something entirely else. They had been lying low since Santoro’s fall, waiting for the right moment to make their move. And now, with the city in turmoil, they were testing Nico’s control.

“They think we’re weak,” Nico muttered, his voice filled with cold fury. “They think because we’ve been putting out fires, they can start their own.”

Luis nodded. “That’s exactly it. They’re watching us, seeing how we respond. If we don’t hit back hard, more of them will jump in.”

Nico stood, pacing the room with slow, measured steps. He had faced down rebellions before—Franco, Mackin’s men, the smaller crews that had tried to undermine him—but this felt different.

This wasn’t a single, organised threat. It was chaos, spreading through the city like wildfire. And if he didn’t extinguish it now, the flames would consume everything.

“We’re not going to let them think they can get away with this,” Nico said, his voice firm. “We hit the Stone Harbour crew first. Take them down completely. Then we send a message to the Dockyard boys.”

Luis hesitated, his face troubled. “We’re stretched thin, Nico. We’ve already lost a lot of men dealing with Franco and the others. If we start a war with the smaller crews, we might not have the manpower to hold everything together.”

Nico’s gaze hardened. “If we don’t hit them now, it’s over anyway. We can’t show weakness. Not now.”

Luis met his gaze; the tension between them was palpable. “Alright. But we need to be careful. If we push too hard, we’ll end up with more enemies than we can handle.”

Nico nodded, though inside, he knew Luis was right. They were walking a fine line, and every decision he made seemed to pull them closer to the edge. But he had no choice. The city was already turning against him, and if he didn’t act now, everything he had built would come crashing down.

The raid on the Stone Harbour crew was swift and brutal. Nico’s men moved through the industrial district like ghosts, cutting down anyone who resisted. The Stone Harbour crew had been caught off guard; their leaders were dragged out into the streets and executed as a message to the others.

Nico watched from a distance as the bodies were lined up, the cold night air thick with the scent of blood and gunpowder.

This was what it took. Violence. Control. Fear. It had always been the way of the city, and it always would be. But as Nico stared at the corpses of his enemies, a strange, hollow feeling settled in his chest. There was no satisfaction in this victory, no sense of triumph. Only the cold, hard knowledge that it wasn’t enough.

“It’s done,” Luis said, approaching Nico. His face was unreadable, his voice steady. “We’ve taken care of the Stone Harbour crew. The others will hear about this soon.”

Nico nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. He had won this battle, but the war for the city was far from over. The Dockyard crew was still out there, waiting, and more would come. He could feel it—the weight of the city pressing down on him, the fragile balance of power shifting beneath his feet.

“We move on to the Dockyard boys next,” Nico said, his voice quiet but resolute. “They need to know we’re still in control.”

Luis glanced at him, concern flickering in his eyes. “Nico, we need to regroup. We’ve lost too many men already. We can’t keep hitting every crew that challenges us without burning out.”

Nico’s jaw clenched. “If we don’t hit them, they’ll think we’ve lost control. And then it’s over.”

Luis didn’t argue, but the doubt was clear in his eyes. He knew what was coming, even if Nico refused to see it. The city was already starting to turn, and no amount of bloodshed would stop the tide from rising.

Across the city, the Dockyard crew was gathering, preparing for what they knew would be an inevitable confrontation. Their leader, a man named Dino, had been watching Nico’s rise with a mixture of awe and caution. He had seen Santoro fall, seen Mackin’s empire crumble, and now he was watching as Nico struggled to hold onto his throne.

Dino sat at a table in a dimly lit bar, surrounded by his most trusted men. The Dockyard crew had kept to themselves for the most part, quietly building their strength while the rest of the city tore itself apart. But now, with Nico’s empire showing signs of weakness, Dino knew the time was right to make his move.

“They hit the Stone Harbour boys hard,” Dino said, his voice low and thoughtful. “But they’re stretched thin. We’ve been keeping quiet, waiting for the right moment. I think this is it.”

One of Dino’s men, a tall, broad-shouldered thug named Tony, leaned forward. “You think we can take Nico down? He’s still got a lot of muscle, even after everything.”

Dino nodded slowly. “We don’t need to take him down head-on. Not yet. We push at the edges, hit his supply lines, and make him bleed. He’s trying to hold too much. Eventually, it’ll break.”

The others nodded in agreement, the plan forming in their minds. They had watched as Nico built his empire through violence and fear, but now they saw the cracks. And Dino knew that if they played their cards right, they could carve out their piece of the city before everything came crashing down.

Back at the penthouse, Nico was already planning the next move. The Dockyard crew had always been a thorn in his side, and now they were becoming a real threat. He couldn’t afford to let them gather strength. If Dino started rallying the smaller crews, the entire city could turn against him.

“We hit them tonight,” Nico said, his voice filled with cold determination. “We can’t give them time to regroup.”

Luis hesitated, his face lined with exhaustion. “Nico, we need to slow down. We’re losing men too fast. If we keep going like this, we’re going to burn ourselves out.”

Nico’s eyes narrowed. “If we slow down, they’ll see it as weakness. I’m not giving them the chance to come at us first.”

Luis sighed, rubbing his temples. “I get that, but we can’t just keep reacting to every threat. We need to consolidate and get our house in order. Otherwise, we’re going to spread ourselves too thin.”

Nico’s jaw tightened, his mind racing. He knew Luis was right, but there was no time for caution. The city was slipping away from him, and every moment he didn’t act felt like another step towards losing it all.

“We’ll regroup after this,” Nico said, his voice firm. “But first, we finish this.”

The raid on the Dockyard crew was violent, swift, and chaotic. Nico’s men stormed the waterfront warehouses where Dino’s crew had been hiding out, guns blazing and bodies dropping in the dimly lit alleys. But this time, the fight was different. Dino’s men were prepared, and the battle quickly devolved into a brutal, bloody standoff.

Nico moved through the chaos, his gun steady in his hand, his eyes scanning the darkness for Dino. He could hear the gunfire all around him, the shouts of his men as they fought to hold the line. But something felt off—Dino’s crew was fighting harder than expected, and the raid wasn’t going as smoothly as the others had.

Luis appeared at Nico’s side, his face streaked with blood and sweat. “We’ve got a problem,” he shouted over the noise. “Dino’s men are holding strong. We weren’t ready for this.”

Nico’s heart pound in his chest as he looked around. The Dockyard crew wasn’t just defending—they were fighting back, pushing Nico’s men into a corner. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

“We need to pull back,” Luis said, his voice tense. “We’re losing too many men. If we keep pushing, we’re going to get wiped out.”

Nico’s mind raced, adrenaline coursing through him. He had never retreated, never backed down from a fight. But now, the reality of the situation was closing in on him. If they didn’t pull back, they risked losing everything.

“Fall back!” Nico shouted, the words bitter on his tongue.

Luis relayed the order, and slowly, Nico’s men began to retreat, pulling back from the waterfront as the Dockyard crew continued their assault. The air was thick with smoke and gunfire, and the streets were littered with bodies. It was a devastating loss, and Nico knew it. Dino had held his ground, and in doing so, he had dealt a serious blow to Nico’s empire.

Later that night, back at the penthouse, the weight of the defeat hung heavy in the air. Nico stood at the window, staring out at the city, his mind a storm of anger and frustration. He had lost men, territory, and most importantly, he had lost control.

Luis sat across the room, nursing a drink. His face was drawn, his eyes filled with exhaustion. “We need to regroup, Nico. We can’t keep fighting like this.”

Nico didn’t respond immediately. He knew Luis was right. The city was turning against him, and no amount of violence was going to stop it. He had built his empire on blood and fear, but now it felt like that empire was crumbling beneath him.

“How did it get like this?” Nico muttered, more to himself than to Luis.

Luis sighed, leaning back in his chair. “It was always going to get like this, Nico. You can’t rule this city forever. Eventually, the weight of it starts to drag you down.”

Nico’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He had fought so hard and sacrificed so much, and now it was all slipping away. The city was ready to burn, and he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to stop it.