Lost & Found Novel – Maeve was the youngest and only daughter of the Dunne Irish mob, she was kidnapped when she was 4 years old. Her 5 brothers were devastated when she was taken away from them. They get an unknown tip that their sister is alive, but what they don’t know she is a famous underground boxer. She’s not the same person who she was before, she is now cold and emotionless. Hearts are broken, secrets are revealed, trusts are broken. Her father and brother vowed to rebuild her broken heart, even if it meant giving up everything.
At just 4 years old, I lay nestled in my pillow, blissfully unaware until the commotion outside my door jolted me awake. “MOVE FAST!! I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS THING, COME ON!” the voices urged urgently. Maybe they were just the maids, I thought, trying to ignore them. But then, with a forceful swing, my door burst open, and before I could even call for my mom, a hand covered my mouth, plunging me into darkness. Awakening to the sound of distant voices, my head throbbed painfully. “Mam, she’s awake,” someone reported, and the click of heels drew closer. It was Auntie Erin. “Where’s mom, dad, and where am I?” I questioned, panic rising. “Baby, listen carefully,” she began, her eyes searching mine. “You were attacked, and they took them. Do you remember anything?” Tears streamed down my cheeks as I shook my head, fear gripping me. “Don’t cry, darling. We’ll find them,” she soothed, but her words offered little comfort.
Four years later, at the age of 8, I returned from school to find unfamiliar cars parked outside. Living with Auntie Erin and her boyfriend Austin, I knew something was amiss. Auntie said my parents were gone, but the memories were hazy, lost in the fog of my mind. I couldn’t quite trust Austin; his temper and harsh treatment haunted me daily. As I entered the living room, snippets of conversation floated to my ears. “She’s getting out of control! We can’t let that happen,” they whispered urgently. Panic seized me, but before I could react, the door slammed shut, and I found myself face to face with the intruders. Trembling, I begged them not to hurt me, but Auntie Erin’s stern voice cut through the air, revealing a truth I couldn’t bear. “It’s finally time to show you your real place,” she declared, dragging me away as my world spiraled into darkness once again.
MAEVE’S POV: As the water poured over me in the shower, I couldn’t avoid seeing my bruised and battered skin. The older bruises were fading, but fresh ones marked my flesh, a constant reminder of the pain I endured. I ran my fingers over the deep cut on my arm, a cruel souvenir from Austin for rejecting his advances the night before. “What’s taking you so long in there?” Erin’s voice cut through the steam, devoid of any care or concern. I turned off the water and stepped out, only to be confronted by her looming presence. With a vicious yank, she pulled me by the hair, slamming my head onto the table before leaving me to bleed, a silent warning to hide my bruises, lest the neighbors suspect anything wrong. It was a routine of abuse I had grown accustomed to, the harsh reality of my existence. At 16, hope seemed like a distant memory, replaced by resignation to my fate.
The only thing that keeps me alive is the possibility of leaving home when I turn 18, and to achieve that, I am now an underground boxer. *FLASHBACK* I was heading to the store to pick up groceries for Erin when I spotted a little girl, her father doting on her as she enjoyed her ice cream. It stirred a pang of sadness within me. Would my life be different if Erin hadn’t kidnapped me? The man must have sensed my gaze because he approached me. “Hey!! Kid,” he called out. I turned to see him, his eyes filled with pity. He could see my bruises, inadequately concealed. “What’s your name?” he asked. “Maeve,” I replied. “How old are you?” “15.” “How did you get all those bruises?” When I didn’t answer, he continued, “Listen, you can work for me. I’ll pay you well. You can save up and move out when you’re 18.” “How do you know I want to move out?” I asked. “Your bruises speak for themselves,” he said. I just stared at him. “I just know. Take my number. Think about it.”
I took his number with trembling hands. I returned home, greeted by Austin’s angry glare. “Why were you late?” he demanded. “The store was busy,” I lied. “You lying bimbo!” he spat, kicking me until I lay in a pool of my own blood. I retreated to my room, tears streaming down my face. I retrieved the number the man had given me. “Hello, it’s Maeve. I’m ready to work for you.” *** AIDAN’S POV ( MAEVE’S ELDEST BROTHER): “Where are you going?” I turned to see Sean leaning against the doorway. “Russia,” I replied. I don’t even remember the last time visiting Russia. I looked at the sky while getting out of my private plane. “Are you free tonight?”My friend asked me. “Depends.” “Be ready to witness the world’s largest underground boxing match. Come on.” I’ve heard a lot about these matches but never been to one. Many of the other mafia’s choose their men there. We reached there; the match had already begun. The Bull was going against The Red. Couldn’t they find something better to name themselves than that? They sound like high school bullies.
“Have you been to these before?” “Nah! But I’ve heard there’s a boxer named Aella. She’s a girl, and she is not defeated by anyone, but I haven’t seen her fighting.” *2 hours later* A man approached Alex, whispering in his ears. “Hey man, it’s urgent. I have to leave now,” Alex said. “Meet you soon.” I also decided to leave after a few rounds; the boxers were not even half as good as me. It bored me to see them. I sat in my car when I saw a girl standing alone in the alley. I wanted to approach her but decided against it. I started driving my car when all the air rushed out my lungs as I saw the girl’s face in my rearview mirror. “No, no, no, this can’t be true.” I reversed my car back while shouting, “Hey!! Hey you, wait there!” Upon hearing my voice, she started running towards the opposite direction. I sped and followed her to the end of the alley when she disappeared.
“No!!!” I banged my fists on the steering wheel. I was breathing hard. I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed my father. “What’s wrong? Why are you breathing so hard?” I heard him shouting orders to the guards in Irish. “Do you need backup? Come on, Aidan, say something.” “Maeve…. Maeve, I saw her,” I breathed. Suddenly everything became dead silent. “Dad, I saw her. She is alive,” the line went silent. “Are you sure?” “Of course I’m sure. What do you think? I’m blind or something?” I shouted. “Listen, don’t do anything reckless. Wait for me to arrive; then we’ll think of something.” “What do you mean we’ll think of something?” “Listen, if Maeve is in Russia, that means Erin and Austin are also there. We can’t risk them finding out. If they do find out, they’ll decide to leave Russia with her or worse, they’ll hurt my iníon (daughter). Are you listening to me? DO NOT DO ANYTHING RECKLESS,” he shouted through the phone. “Okay, I won’t.” *** MAEVE’S POV: I woke up in the morning, and no one was at home, which was pretty strange since it had never happened before. I headed for breakfast when my phone rang. “Hello, Lia,” I answered. “Lia, hmm… someone’s in a good mood. You never call me Lia,” replied Amelia. “Yeah, it’s my lucky day. Erin and Austin are not at home, so…” “Hmm… strange,” she commented. “Yeah, it’s strange, right? And you know what’s even more strange? Yesterday, when I was leaving after the match, a man in a black car started following me,” I recounted everything that happened last night.
“Do you think it’s them? Do you think they know that you were there?” she asked, concern evident in her voice. “I don’t know… I mean, when I came back yesterday, Austin was drunk as a skunk, and Erin was not home. And now they are both not home,” I ended my rant, suddenly pausing. “Are you thinking the same thing as me?” I panicked. “OMG!!!! YOU NEED TO LEAVE THAT HOUSE! THEY WILL KILL YOU!!!!!!” She spoke urgently through the phone, conveying the severity of the situation. After ending the call with Amelia, I went to the back of our house near the forest, where I hide my car. I removed the cover from my Black Ferrari 458 Spider. I bought this from my own money, which I earned from boxing. Only Amelia and Russo know about my car. I opened the door and climbed inside, turning the ignition on. “Time to shine, baby,” I said, driving off. I was halfway to the boxing rink when my phone buzzed. I saw Erin’s name flash on the screen. I decided to ignore it the first two times, but when she called again, I picked up. “WHERE ARE YOU?!” came Erin’s voice.
“Can you not shout? My ears hurt,” I replied. “Where are you? I swear if I find you, I’ll break your legs,” anger shot through me upon hearing this threat. “You know what, Erin? You’ve done that many times, but you will not be able to touch me again because I AM NOT COMING BACK!! So Screw YOU!!!” I said, cutting the call. I was so blinded by rage that I hadn’t thought about anything, but I regretted everything when I saw some men in a black car following me. The cars followed behind me while I raced through the streets. I was breaking every signal. They had now started firing, but my car is bulletproof. But I swear, if any bullet grazes my car, I’ll peel off Erin’s skin alive. Suddenly, I came to a halt as I saw some police vehicles lined on the road. I looked back to see Erin’s men were still behind me. I was stuck. I turned back to see Erin’s men standing at a distance, observing the events taking place. It’s over. Am I going to die here today?