The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 84

Salvatore’s death sends shockwaves through the city’s underworld, but the peace Luis has fought to maintain is more fragile than ever. The smaller crews are in disarray, but they are not defeated, and new alliances are already forming in the shadows.

As Luis consolidates his control, he must prepare for the next wave of challenges—because in a city as dangerous as this one. The fire never truly goes out.

The city is ready to burn again, and this time, the flames might consume everything.

The word of Salvatore’s death spread faster than the rising dawn, carried through the streets by whispers, and passed from one dark corner of the underworld to another. Luis had made his move, and Salvatore’s abrupt end sent a clear message: challenges to his rule would not be tolerated.

But the city didn’t respond with submission or fear, as Luis might have hoped. Instead, it stirred with fresh tension, like an ember flaring up in the wind.

Luis had extinguished one fire, but now others were smouldering, ready to burst into flame.

He sat in the penthouse the morning after, watching the city come to life beneath him. His eyes were tired and bloodshot from another sleepless night, and his body ached from the constant pressure of trying to keep everything from falling apart.

This wasn’t how he’d imagined it would be when he took control of the city’s underworld. He hadn’t expected it to feel so much like a never-ending fight, a battle without rest.

Maria entered the room, her expression sombre but composed. She had been quiet ever since the hit on Salvatore. It was clear she understood the gravity of the situation. The killing had been necessary—Luis had no choice—but the consequences were already rippling through the streets.

“We’ve got a problem,” Maria said, crossing the room to stand by Luis’s side.

Luis didn’t respond immediately. He continued to stare out over the skyline, letting her words hang in the air.

Maria waited for a moment, then continued. “Salvatore’s death didn’t stop the smaller crews from talking. If anything, it’s stirred them up more. There’s a power vacuum in the Southside now, and they’re already scrambling to fill it.”

Luis exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the glass of whisky he held. “Of course they are.”

Maria’s gaze was sharp, assessing. “They’re saying you’re losing control. That the city’s too big for you to hold. The Dockyard’s quiet, but only because they’re waiting to see what happens next.”

Luis slammed the glass down on the table with a heavy thud. “Let them talk. They’ve always talked. The only thing that matters is who’s left standing.”

Maria didn’t flinch, but her expression softened slightly. She could see the strain Luis was under—the pressure of trying to hold a city together that seemed determined to tear itself apart. “You’re right, but you know as well as I do that talk has a way of turning into action. The Southside’s going to erupt. You’ve got factions moving in to claim Salvatore’s territory, and if we don’t get ahead of it, we’ll be dealing with another war.”

Luis turned to face her, his eyes cold and focused. “Then we take it before they can. I’m not going to let them carve this city up while I sit here watching.”

Maria studied him, her sharp gaze never leaving his face. “It’s not just the Southside. The dockyard is still a problem. And the Eastside is starting to look shaky. You’ve got lieutenants questioning their loyalty, wondering if they should hedge their bets.”

Luis clenched his jaw, the tension building inside him. “What are you saying, Maria? That we can’t hold it?”

Maria sighed, her expression dark. “I’m saying we can hold it, but not like this. You’re stretched too thin. We’ve been playing defence, reacting to every threat, but the city’s moving faster than we can keep up. If we don’t take the offensive, if we don’t lock this down now, the whole thing’s going to fall apart.”

Luis leaned back, his eyes narrowing as he processed her words. She was right. They had been reacting, trying to keep up with the chaos rather than getting ahead of it. He had been too focused on stopping the fires one by one, but now the whole city was starting to burn.

“What’s your plan?” Luis asked, his voice low but filled with intent.

Maria stepped forward, pulling a folded map from her coat and spreading it out on the table. It was a map of the city, with the Southside, Dockyard, and Eastside marked with careful notations. It was a detailed plan—Maria had been thinking about this for a while.

“We take the Southside first,” Maria said, pointing to the area marked on the map. “Before Salvatore’s lieutenants can rally. You put someone loyal in charge, someone you can trust to hold it without trying to take more than you give them. That stops the smaller crews from turning it into a free-for-all.”

Luis nodded, his eyes tracking the lines on the map. “And the Dockyard?”

Maria hesitated for a moment before answering. “We’ve got problems there. Some of Nico’s old contacts are resurfacing, trying to pull the Dockyard out from under you. They were quiet after Leo’s death, but now they’re sniffing around, testing your control. If we don’t move fast, they’ll make their play.”

Luis cursed under his breath, feeling the pressure building. The dockyard had always been a volatile place, but he had hoped that by taking out Leo, he had stabilised it. Now, it seemed, he had only delayed the inevitable.

“And the Eastside?” Luis asked.

Maria’s expression grew darker. “The Eastside’s fractured. After Angelo fell, we split the territory between a few of the smaller crews. But one of your lieutenants—Raúl—has been stirring up trouble. He’s been quietly gathering support, playing both sides. If we don’t deal with him soon, he could become a serious threat.”

Luis leaned forward, his eyes locked on the map. The situation was worse than he had realised. He had been focused on the immediate threats, on putting out fires one by one, but now it was clear that the entire city was at risk. If he didn’t act quickly and decisively, everything he had built would fall apart.

“We move on the Southside first,” Luis said, his voice filled with cold determination. “We take Salvatore’s territory before anyone else can. Then we deal with the dockyard. I want every piece of intelligence we have on who’s moving there, who’s thinking about challenging me.”

Maria nodded. “And Raúl?”

Luis’s jaw tightened. Raúl had been a trusted lieutenant, but the thought of betrayal gnawed at him. “We watch him for now. I don’t want to start a fight on the Eastside unless we have to. But if he makes a move, we shut it down.”

Maria folded the map, tucking it back into her coat. “I’ll make the arrangements. We need to move fast.”

As Maria left the room, Luis stood alone, the weight of the city pressing down on him. He had known this wouldn’t be easy—taking control of the underworld was never simple. But now, as the cracks in his empire grew wider, he could feel the city slipping away from him.

The fire wasn’t just burning in the Southside, the Dockyard, or the Eastside. It was everywhere, in every corner of the city, waiting for the right moment to explode.

The operation in the southside went smoother than Luis had anticipated. His men moved quickly, taking control of Salvatore’s remaining operations before any of the smaller crews could make a play. The power vacuum left by Salvatore’s death was filled with cold efficiency, and by the end of the night, the Southside was once again under Luis’s control.

Luis chose one of his more reliable lieutenants—Carlos—to oversee the territory. Carlos had been with Luis for years, and though he wasn’t the most ambitious, he was loyal. Luis needed someone who wouldn’t try to carve out their kingdom. Carlos was a good fit.

But as soon as the Southside was secure, the Dockyard became the next flashpoint.

Luis’s intel had been right. Nico’s old contacts were making their move, trying to consolidate the remnants of Leo’s crew and build an alliance strong enough to challenge Luis. It wasn’t a direct attack yet. But they were testing the waters, seeing how much ground they could take before Luis responded.

Luis wasted no time.

He and Maria went to the dockyard themselves, accompanied by a small team of enforcers. It was a show of strength, a reminder to anyone watching that Luis wasn’t about to let the Dockyard slip out of his hands. The dockyard had always been a rough part of the city, full of men who dealt in smuggling, extortion, and every kind of illegal trade imaginable. It was the beating heart of the city’s underworld economy, and Luis couldn’t afford to lose control of it.

They arrived at an old shipping warehouse where the meeting was supposed to take place. Luis’s men moved quickly, surrounding the building and cutting off any escape routes. Inside, Nico’s old contacts were gathered around a makeshift table, deep in conversation. They didn’t expect Luis to show up in person.

The moment Luis walked into the room, the conversation stopped.

The leaders of the Dockyard crews turned to face him, their expressions a mix of surprise and fear. They hadn’t expected this—Luis had caught them off guard.

“Nico’s dead,” Luis said, his voice cold and commanding. “Leo’s dead. If any of you think you’re going to carve up this city and take what’s mine, you’re mistaken.”

One of the men, a burly figure named Hector, stood up slowly. He had been one of Nico’s enforcers, a man who had built his reputation on violence and intimidation. “We’re just trying to survive, Luis. You’ve got the whole city in your hands, but we’ve got nothing. You can’t expect us to sit back and watch while you take it all.”

Luis’s eyes hardened. “I don’t expect anything from you. Except loyalty. You either follow my lead, or you get out of the way.”

Hector’s eyes flickered with defiance, but there was something else there too—hesitation. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to make a move against Luis, not after what had happened to Salvatore.

The room was thick with tension. The other leaders of the Dockyard crews were watching, waiting to see what would happen next.

Maria, standing beside Luis, gave him a subtle nod. She had his back, but this was Luis’s moment to show the Dockyard that he was still in control.

Luis stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and Hector. “You think I’m going to let you rebuild Nico’s empire? You think I’m going to stand by while you take what I’ve bled for?”

Hector’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t back down. “We’ve got a right to our piece of the city. Nico might be dead, but the Dockyard still belongs to us.”

Luis stared him down, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “The Dockyard belongs to me.”

For a moment, the room was silent, the weight of Luis’s words hanging in the air.

Then, without warning, Luis drew his gun and fired.

The shot echoed through the warehouse, and Hector dropped to the floor, dead before he hit the ground. The other leaders of the Dockyard crews froze; their faces paled with shock.

Luis lowered his gun, his eyes cold and unyielding. “Anyone else?”

No one moved.

The message had been sent.

The dockyard fell in line after that. Luis’s show of force had been enough to remind the crews who were in charge, and for the moment, they were willing to play by his rules. But Luis knew that this was only a temporary solution. The city was still restless, still waiting for the next opportunity to break free from his control.

As Luis and Maria left the dockyard that night, walking through the dark streets with their enforcers close behind, Maria turned to him, her expression thoughtful.

“You’re holding it together, Luis. But it’s not going to last forever. You can’t keep putting out fires like this.”

Luis didn’t respond immediately. He knew she was right. The city was always on the edge of chaos, always one step away from burning down. And no matter how many battles he won, there would always be another threat, another challenge.

“I know,” Luis said quietly, his voice filled with grim resolve. “But as long as I’m in control, no one’s taking this city from me.”

Maria nodded, though her eyes were filled with something close to concern. “Just remember, Luis—sometimes the city takes more than you can give.”

Luis didn’t answer. He just kept walking, the weight of the night pressing down on him.