The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 70

With the defeat at the hands of the Dockyard crew, Nico’s empire is more fragile than ever. The city, once cowed by his ruthless tactics, is beginning to turn against him, and even his most trusted allies are questioning whether he can still hold control.

As rival factions grow bolder and the underworld descends further into chaos, Nico must face the possibility that his reign is coming to an end. But as the flames of rebellion rise, so too does the fire within Nico—a burning determination to hold on to power, no matter the cost.

The final battle for the city is about to begin, and not everyone will survive.

The city had become a pressure cooker, with tensions rising, power shifting, and chaos boiling just beneath the surface. After the defeat at the hands of the Dockyard crew, Nico felt his once-unbreakable control slipping faster than he could grasp.

His empire, which he had built with blood and fear, now seemed as fragile as glass. One wrong move and everything would shatter.

In the aftermath of the failed raid, Nico’s men were on edge, whispers of discontent swirling through the ranks. The smaller crews, emboldened by Dino’s stand, were pushing back harder, testing the limits of Nico’s reach. And the city? It was watching, waiting for the inevitable implosion.

Nico sat in the penthouse, the weight of defeat hanging over him like a storm cloud. His mind was a storm of thoughts—of lost ground, of enemies gathering in the shadows, of men who had once sworn loyalty now questioning his leadership.

He had never been one to second-guess his decisions, but the loss at the Dockyard had shaken him in a way he hadn’t expected. He had always been in control, always a step ahead. Now, he felt the city slipping out from under him.

Luis entered the room, his face drawn with exhaustion. He had been at Nico’s side since the beginning, but even he could sense the tide turning. The violence, the bloodshed—it was wearing them all down. And with each passing day, the cracks in their empire grew wider.

“They’re starting to talk,” Luis said quietly, his voice tinged with caution.

Nico didn’t look up. He didn’t need to ask who “they” were. The men. His lieutenants. The small-time crews that had once feared him. They were all starting to question whether Nico could still hold the city together or if his empire was destined to collapse like every king before him.

“What are they saying?” Nico’s voice was low and controlled, but there was a tension in it that hadn’t been there before.

Luis sat down across from him, sighing deeply. “Some of them think it’s time to cut their losses. They’re scared, Nico. They saw what happened with the Dockyard crew, and now they’re wondering if you can still hold this thing together.”

Nico’s eyes darkened. “And what do you think?”

Luis hesitated, his gaze flickering towards the window. He had always been honest with Nico, even when the truth was hard to hear. But now, that honesty felt like a dangerous thing. “I think we’re on borrowed time. You’ve held the city with an iron fist, but fear alone won’t keep them loyal forever. The Dockyard crew proved that.”

Nico clenched his fists, the frustration building inside him. He had known this moment would come—that there would be a point where his control was tested, where everything he had built would be challenged.

But it was happening faster than he’d anticipated, and the weight of it all was pressing down on him, threatening to crush him under its sheer force.

“They think they can turn on me,” Nico muttered, more to himself than to Luis. “They think because I lost one battle, they can start picking apart my empire.”

Luis watched him closely, the concern in his eyes deepening. “It’s not just the Dockyard crew, Nico. It’s everything. The city’s been on edge for months. You’ve ruled with fear, but the longer that goes on, the more desperate people get. They’re not just afraid of you anymore—they’re afraid of what’s coming next.”

Nico stood abruptly, pacing the room. His mind raced with thoughts of betrayal, of disloyalty, of the countless bodies he had buried in his rise to power. He had been ruthless and calculating, always one step ahead of his enemies. But now, it felt like the walls were closing in.

“I’m not losing this city,” Nico said, his voice cold and firm. “I’ve fought too hard to let it all fall apart now.”

Luis exhaled slowly, nodding. “I know. But we need a new plan. We can’t keep reacting to every threat. We need to get ahead of this.”

Nico’s mind was already working, piecing together the threads of a new strategy. He couldn’t afford to sit back and wait for his enemies to come for him. He needed to take the fight to them to show the city that he was still in control. The Dockyard crew had made a bold move, but Nico wasn’t done yet.

“We go after Dino,” Nico said, his voice steely with determination. “We take him out, and we make it clear that anyone who thinks they can follow his lead will end up the same way.”

Luis frowned. “Dino’s strong, Nico. He’s not like the others. If we go after him head-on, we risk losing even more.”

Nico’s gaze hardened. “Then we don’t go head-on. We play smart. We make him think he’s safe; let him believe he’s won. And when he’s not looking, we strike.”

Across the city, in the shadowy confines of the waterfront, Dino was preparing for what he believed would be the final battle for control. The Dockyard crew had grown stronger in the aftermath of their victory against Nico’s men, and Dino’s confidence had grown with it. He knew Nico was still a threat, but for the first time, he saw a path to taking him down.

Dino sat in a dimly lit office above one of the Dockyard warehouses, surrounded by his most trusted men. The mood was tense, but there was an undercurrent of anticipation. They had stood up to Nico, and now they were preparing to finish the job.

“We’ve weakened him,” Dino said, his voice low but confident. “His men are scared, and the smaller crews are already starting to pull away. This is our chance to take the city.”

One of Dino’s men, a broad-shouldered enforcer named Leo, leaned forward. “You think Nico’s going to go down that easy? The guy’s a maniac. He’s not just going to roll over and let us take everything.”

Dino smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Nico’s bleeding. He’s lost too many men, too much ground. We keep hitting him where it hurts, and eventually he’ll fall.”

Leo nodded, though there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. “And if he doesn’t?”

Dino’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating look. “Then we make sure he doesn’t have a choice.”

Nico’s plan was already in motion. He knew Dino was planning something—he could feel it in the way the city moved, in the subtle shifts of power that rippled through the streets. But Nico had always been a step ahead, and now, with everything on the line, he wasn’t about to let Dino take what was his.

The trap was set.

Nico had spread rumours that he was pulling back, retreating to consolidate his forces. It was a lie, of course, but it was exactly the kind of lie Dino would believe. Dino wanted to believe that Nico was weakening, that his empire was collapsing, and that Nico was more than happy to let him.

Luis had his doubts about the plan, but he followed Nico’s lead. They had reached a point where there were no safe bets, no guarantees. The only way forward was through, and if they didn’t act now, the city would slip away from them for good.

“We wait for Dino to move,” Nico said as they sat in a safehouse on the outskirts of the city. “When he thinks we’re retreating, he’ll push. And when he does, we’ll be ready.”

Luis nodded, though his face remained tense. “You think he’s going to fall for this?”

Nico’s eyes darkened. “He doesn’t have a choice.”

Dino moved faster than Nico had expected.

Within days of the rumours spreading, Dino’s men were already pushing deeper into Nico’s territory, hitting smaller operations and testing the limits of Nico’s control. It was a calculated move, meant to provoke Nico into responding, to see just how far they could push before he struck back.

But Dino was walking into a trap.

Nico had planned every detail, every move. His men had been pulled back from the key territories, making it look like they were giving ground, retreating in the face of Dino’s growing strength. But in reality, Nico’s forces were lying in wait, ready to strike the moment Dino made his move.

The final confrontation came on a cold, moonless night in the heart of the industrial district. Dino’s men had been moving through one of Nico’s old strongholds, a warehouse that had been left abandoned in the aftermath of the Dockyard crew’s initial push. Dino believed it was a sign of Nico’s retreat—a sign that his enemy was losing his grip.

But it was a trap.

As Dino and his men entered the warehouse, the doors slammed shut behind them, locking them inside. The lights flickered on, revealing Nico’s men waiting in the shadows, guns drawn, their eyes cold and merciless.

Dino froze, his heart pounding in his chest as he realised what was happening.

Nico stepped out from the darkness, his expression unreadable, his gun steady in his hand. “You thought you could take my city?”

Dino’s eyes widened in shock. “Nico—”

“You lost the moment you made your move,” Nico said, cutting him off. “You wanted to prove you were stronger than me. But you forgot one thing.”

Dino’s hands trembled as he reached for his gun, but before he could draw it, Nico fired. The shot echoed through the warehouse, and Dino crumpled to the ground, blood pooling around him.

Nico stood over him, his eyes cold. “This city belongs to me.”

The aftermath of Dino’s death was swift and brutal. Nico’s men moved through the Dockyard crew’s territory like a storm, wiping out anyone who dared to resist. The message was clear: Nico was still in control, and anyone who challenged him would meet the same fate as Dino.

But even as Nico solidified his grip on the city, the cracks in his empire were still there, lurking beneath the surface. The smaller crews had been cowed for now, but fear was no longer enough to keep them in line. The city was teetering on the edge of collapse, and Nico knew that his victory over Dino was only a reprieve.

Back at the penthouse, Luis stood by the window, staring out at the city below. The lights flickered in the distance, a reminder of the fragile peace that now held the city together.

“We won this round,” Luis said quietly. “But the city’s not going to stay quiet for long.”

Nico nodded, though his face was unreadable. He had taken down Dino, crushed the Dockyard crew, and sent a message to the rest of the city. But the war wasn’t over. Not yet.

“I know,” Nico said, his voice cold. “But I’ll be ready.”