The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 83

Salvatore’s offer is a warning that the city is already starting to turn against Luis. The fragile peace he has established is cracking, and the smaller crews are beginning to test the limits of his control. As Luis navigates the dangerous game of power.

He must decide how far he’s willing to go to hold onto the empire he’s built. But in the shadows of the city, new threats are emerging, and Luis’s enemies are closer than he thinks.

The fire is rising again, and this time, it may be too late to stop it.

The city simmered with tension, and Luis could feel it. Salvatore’s visit had been the first direct challenge to his rule, and though Luis had thrown him out of the penthouse, he knew the message had been received loud and clear. The underworld was watching.

The smaller crews were testing the waters, trying to figure out if Luis was the kind of leader who could hold the city together or if he would crack under pressure.

Luis sat in the dimly lit penthouse, nursing a drink as he stared out at the city that stretched endlessly below him. The skyline glittered like a mirage, hiding the reality of the streets where blood had been spilt, deals had been struck, and alliances had been shattered.

Luis had fought for control, and now he had it—but control was a fleeting thing in this city. Every day, he felt it slipping through his fingers, no matter how hard he tried to hold on.

Maria entered the room, her expression as unreadable as ever. She moved with purpose, her footsteps barely audible as she crossed the floor to stand by the window. Luis didn’t need to look at her to know what was on her mind. The tension between them had been growing, not out of conflict but out of the shared weight of responsibility that neither of them had ever wanted.

“You’re thinking about Salvatore,” Maria said quietly, her voice breaking the heavy silence in the room.

Luis nodded, still staring out at the city. “He’s not done. He’ll come back.”

Maria’s eyes narrowed slightly as she considered the situation. “He’ll need time to regroup. He won’t make a move until he’s sure he has enough support. But you’ve sent a message by throwing him out. The question is, Will it be enough?”

Luis exhaled slowly, the weight of her words settling over him. “It’s never enough in this city. Not for long.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the tension between them heavy but unspoken. Maria had been his closest ally, the one person he could trust completely in the volatile world of the underworld. But even she knew that this game they were playing could not be won with loyalty alone.

“He’s going to make alliances,” Maria said finally. “He’ll reach out to the smaller crews, the ones we haven’t fully locked down. If he can convince them that you’re weak and that you’re vulnerable, they’ll follow him.”

Luis clenched his jaw, his frustration building. He had tried to avoid becoming the kind of leader Nico had been, ruling through fear and violence. But maybe he had been naïve. Maybe the city only understood one language—the language of power. And if he didn’t speak it fluently, someone else would.

“What do you suggest?” Luis asked, turning to face her.

Maria’s eyes were sharp, calculating. “We can’t wait for him to make his move. We need to act first. Hit him before he has time to organise. Take out his support before it becomes a threat.”

Luis nodded, though the decision weighed heavily on him. He had wanted to avoid more bloodshed, but in the end, the city demanded it. There was no peace here—only the temporary illusion of it. And if he didn’t act now, he would lose everything he had fought for.

“We’ll move tonight,” Luis said, his voice cold with resolve. “I want Salvatore’s key operations shut down. Quietly but decisively. I want him to know that we’re always a step ahead.”

Maria nodded, her expression unreadable but approving. “I’ll make the arrangements. But be careful, Luis. The more we push, the more they’ll push back.”

Luis met her gaze, his eyes hard. “Let them.”

The city’s underworld was a place where whispers carried more weight than gunfire, where deals were made in backrooms, and where power was measured by who controlled the streets. Salvatore had been working quietly, reaching out to the smaller crews, trying to consolidate power. But Luis had no intention of letting him succeed.

Luis’s men moved through the night like shadows, slipping into the streets of the Southside where Salvatore had been operating. They knew the territory well—it had once belonged to Marco, and though Marco was gone, Salvatore had taken over much of his former operation. Luis’s plan was simple: dismantle Salvatore’s support before he had a chance to gather strength.

The first target was one of Salvatore’s gambling dens, a key source of income for his crew. Luis’s men hit it hard and fast, taking out the guards before they could react and shutting the place down in a matter of minutes. It was a precision strike, designed to send a message without causing too much collateral damage. The fewer bodies in the street, the better.

But the next hit didn’t go as smoothly.

The second target was a warehouse where Salvatore’s men were running a smuggling operation. Luis had expected it to be lightly guarded, but when his men arrived, they found more resistance than anticipated. Salvatore’s crew had been tipped off, and the result was a brutal firefight that left several of Luis’s men dead.

Luis arrived at the scene just after the fighting had ended. The warehouse was a mess, bullet holes riddling the walls, blood pooling on the concrete floor. His men stood around, grim-faced, as they surveyed the damage.

“We weren’t expecting this kind of resistance,” one of Luis’s lieutenants said, his voice tense. “Salvatore’s crew was ready for us.”

Luis nodded, though his mind was racing. Someone had tipped Salvatore off—there was no other explanation. And if Salvador had known about the hit, it meant he was more organised than Luis had thought.

“Get the wounded back to the safe house,” Luis ordered, his voice cold. “And clean this up. I don’t want any trace of us left behind.”

The men nodded and set to work, but Luis’s thoughts were elsewhere. The fact that Salvatore had been ready for them meant that there was a leak—someone feeding him information. And if that was the case, it meant Luis had more enemies than he realised.

As Luis stood there, surveying the scene, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen. It was Maria.

“Luis, we’ve got a problem.” Maria’s voice was sharp, cutting through the night air.

“What is it?” Luis asked, already bracing for the bad news.

“There’s been movement in the dockyard. One of the smaller crews—Nico’s old contacts—has gone quiet. Word is they’re meeting with Salvatore’s people tonight.”

Luis clenched his jaw, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Salvatore wasn’t just consolidating power in the Southside—he was reaching into the Dockyard, trying to form alliances with the remnants of Nico’s old network. If Salvatore succeeded, it would give him a foothold in one of the most strategically important parts of the city.

“Where’s the meeting?” Luis asked, his voice tight with urgency.

Maria hesitated for a moment. “An old shipyard on the edge of the dockyard. It’s a neutral ground—no one controls it.”

Luis nodded, his mind already racing through the possibilities. This was his chance to stop Salvatore before the situation spiralled out of control. But he had to act fast, and he had to do it right. One wrong move and the city would erupt in another full-scale war.

“I’m heading there now,” Luis said, already moving towards his car. “Tell the men to be ready.”

The shipyard was a dark, sprawling expanse of rusting metal and abandoned buildings. It had once been a bustling hub of activity, but now it was little more than a graveyard for forgotten ships and forgotten deals. The perfect place for a clandestine meeting.

Luis arrived with a small team of his most trusted men, slipping into the shadows as they approached the main building where the meeting was supposed to take place. He didn’t want to go in guns blazing—this needed to be handled quietly. If he could disrupt the meeting and break up the alliance before it solidified, he might be able to stop Salvatore’s plans without starting a war.

As they moved closer, Luis could hear voices echoing through the darkness. Salvatore was inside, talking to the leaders of the smaller crews, trying to convince them that he was the future of the city’s underworld. Luis’s heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was calm and focused. This was his chance to end it.

He signalled to his men, motioning for them to surround the building. They moved quickly, silently, taking up positions around the perimeter. Luis didn’t want this to turn into a firefight, but he was prepared for the worst.

Luis crept closer to the entrance, peering through the cracked door into the dimly lit room beyond. Inside, Salvatore was sitting at a table with three other men—leaders of the smaller crews that controlled pieces of the dockyard. They were deep in conversation, but Luis could hear enough to know what was at stake.

“We don’t need to take the city by force,” Salvatore was saying, his voice smooth and confident. “Luis is stretched thin. He’s lost men, and he’s losing control. If we unite now, we can take what’s ours without a fight.”

One of the men nodded, though his expression was wary. “And what makes you think we can trust you, Salvatore? You were Marco’s second. You’re just as hungry for power as anyone.”

Salvatore smiled, leaning back in his chair. “I’m not asking for your loyalty. I’m offering you an opportunity. Luis doesn’t care about the Dockyard. He doesn’t care about your crews. He just wants to keep his grip on the city. But if we work together, we can carve out something better for ourselves.”

Luis’s eyes narrowed. He had heard enough.

Without hesitating, he stepped into the room, his gun drawn. The men at the table froze, their eyes widening in shock as they saw him standing there. Salvatore’s smile faltered for the first time, and for a brief moment, the room was filled with tense, suffocating silence.

“You’ve been busy, Salvatore,” Luis said, his voice cold as he stepped forward. “But this ends tonight.”

Salvatore stood slowly, his eyes locking onto Luis. “You can’t stop this, Luis. The city’s bigger than you. You can kill me, but the wheels are already in motion. You’ve lost.”

Luis didn’t respond. He raised his gun and fired.

The shot was quick and clean. Salvatore crumpled to the floor, his body twitching once before going still. The men at the table didn’t move; their faces paled with fear as they stared at Luis.

“Anyone else wants to try?” Luis asked, his voice calm but laced with danger.

The men shook their heads, too terrified to speak. They knew better than to challenge Luis now. The message had been sent.

Luis lowered his gun, his heart still pounding in his chest. He had stopped Salvador, but the fire was still burning. The city wasn’t going to stay quiet for long. And deep down, Luis knew that this was just the beginning.

The real fight was still coming.