𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝟔𝟑

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟑

Maeve sat outside a building she was unsure about. She tapped her fingers against the seats in the car. Arthur had driven them there and left Maeve inside the car. He told her he wouldn't be long. But considering it was a Sunday and most places were closed, he'd been long enough.

Having had enough, she got out of the car and walked into the building, the sounds of grunts and screams of agony filling her ears.

Dread grew within her and she quickened her pace. "Dad?" She asked, turning the corner. That's when she saw it. That's when she saw him. Arthur was beating a man.

"Dad!" Maeve shouted, rushing to the pair and attempting to pull Arthur off. He'd been holding a cloth over the man's face and he was now no longer conscious.

"I am a good man— i'm a good man like you." Arthur said on the verge of tears. Maeve forcefully dragged Arthur away and kneeled beside the man, placing two fingers on his neck.

"He's still breathing— dad what the fuck are you playing at? Who— who even is this?" She asked, holding the man's face.

Arthur stumbled backward and wiped his mouth. "That—" he pointed, "is the man that Linda has been going to about our bloody marriage." He said angrily. Maeve closed the eyes and let out a breath of frustration. Linda.

It was only seconds before Maeve had gotten Arthur by his collar and shoved him up against the wall. "Look at what you're doing. To yourself, to other people. I thought you'd gotten better." Maeve whispered.

Arthur looked away and his chest heaved up and down. "Linda is not worth this trouble, dad." She paused. "Look at me." He did nothing. "Arthur, look at me!"

He turned his head at the mention of his name and locked eyes with Maeve.

"I'm your daughter. If you were to look in a mirror— you'd see me looking back at you. We are the same person, dad. If i'm the devils daughter, that makes you the devil. Linda took Billy. I'm all you've got. So for the love of god, listen to me. Please listen to me."

"Yeah..yeah i'm listening." Arthur said.

"Linda isn't an angel, dad. She's selfish. She forced you into living a life that wasn't fit for you. All of this," she paused, "the life we have lived for years, is the life we belong in. Even if it makes us bad people. Me and you don't have the capabilities to change. No matter how hard we try, we will always be bad people."

Arthur nodded and closed his eyes, leaning his head on Maeve's shoulder. "What have I done, my girl?"

"You've let that bitch get inside your head. Let her go. Let her go for the sake of your own sanity. If you have any left." Maeve whispered with a smirk tugging at her lips.

Arthur stifled a laugh and lifted his head. "She took Billy, Maeve. My son." Arthur said.

Maeve nodded sadly and held the sides of his neck. "And i'll do everything I can to help you see him again. I promise." She whispered to him.

That conversation and seeing the way Arthur had lashed out on an innocent man is what made Maeve think. There was only one thing she could do to try help him. And it could either go terribly wrong or work in their favour. Get in contact with her mother Lillian.

Maeve remembered Arthur's reaction to Lillian making an appearance at the hospital when Maeve almost died. And he didn't seem to resent the woman. So surely seeing her again could help him.

-

Maeve sat at the desk in Tommy's office  with her head in her hands. Tommy was away somewhere with Oswald Moseley and Arthur was on his way down to Ireland for an unknown reason.