𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓𝟓

Maeve walked into the large theatre-like building that had a boxing ring sat in the centre. Her and Finn walked in together, her hand around his arm.

"Mr Shelby," someone nodded to Finn.

"Arthur says to meet them through the back," Finn said, leading Maeve down the hall and into one of the locker rooms. Arthur turned and smiled at the pair. "About bloody time," he joked.

"Bonnie, you've met Finn but this is Maeve." Tommy introduced them. Maeve gave the dark haired boy a once over and gave him half a smile. "Nice to meet you."

Bonnie grinned. "Yeah, nice to meet you too." He agreed.

"Bonnie, Mr Shelby will give you a twenty percent cut if you put Goliath down in the fourth round." Aberama told his son.

Maeve stood with her arms crossed. Arthur ushered her out to where their seats where, Lizzie and Polly already sat with Linda beside the ring.

"I ain't sitting with them," Maeve quickly refused. Before Arthur could argue, Maeve pointed, "look, here's a spare seat next to you and Uncle Tom. Come on Finn, let's sit down." She grabbed the boys arm and took him to their seats.

"Excuse me— they're my seats." A man told her. She looked at him completely un-phased. "Okay? Find new ones." She let out a pathetic laugh.

The man was getting ready to argue with her but Tommy sat on the other side of Arthur. "Hello, uncle Tommy." She grinned, watching the man's face drop instantly.

"Sorry, Miss Shelby— i've been mistaken." He scurried off to find new seats.

"Works every time." She nudged Finn. He laughed at her and crossed his arms.

The fight slowly kicked off and it was
going well. The crowd was cheering loudly and Arthur was already sipping from a flask.

"Where's Solomons?" Arthur shouted over the noise. "Apparently he doesn't watch," Tommy told him. Arthur hummed and pointed over to Bonnie's corner, "Look at that corner. The men there, they don't know fighting. No i don't like it. You feel it though Tom don't you?"

"We're alright. We are surrounded by soldiers, Arthur. Alfie's men were strip searched. We're alright."

The next round began.

"Come on, Bonnie!" Maeve cheered. "Fucking hit him Bonnie!" Finn joined in. Maeve clapped loudly, actually enjoying the show. She leaned forward in her seat to watch carefully.

Her eyes diverted to the men Arthur had been talking about and she automatically noticed their strange stance. The way they were reading the room.

"No look at them, they don't stand right, they don't move right. They don't even care if he fucking wins." Arthur continued.

"It's the fucking pills, brother." Tommy assured him.

Maeve rolled her eyes at the mention of pills that Arthur had taken.

"The fuck are they laughing at?" Tommy pointed to Lizzie, Polly and Linda who had returned from the lavatory extremely excited.

"It's a new batch. Too strong." Arthur mumbled.

The men had began walking away from the ring, causing Arthur to stand. "Arthur leave it— sit down." Tommy demanded. Maeve looked up at her dad and sighed. "Just bloody sit down, dad. It's not worth the trouble."

"Arthur, come here!"

"Let me do my fucking job." He said as he walked off. Maeve and Tommy shared a glance and she slouched in her chair to continue watching the fight.

A familiar sensation climbed up Maeve's spine and she threw her head back, closing her eyes in attempt to shake the feeling away.

Another man had left to go the same way Arthur had went, catching Tommy and Maeve's attention.

She got up before Tommy and immediately followed, walking quicker than she ever had before. Her footsteps echoed as she walked down the hallway.

"Dad? You in here?" She called out, pushing her hair behind her ears. There was an eerie feeling in the air and she heard a gun shot. "Not again," she muttered as she ran down the hall.

As she walked inside a room, a loud gasp escaped her lips. "Oh my god," she whispered. A man stood over Arthur with a gun pointed at him. A shot fired and she jumped, watching as he fell by her feet.

Tommy had followed her in and killed the man.

Her eyes were wide and she kneeled beside Arthur, feeling sick at the sight of blood covering his neck. "Oh my god, dad." Maeve croaked, unable to move. She'd completely frozen.

Maeve fell back against the wall and covered her mouth despite the blood that covered her hands. "Oh my god," she repeated.

Tommy held Arthur.

Maeve began sobbing uncontrollably. "Is he dead?" Tommy didn't reply.

"Tommy is he dead?" Maeve had horror painted across her features whilst she watched Tommy hold Arthur close to him.

She held her head and pulled at her hair, forcing her eyes closed. She muttered some things to herself that Tommy couldn't hear and tears began staining her clothes.

Everything moved in slow motion and Tommy hesitantly walked out into the hall, almost walking into Polly.

Maeve stared at Arthur's limp body. She couldn't breathe. "Dad." Maeve croaked, she slowly moved toward him, swallowing the lump in her throat. Maeve sniffed and touched his hand that had grown cold.

Her stomach churned and she tried her very best not to throw up. Tears would not stop falling from her eyes and Maeve scrambled to her feet, almost falling over countless times whilst she stumbled out into the hall where Tommy was consoling Polly.

They looked at her.

Tommy let go of Polly and caught Maeve just before she fell to her knees. Loud sobs left her mouth whilst he held her.

He slowly lowered her to the floor and leaned her up against the wall, grabbing her face and saying things to her that she couldn't even hear.

He soon walked off again as well as Polly.

Maeve held her chest and tried to regain her breath.

Footsteps echoed and Maeve looked up, laying her eyes on Finn and Isiah. Isiah quickly kneeled at her side and grabbed her face, wiping her tears and mumbling words of assurance to her. Once again, she didn't know what he was saying.

Finn and Isiah managed to find the other man and dragged him out into the hall, forcing him into his knees.

"Tommy, we found the other Wop. The cunt had a wire in his pocket," Isiah informed Tommy, keeping his gun pointed whilst Tommy joined them.

Tommy aggressively punched the man and sent him down to the floor, kicking him over and over again. Finn joined in. "Go on, Finn. Take his eyes Finn. Do it for Arthur— take his fucking!" Tommy demanded.

Isiah held the man down and Finn sheepishly took his cap and pressed it to his eyes.

Maeve winced and covered her ears. "It's not real— none of it's real." She whispered to herself. "Dad is alive, it's not real."

-

Maeve walked into the betting den, setting down her jacket and gripping onto the edge of the table for support. Her heart was still beating rapidly and her hands were still covered in her dad's blood.

Her eyes welled with tears again and she forcefully kicked a chair to the floor before grabbing a whiskey bottle and launching it at the wall.

Her sobs came quickly and they filled the quiet house.

The door swung open and John appeared, his gun in hand. "Fucking hell, Maeve— what's up?" Concern was painted across his face.

Maeve looked at him and began stuttering, unable to get his words out. "It's alright, sit down." John panicked and helped her sit.

"Dad's dead." She told him.

John hadn't been at the fight. He'd stayed home with the kids— he didn't know anything about it.

His heart sank and he looked at her with an open mouth. "You what?" John asked in disbelief. Maeve gently touched the sides of her neck. "One of Luca's men— or Alfie's men, cut his neck and.." Maeve struggled to talk. "And he's fucking dead."

John looked up at the light, his eyes stinging. He wasn't going to cry in front of his niece. "Come here," he pulled her in and cradled her head. John placed a kiss on the top of her head and closed his eyes, a stray tear falling from his eye.

"He's dead, John. He's gone." She clutched onto the back of his shirt. "All because of me— if i didn't threaten Angel Changretta or kill Vincent, none of this would have happened!"

John hushed her and tried to keep his crying silent. He didn't know if it was the news of Arthur or Maeve's state that was making him so upset.

"Where's Finn?"

"He's upstairs, Maeve. But listen." John pulled back and touched her face. "Don't blame yourself because i swear to fucking god, it ain't your fault." John said.

Maeve leaned into his hands and closed her eyes. John looked at her sadly and leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "I'll look after you Maeve," his voice was trembling slightly. "You can live with me— Finn too." He whispered.

But she was too distraught to reply.

-

Maeve sat in her old bed, staring into the fire that John had lit for her. The room was lovely and warm but Maeve was too upset to enjoy it.

She could hear Finn's light crying from the other room and as much as she wanted to go and console him, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Eventually, Maeve heard light footsteps followed by a cough. The door creaked open and she didn't move her eyes away from the roaring flames.

"Sweetheart," a familiar Brummie accent said quietly. Maeve looked up and relaxed at the sight of Isiah. Her lip began trembling and he immediately climbed into the bed beside her.

Maeve felt stupid as she cried like a child in his arms. "I can't do it, Isiah."

Her words sent a wave of worry through him and he held her tighter. "Yes you can. Yes you can, Maeve, do not say that." Isiah pleaded with her.

It took a while but eventually he was able to calm her down.

She lay half asleep in his arms. Isiah's arms were draped around her waist whilst her hands sat over his as if she was ensuring that he didn't let go of her.

Maeve would open her eyes every few minutes to see if he was still there.

And he was. He didn't plan on
leaving her side.

The images of Arthur's lifeless body kept flashing into Maeve's mind over and over again. The way he lay
there with his eyes wide open and his neck pouring with blood.

After a few hours, Finn had made an appearance, apologising profusely when he realised Maeve had company.

"It's okay, Finny." Maeve whispered. Finn quietly closed the door and sat in the chair beside the fire, draping his blanked over his knees and pulling them up to his chest.

Neither Maeve or Isiah minded the boy being there with them. It was hurting him too. And Maeve didn't want him to suffer alone.

Finn remained in the chair beside the fire and slowly fell asleep, the only noise being the crackling of the firewood.

Maeve was clutching onto Isiah's hands as if he'd disappear. After a while, the three of them were sleeping peacefully in Maeve's bedroom. The fire was beginning to die down and all that could be heard was Isiah's steady breaths alongside Maeve and Finn's slightly shaky breaths.

Finn had never wanted a hug from his brothers more in his life. Yes he was sound asleep in the chair but there was still a sense of loneliness that lingered for him. There was a part of him that was awake. His brother was dead. His big brother. He'd died, just like that.

And neither Finn or Maeve got to say goodbye.

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hey guys. I hope you're enjoying Maeve and Isiah because I might have something up my sleeve.