The Rise of Mackin Jones

Chapter 86

Luis has won the final battle against Raúl, but the victory feels hollow. The city is still restless, and new threats are always waiting in the shadows.

As Luis contemplates the weight of his power and the inevitability of his fall, he must decide how far he’s willing to go to hold onto what he’s built. But in a city as dangerous as this one, the cost of power is always high—and Luis is beginning to wonder if it’s a price he can continue to pay.

The fires are still burning, and the city is waiting for the next king to rise—or fall.

The weight of the city pressed down on Luis more than ever in the days following Raúl’s death. He had won the battle, taken control of the Eastside, and for the moment, the city seemed to be his again.

But beneath the surface, Luis could feel it—the slow, inevitable shift of power, the constant undercurrent of tension that never fully went away.

The city was a living thing, always changing, always hungry. And no matter how much blood Luis spilt, no matter how many enemies he cut down, he couldn’t tame it. He could only try to hold it together for as long as the city would let him.

Luis sat in his office, the night air heavy with the smell of rain. A storm was brewing outside, thunder rumbling in the distance. He stared at the map of the city spread across his desk, the lines marking the territories he had fought so hard to control.

The Southside was quiet for now. The dockyard was holding. But the cracks were still there, waiting to grow into something bigger, something more dangerous.

Maria entered the room, her presence a steadying force in the swirling chaos of Luis’s thoughts. She had been his anchor through it all, but Luis could see the toll this life had taken on her as well. She had been with him from the beginning, watching as he built his empire, watching as it threatened to collapse around him.

“They’re talking again,” Maria said quietly, crossing the room to stand by his side. “Raúl’s death sent a message, but it didn’t stop the whispers. The smaller crews are restless. They’re waiting for the next move.”

Luis exhaled slowly, his fingers tracking the lines on the map. “They’re always waiting. It doesn’t matter what we do—they’ll always look for the next opening.”

Maria nodded, her eyes scanning the map. “It’s the Southside that’s the problem. Carlos has been holding things together, but barely. He’s not strong enough to keep the crews in line. If we don’t step in soon, they’ll make their play.”

Luis’s jaw tightened. The Southside had always been a volatile part of the city, and with Salvatore’s death, the power vacuum had only grown. Carlos had been a loyal lieutenant, but he wasn’t built for the kind of ruthless leadership the Southside demanded. Luis had put him in charge to maintain stability, but now it seemed that stability was starting to slip.

“What about the Dockyard?” Luis asked, his voice low but controlled.

“Still holding, but for how long? Nico’s old contacts are still sniffing around, and some of Leo’s remnants are trying to rebuild. They’re not ready to make a move yet, but it’s only a matter of time,” Maria replied, her tone matter-of-fact.

Luis clenched his fists, the frustration boiling just beneath the surface. It felt like no matter how many fires he put out, no matter how many battles he won, there was always another threat waiting just around the corner. He had taken down Nico, Angelo, Leo, and Raúl. But the city kept producing new enemies and new challenges. And Luis was starting to wonder if he could keep this up.

“I’m tired, Maria,” Luis admitted, his voice quieter than usual. “Every day, it’s the same. We fight, we bleed, and for what? The city never changes. It just keeps asking for more.”

Maria’s gaze softened, though there was a sharpness in her eyes that told Luis she understood. “That’s the cost of power, Luis. It’s never enough. You knew that when you took this city.”

Luis stood, pacing the room as the storm outside grew louder. He felt like the city itself was mocking him, the rain slamming against the windows as if to remind him that no matter how hard he fought, he would never truly own it. He could hear the thunder rolling in the distance, and it felt like an omen—an inevitable storm that he couldn’t outrun.

“What do we do about Carlos?” Luis asked, his voice filled with grim resignation. “He’s not going to hold the Southside. We need someone stronger.”

Maria studied him for a moment, her expression thoughtful. “You’re right. Carlos isn’t built for this. We need to make a change. But if we take him out, we have to replace him with someone who can handle the chaos. Someone who won’t try to carve out their empire.”

Luis nodded, though his mind was already racing with possibilities. The Southside had been unstable since Salvatore’s death, and Carlos’s inability to maintain control was becoming a liability. But replacing him wasn’t simple. It wasn’t just about finding someone ruthless—it was about finding someone who could command loyalty without turning into another Saviour.

“What about Marco’s old crew?” Luis asked, his tone cautious. “There’s got to be someone left we can trust.”

Maria frowned, clearly sceptical. “Marco’s lieutenants were all cut from the same cloth—ambitious, hungry for power. If we put one of them in charge, it’ll only be a matter of time before they try to take more than we give them.”

Luis cursed under his breath. The Southside was a powder keg, and every option felt like a risk. If he made the wrong move, the entire district could explode into violence, and the chaos would spread throughout the city.

“We’ll have to find someone,” Luis said finally, his voice heavy with frustration. “Someone loyal, but strong enough to handle the Southside.”

Maria nodded, though her expression remained tense. “I’ll start looking. But you know we don’t have much time. If the smaller crews think we’re losing control, they’ll move. And once the Southside goes, the Dockyard won’t be far behind.”

Luis leaned against the desk, his mind weighed down by the constant strain of keeping everything together. It was a never-ending cycle of violence, betrayal, and bloodshed, and it was beginning to take its toll.

“Do it,” Luis said, his voice resigned. “We can’t afford to wait.”

The storm raged throughout the night, but it was nothing compared to the storm brewing in the city’s underworld. As Luis’s men moved quietly through the Southside, making preparations to replace Carlos, the smaller crews were already starting to whisper. They could sense the shift in power and the instability that had taken hold. And in the dockyard, Nico’s old contacts were making their presence known, quietly consolidating their forces as they waited for the right moment to strike.

Luis sat alone in the penthouse, staring out at the rain-soaked streets below. The skyline, once a symbol of his victory, now felt like a prison—a constant reminder of the empire he had built and the enemies he had made along the way.

He poured himself a drink, the amber liquid swirling in the glass as he considered his next move. The city was slipping out of his grasp, and no matter how hard he fought, no matter how many battles he won, it felt like he was losing. The fire he had tried so hard to contain was still burning, and Luis was starting to wonder if it would ever go out.

As he took a sip of his drink, his phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at the screen—an encrypted message from one of his lieutenants in the Dockyard.

Movement in the Dockyard. Nico’s old crew is on the move. They’re planning something big.

Luis’s heart sank. He had known this was coming, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. With the Southside on the verge of chaos and the Dockyard now preparing to make a move, Luis’s control over the city was hanging by a thread.

He stood, the tension in his body coiling like a spring. This was it. The final push. The city was ready to burn again, and Luis had to decide how far he was willing to go to keep it.

Maria entered the room, her expression tense but focused. “We’ve got a problem.”

“I know,” Luis said, holding up his phone. “The dockyard’s moving. Nico’s old crew is making their play.”

Maria nodded, her eyes hard. “It’s worse than we thought. They’ve been gathering support from some of the smaller crews—ones we didn’t even know about. If they move now, they could tear the whole Dockyard out from under us.”

Luis’s jaw tightened. He had fought so hard to keep the dockyard under control, but now it seemed like everything was unravelling. The city was slipping through his fingers, and Luis could feel the end coming.

“We need to hit them before they have a chance to strike,” Luis said, his voice filled with cold resolve. “We take the fight to them.”

Maria raised an eyebrow, her gaze sharp. “Are you sure? If we go in hard, it could spark a full-scale war.”

Luis met her gaze, his expression unyielding. “It’s already a war, Maria. We just haven’t admitted it yet.”

Maria nodded slowly, though her eyes were filled with concern. “Alright. But this time, we don’t hold back. If we’re going to make a move, we have to end it. No survivors, no loose ends.”

Luis didn’t hesitate. “Agreed.”

The Dockyard was a maze of narrow streets, crumbling warehouses, and forgotten corners where deals were made in the shadows. It had always been a dangerous place, a breeding ground for the city’s most ambitious and ruthless criminals. And now it was the epicentre of the brewing storm that threatened to tear the city apart.

Luis led his men through the darkened streets, moving quickly and quietly as they approached Nico’s old hideout. The building had been abandoned for years, but now it was buzzing with activity. Nico’s old contacts, along with the smaller crews they had rallied, were inside, preparing for what they thought would be their moment of triumph.

Luis had other plans.

He and Maria had coordinated the attack with precision. His men would strike from three different angles, surrounding the building and cutting off any escape routes. There would be no negotiations, no offers of peace. This time, Luis wasn’t interested in playing the long game. He was here to end it.

The first shots rang out just before midnight, shattering the tense silence of the dockyard. Luis’s forces stormed the building with deadly efficiency, cutting down Nico’s old crew before they had a chance to react. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and the sound of bullets ripping through the night as the battle erupted into chaos.

Luis moved through the carnage, his gun steady in his hand as he fired with cold precision. This wasn’t like the other fights he had fought. This wasn’t about power or control. This was about survival—his and the city’s. And Luis was prepared to do whatever it took to stay on top.

Inside the building, the fighting was brutal, close-quarters, and unrelenting. Nico’s old contacts fought back with desperation, but they were no match for Luis’s men. Bodies fell to the ground, blood pooling on the floor as the battle raged on.

Maria was at his side, moving with lethal grace as she took out any threats that came their way. She had always been a force to be reckoned with, but tonight, she fought with a fury that matched Luis’s own. They were in this together, and they weren’t leaving until it was over.

As they reached the centre of the hideout, Luis spotted the leader of Nico’s old crew—an older man named Franco. He had been one of Nico’s closest allies, a man who had survived countless wars in the underworld. But now, as he stood surrounded by Luis’s forces, Franco knew his time was up.

“Luis,” Franco said, his voice strained as he raised his hands in surrender. “We don’t have to do this. We can make a deal.”

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

The shot echoed through the room, and Franco collapsed to the floor, blood pooling beneath him.

For a moment, the room was silent.

It was over.

Luis stood over Franco’s body, his heart still pounding in his chest. The battle had been won, but as Luis looked around at the blood-soaked room, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the victory he had been fighting for.

This wasn’t what he had wanted.

Maria approached him, her expression unreadable. “It’s done.”

Luis nodded, though the weight of the moment pressed down on him like a vice. “Yeah. It’s done.”

But as they walked out of the building, the storm still raging outside, Luis couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be before the city demanded more. The fire had been contained, but it was still burning, waiting for the next spark.

And Luis knew that no matter how hard he fought, the city would always be hungry.