𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔

Maeve snuck her head around the corner before dragging Thea by her hand and pounding on the Montgomery door.

"Maeve!" Thea hissed, "Maeve what're we doing, why on earth do you have a picture of the king-" she blurted our. Maeve held a finger to her lips and hit the door harder. "Stop asking questions Theadosia."

Thea dropped her shoulders and crossed her arms. "Max! Cameron, you bastards come open the door!" She shouted loudly, her voice echoing off the walls.

"Am fucking coming!" Cameron shouted, his footsteps heavy as he approached the door. "What do youse want- and why are ya's knocking on our door like that?" he asked.

Maeve shoved past him and entered the house, throwing herself onto the couch. Cameron stood with his eyebrows raised, waiting for a response. "You an Max are coming with us to a bonfire," Maeve said, picking at her nails.

Cameron looked at Thea in hopes she'd had more information but she just shrugged. "Right, well- Max! Come down 'ere!"

It took seconds for the older Montgomery brother to appear in the doorway. "I heard bonfire- what're we burning this time?" He asked. Maeve grinned and raised an eyebrow, holding up the picture of the king she had in her hands. "His majesty himself."

Max and Cameron looked at each other. Maeve dug deep into her pockets and pulled out a few shillings, "John said i'm to pay you for ya picture."

"This is ridiculous- I mean, where on gods green earth would this be a good idea, Maeve?" Cameron asked. She scoffed, "you've turned boring, Montgomery. Is this because of that girl you're seeing?" She asked as if it wasn't a stab in her own chest. Cameron's face dropped, "shut up Maeve."

"You two fight like a married couple," Max tormented, carefully lifting their picture of the king off the wall. Disgust was painted all over Cameron's face and he shook his head quickly. "I'd never marry Maeve, not even if she was the last woman on earth."

Maeve felt deeply insulted by his tone and the fact he was definitely being serious. And the fact she'd fancied him for ages, hurt more.

"All right, Cameron..that was a bit harsh." Thea lowered her head, taking Maeve's hand again and walking to the door. "Ignore him, Maeve," she whispered, rubbing her friends back in a reassuring way.

Maeve shrugged Thea's hand off and crossed her arms, feeling uncomfortable in her own skin after the boys comment. She blinked a few times and looked away when both brothers joined them. "Let's go then." Max said, trying to clear the awkwardness that lingered in the air.

"I'm going to kill him one day..with my very own razor blade," Maeve muttered, walking beside Max. He sighed and said nothing. "And i'll make sure it doesn't look like an accident- in fact, i'll take myself to the police after fucking doing it!" Maeve fumed.

Max shared a glance with Thea who was walking behind them with Cameron and she winced. "Has something happened today, Cam?" Thea turned to him.

Cameron kept his hands in his pockets and shrugged, "Maeve's just doin my head-in all the time. She's so..stuck up."

"Oh Cameron," Theadosia scolded, "give her a rest. You know she has it hardest out of all of us. And she's not stuck up she's just confident. Oh and she speaks a truth that you don't like."

Cameron searched his head for something to stay but all that came out of his mouth was a stutter. "See, you know i'm right."

"Sometimes i fucking hate that you're my friend y'know. Cause if you weren't i'd be arguing with you too." Cameron huffed. Thea smirked, "if you did that, i'd just get Maeve involved." She teased.

"Yeah fuck off, Thea."

Max's arm was draped over Maeve's shoulder whilst they walked up to where the crowd had gathered. She could already hear Johns voice.

The fire was large and a large amounts of people had already gathered. The bonfire was dead centre of Watery Lane. "Ere she is, life of the party," John smirked as Maeve approached. "Go on then, throw ya picture on." Tommy nodded, his hands in his pockets.

"Oi, you- get your arm from around my daughter!" Arthur pointed at Max, half joking and half serious. Maeve rolled her eyes and Max nervously chuckled, removing his arm and sharing a look with Theadosia.

"Excuse me, are you Mr Thomas Shelby?" A funny looking man with glasses asked. Tommy turned around, "indeed i am." He said, taking the man off to the side to talk.

"The fuck was he?" Maeve questioned her father. Arthur shrugged and pulled a flask from his jacket, "probably one of those stupid reporters..sticking their noses in our business again." Maeve nodded in agreement and stared at the metal flask, "i can smell the alcohol on ya, dad. How much have you had today?"

"A few. It's not your concern though, my girl. Don't worry about it." He said, sniffing and looking away as if he was ashamed that his own daughter was questioning his use of alcohol.

"Right.." she muttered, returning to her friends and accepting a cigarette off Max. "Remind me why we're doing this again?"

"Tommy said something about that new police inspector and how he doesn't think our king should be seeing this awful behaviour. So apparently that means taking down pictures and setting them on fire." She said, completely mocking her Uncle by the way she was speaking.

A small laugh fell from Max's mouth and Maeve folded her arms, her face growing warm due to how close they were stood to the fire. "Reckon we'll get in trouble for this?" She asked the boy.

He shrugged, "not if the copper's are still on the Blinder payroll." Max grinned. Maeve raised an eyebrow and looked either side of her shoulders in search for her dad. "Give me a sec," she whispered, slowly approaching him from behind and reaching into his pocket.

She squinted as she just about gripped the top of his flask and pulled it out, trying not to drop it. Both Montgomery brothers and Thea stood with their mouths open. "The fuck is she doing!" Thea hissed at them.

Maeve successfully retrieved the flask and snuck back to her friends, pushing through the crowd in hopes they'd follow behind her. "Maeve what you playing at? He'll kill you-" Cameron said, now taking his place beside her.

"Oh please, i'm the only one who likes him so i doubt he'll kill me." She retorted, unscrewing the lid and taking a overly large sip. Maeve winced as the liquid travelled down her throat, "how the bloody hell does he enjoy that?" she asked, shoving the flask into Cameron's hand whilst they walked down to Garrison Lane.

"Yeah-" Cameron went into a coughing fit, stopping the whole group and holding onto the wall, "that- bloody horrible!" he exclaimed.

Maeve was now on the floor, crying from laughter at his sudden reaction. Max and Thea were completely lost as to what had happened and looked between Cameron and Maeve. "Your- your face! You've gone bright red!" Maeve said between breaths.

Cameron shook his head and placed a hand on his chest, "almost gave me a heart attack, that's awful!"

"All right you two, pack it in." Thea huffed, leaning forward and offering her hands to Maeve. "All right mum," Maeve scoffed, accepting her hands and pulling herself up.

"That's funny cause you don't have a mum," Cameron pointed, trying to make them laugh. But he did the complete opposite. Maeve's face dropped. "What did you just say?"

"I said..that's funny cause, you know- you've not got a mum?" He spoke slowly, questioning what he'd done. Theadosia took a step back and Max winced. The look in Maeve's eyes was petrifying.

"Maeve, he was kidding. Right, Cam. Joking, he was joking." Max quickly said. Maeve kept her eyes on Cameron and blinked a few times. And just as they thought she had let it go, she lunged forward and practically jumped on Cameron, sending him into the brick wall behind him.

"Oh fuck.." Max pinched the bridge of his nose and began walking forward but Thea grabbed his sleeve, "leave her to it."

Maeve had punched Cameron's nose and what sounded like a crack echoed off the walls and it was only seconds before blood began rushing down his face. "Maeve you bastard! What are you doing," he shouted, shoving her off aggressively. "You're just like your dad!"

"Is that a bad thing?!" She shouted loudly, gripping his collar and screaming in his face. "Cause if you're implying it's a bad thing, Cameron i'll break each and every one of your fingers!"

"Yes it's a fucking bad thing you psycho!" He hissed, pushing her so hard she collided with Theadosia. "All right, Maeve," the brunette girl linked arms with her.

"Next time i'll kill you!" Maeve shouted, moving her hair away from her face. "Max, why aren't you fucking doing anything?" Cameron complained, "you need to be locked up, Maeve Shelby." He huffed, shoving Max away as he tried to walk him off.

"The reason i'll be locked up will be for slicing your eyes, Montgomery!" Maeve shouted, her blood still boiling.

"Maeve, come in that's enough." Thea said, pulling her along toward her own house. "Before you come into my house you have to swear you won't break my nose," Thea teased, unlocking the door.

Maeve smiled and shook her head, "Theadosia Roberts, why would i ever do such a thing to you."

"No, Maeve. The question is why would you do such a thing to..anyone," Theadosia teases, closing the door over and walking up the stairs. "Come, Thea. You know i can't help it." Maeve sighed, jumping on the girls bed.

"You know that i just get angry..and then i lash out. But it just so happens it's always Cam who's made me angry. And do i care? No not at all because he's a fat prick who deserves to-"

"That's enough!" Thea pointed a finger at her.

"I was only gonna say he deserves to be thrown in the canal.." Maeve said lowly, leaning back against the head board. "You say some really horrific things, you know that?" Theadosia frowned.

"I know," Maeve smirked, shrugging her shoulders and taking the small pillow from underneath her and placing it in her lap. "I just can't deal with him recently- he's just..repulsive. Yeah repulsive."

"I wouldn't say..repulsive."

"Well i would, he's completely and utterly repulsive." Maeve nodded, crossing her legs. "And if he continues the way he is acting, he won't live till Christmas."

"Maeve!" Thea scolded, smacking the girls arm. "Theadosia i swear to god, you're supposed to be my best mate- which means agreeing with me on this sort of thing."

Then Maeve's eyes widened, "oh my god, you fancy him don't you? You fancy Cameron Montgomery!" Maeve raised her voice.

Theadosia's face dropped suddenly and she grew slightly uncomfortable. "What, no. Why would you even say that," she looked away, not wanting Maeve to get the idea in her head. "It's totally okay if you do," Maeve assured her.

"Maeve stop!" Thea snapped, "i don't like Cameron now just..give it a rest."

"Fine," Maeve huffed, throwing the pillow to the side and standing up. "I need to go home anyway- goodnight Theadosia." Maeve said, wasting no time before leaving the girls home and rushing over to her own.

As she opened the door, she was met with her Uncle's cold gaze. "Where the fuck av you been?" Tommy spoke from the table.

"At Thea's," Maeve said, hanging up her jacket. Tommy put out his cigarette and took a deep breath, "is that why you've got blood on your knuckles then?"

"What've you been doing, you been scrapping?" John appeared out of absolute nowhere, causing her to jump. Maeve looked down at her hands and winced. Shit.

"Go on them, who've you killed?" John asked, sitting down and throwing his feet onto the table. Maeve shook her head and hid her hands in her pockets, "i've not killed anyone."

"Don't lie, Maeve. Or i'll tell your dad about how ya stole his flask." Tommy threatened. Her eyes widened, "how d'ya know about that?" She squealed. "I saw you do it you idiot." Tommy said plainly.

"Fine, Cameron and I had a bit of a falling out. It didn't end well, as you can see."

"Fucking hell Maeve," John said loudly. "Do we have to bury someone?" He asked. "No!" She shouted, "no. I think i broke his nose but that's all. He's alive and breathing."

"That's all?" Tommy mocked, "Maeve we've told you about this. You can't go round hurting people." He said. Maeve laughed, "yeah like you care."

"I do. Because I know how miserable you get when you an ya dad fall out. So just take my advice for once and stop getting yourself into trouble." He pointed a finger at her. "Maybe he shouldn't of spoke about me mum an dad then should he?" She retorted, throwing the flask on to the table and storming through to the stairs.

John and Tommy looked at her. "She's got a point, Tom." John defended.

"I know i have!" Maeve shouted from upstairs. John snapped his head toward the stairs and stuttered slightly, "how the fuck did she hear me?"

"Cause she's Arthur's daughter. Hears everything. Grew up with a dad who can't even spell her own name so one of them had to be the intelligent one, eh?" Tommy sighed, taking another glass of whiskey.

"Careful, she hears you and she'll break your nose too."

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