The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 74

With the battle for the Westside won but at a terrible cost, Nico’s control over the city is more fragile than ever. The smaller crews are regrouping, and even Nico’s most trusted allies are beginning to question how long his empire can survive.

As the city teeters on the brink of collapse, Nico must face the reality that the fire he has tried to contain is spreading faster than he can control it. The final battle for the city is drawing near, and the empire Nico built with blood and fear is starting to crumble.

The collapse has begun, and not everyone will survive.

The city was no longer the empire Nico had fought so hard to control. The streets felt colder and quieter, but not with the peace he once commanded. This was the silence of fear, of something breaking.

The Westside may have been reclaimed, but Nico could feel the cost in his bones. His men had bled for every inch of ground, but the truth was simple: they were running out of blood.

Nico stood by the window of the penthouse, staring out over the city that was once his. His reflection in the glass felt like a ghost, watching over a world he no longer recognised.

The skyline was the same—familiar towers, lights blinking in the distance—but the pulse of the city had changed. It was no longer his, not completely. The smaller crews were regrouping, building alliances in the shadows, and no matter how many he crushed, more kept rising.

Luis entered the room quietly, his steps heavy with exhaustion. He had been at Nico's side through every victory and every loss, but tonight he looked worn—frayed at the edges, as if the endless fighting had finally caught up with him. The war was taking its toll on them both, and the cracks were beginning to show.

“Nico,” Luis said, his voice low. “We’ve got word from the Southside. Another crew’s making a move.”

Nico didn’t look away from the window. “Which one?”

Luis exhaled, rubbing his temples. “Paolo’s crew. They’ve been lying low since the Westside fight, but now they’re regrouping. They’ve linked up with Angelo and Tony’s men. Word is they’re planning something big.”

Nico’s eyes narrowed, his mind racing. Paolo, Angelo, and Tony. Three names that kept surfacing kept pushing back when they should’ve fallen in line. They had regrouped faster than he’d expected.

He’d already crushed the Dockyard crew and taken down Vic, but this? This was different. They weren’t acting out of desperation—they were organising.

“How many men do they have?” Nico asked, his voice cold.

“Enough to be a problem,” Luis replied, stepping closer. “They’ve been quiet, gathering strength. If they move on us, it’s going to be a bloodbath.”

Nico turned slowly, his eyes locking on Luis. “We’ve faced bloodbaths before.”

Luis shook his head. “This is different, Nico. We’re outnumbered, outgunned. The men are tired. Every time we hit them, we lose more of our own. And Paolo, Angelo, and Tony? They know that. They’re not coming at us because they’re desperate—they’re coming because they think they can win.”

The weight of those words hung in the air, and for the first time, Nico felt the full weight of his decisions pressing down on him. His men were scared. His lieutenants were scared. Hell, he was scared.

Not of losing control, but of losing everything—everything he had fought for, sacrificed for. The empire he had built was crumbling, and the city he had once ruled with an iron fist was slipping away.

“We can’t let them move first,” Nico said, pacing the room. “If they think they can take this city, we show them they’re wrong. We hit them before they hit us.”

Luis hesitated, his brow furrowed with concern. “We don’t have the men for an all-out war, Nico. Not anymore.”

Nico clenched his fists, his frustration boiling over. He had always been able to outthink and outmanoeuvre his enemies, but now it felt like he was playing a game he couldn’t win. The more he fought, the more ground he lost. The city was bleeding, and he was running out of time.

“Then we don’t hit them all at once,” Nico said finally, his voice hardening with resolve. “We break them apart. One by one. Paolo first. Without him, the rest of them fall.”

Luis nodded, though his expression remained troubled. “If we go after Paolo, we need to move fast. We can’t give him time to rally his men.”

“We’ll be ready,” Nico said, his mind already working through the plan. He had one last shot at this—one final chance to remind the city who was in control. If Paolo, Angelo, and Tony thought they could take him down, they would learn the hard way.

But even as Nico spoke the words, he felt the doubt creeping in. He had been fighting for so long, killing for so long, and now the weight of it all was starting to crush him. He had taken the city by force, and now it was consuming him.

The night of the hit came quickly.

Nico’s men moved through the narrow streets of the Southside, their footsteps silent, their guns drawn. The plan was simple: take out Paolo before he could rally his forces. Without Paolo, the rest of the alliance would crumble. But as they approached the warehouse where Paolo was hiding, Nico couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Luis was by his side, his face tense as they reached the outskirts of the warehouse. “We’ve got eyes on the building,” Luis said quietly. “Paolo’s inside, along with about a dozen of his men. Should be a clean hit.”

Nico nodded, though the tension in his chest didn’t ease. He had done this a thousand times before—taken out rivals, crushed rebellions—but something about this felt different. Maybe it was the way the city felt tonight, like a coiled spring ready to snap. Or maybe it was the fact that every battle now felt like a step closer to the end.

“We go in, take out Paolo, and get out,” Nico said, his voice low. “No mistakes.”

Luis gave a brief nod, and Nico’s men began to move into position. The warehouse loomed ahead, a dark, hulking structure that seemed to pulse with danger. Nico tightened his grip on his gun as they approached the entrance.

The moment they breached the warehouse, everything went wrong.

A hail of gunfire erupted from the shadows, cutting through Nico’s men like a scythe. The ambush was immediate and brutal. Paolo’s men had been waiting for them. The plan wasn’t just to defend the warehouse—it was to lure Nico in and trap him inside.

Nico dove for cover, his heart racing as bullets tore through the air around him. “It’s a trap!” he shouted, but the warning was already too late.

Luis was beside him, firing back at Paolo’s men with deadly precision. “We need to get out of here, Nico!” Luis yelled over the roar of gunfire. “They were ready for us!”

Nico’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the ambush. Paolo had known they were coming. He had set the trap, knowing Nico wouldn’t be able to resist making the first move. It was a deadly game, and for the first time in years, Nico felt like he was losing.

But retreat wasn’t an option. Not yet.

“We push through,” Nico growled, his voice tight with fury. “We take Paolo out, or we die trying.”

Luis shot him a glance, his face grim. “Nico—”

“We finish this!” Nico roared, rising from cover and charging forward gun blazing.

The fight was brutal. Nico’s men were cut down one by one, but they pushed forward, refusing to retreat. The warehouse echoed with the sounds of gunfire, the smell of blood thick in the air.

Bodies fell on both sides, but Nico didn’t stop. He couldn’t. This was his city, his empire, and he wasn’t going to let Paolo or anyone else take it from him.

As Nico fought his way through the chaos, he caught sight of Paolo at the far end of the warehouse, shouting orders to his men. A surge of rage coursed through Nico’s veins as he locked eyes with the man who had set this trap.

Paolo saw him too, and for a brief moment, their gazes met across the battlefield.

Nico didn’t hesitate. He moved like a predator, cutting down anyone who stood in his way as he closed the distance between him and Paolo. The world around him faded into the background—there was only Paolo and the singular goal of ending this war once and for all.

When Nico reached him, Paolo raised his gun, but Nico was faster. He slammed into Paolo, knocking the gun from his hand and sending them both crashing to the ground.

For a moment, they grappled, each trying to gain the upper hand, but Nico’s fury was stronger. With a brutal strike, Nico brought the butt of his gun down on Paolo’s head, knocking him to the floor.

Paolo lay there, dazed and bleeding, as Nico stood over him, breathing hard.

“You thought you could take my city,” Nico said, his voice cold and deadly. “But you forgot who you were dealing with.”

Paolo coughed, blood spilling from his lips. “It’s already too late, Nico. The city... it’s slipping away from you.”

Nico’s eyes burnt with rage, but beneath it, he knew Paolo was right. The city was slipping away. No matter how many battles he won, no matter how many men he killed, the city was turning against him. It had always been a beast, wild and untamable, and now it was devouring him piece by piece.

But none of that mattered at this moment.

Without another word, Nico raised his gun and fired.

Paolo’s body jerked once, then lay still.

Nico stood over him for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest, the weight of everything pressing down on him. The warehouse was quiet now, the sounds of gunfire fading into the distance. But the silence wasn’t a victory. It was something else—something darker.

Luis appeared beside him, his face drawn with exhaustion. “It’s done,” he said quietly. “But Nico... the city’s not going to forget this.”

Nico nodded, though his expression remained unreadable. He had won the battle, but the war was far from over. The city was bleeding, and no matter how many men he killed, no matter how many enemies he crushed, it felt like the end was drawing closer with every step he took.

“We need to go,” Luis said, glancing around the wreckage of the warehouse. “Paolo’s men will be back, and the others... they’ll come for us.”

Nico didn’t respond immediately. He stood over Paolo’s body, staring down at the man who had thought he could take what was his. But as the blood pooled around Paolo’s lifeless form, Nico couldn’t shake the feeling that the city was slipping further away.

“We’re not done yet,” Nico muttered, more to himself than to Luis.

But deep down, he knew the truth. The collapse had already begun.