Aug. 3rd (Saturday)
Wes' POV
We had Park and Jonah follow Snow but they lost her when she got on a bus headed for Seattle and when they got to Seattle, the bus had already gone and left. They spent days searching in Seattle before giving up and coming back to Mercy. I haven't really slept that great since Snow left because I couldn't help but feel like we were throwing her back into the lion's den without any help and that she wouldn't make it out. I was mad at my mom for days for agreeing to let her go but my dad said she made the right choice because even if I did claim Snow, she is 24 and we couldn't keep her here against her will.
I rolled over in my bed to see it was 2 o'clock in the morning. I got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower since I couldn't go back to sleep. After taking a shower, I put on a dark pair of shorts and a white Mercenaries shirt before grabbing my cut then I walked out of my room. I wasn't that surprised when I saw Axel sitting at a table with a big mug full of coffee. He had a second big mug on the table and when I sat down at the table, he pushed it towards me.
"Couldn't sleep either?" He asked.
"When do I ever since we let Snow just walk away?" I asked before grabbing the coffee and drinking it.
"You know your parents are right; we couldn't keep her here against her will she would have only hated you for it." He said.
"I can't get that picture of her on that bed rocking back and forth with that zoned outlook in her eyes out of my head." I said and he nodded his head.
"You gave her your number and you told her what to do if she wanted help Goliath so that is all you can do." He said and I just drunk more of the coffee.
"Do you really think she is going to call? Axel, we have seen abused and hurt people before they never want to reach out for help." I said and he slowly nodded his head.
After I got finished drinking the coffee, I went back to my room and Axel stayed in the main area. I must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I knew someone was knocking or more like pounding on my door. When I rolled out of bed and answered the door, I saw it was my dad and he told me to get dress because everyone was going to a BBQ at my uncle Jason's place (he is my dad's older brother and he retired from the MC 5 years ago). It didn't take me long to get ready and I decided to take my truck just in case anyone else wanted a ride but they didn't. On the drive over there, I couldn't get over the fact my uncle lives in a subdivision that has a homeowner association with rules and such. He lives at the very end of his street and his house plus the house across the road from his has the biggest lots on this road and has more space between their houses and the other houses that are near them. When I got there, I went straight to the backyard because I knew that is where everyone would be at.
"Well if it isn't my nephew that never comes to visit unlike his younger brother." Jason said when I sat down at the table on the big back porch after grabbing a beer from the cooler to drink.
"Hey uncle." I said raising my beer at him before opening it and he shook his head at me.
"One day; one day you will settle down and see there is more to life than this MC." He said shaking his head at me before returning his attention to the grill.
"Oh have you not heard he almost had him an old lady?" Axel asked as he sat down beside me.
I shot him a look as Jason quickly turned to face me.
"Really? Do tell me this story." Jason said smiling at Axel.
"It was just some strange Amish girl that Cutter found on the side of the road with bruises etc. on her. Nothing special about her." Cameron said and I shot him a look.
"Yeah if it wasn't for the whole Amish thing; she would definitely be his type with the dark brown hair and light brown eyes with a touch of gold in them as he described them." Axel said and I shook my head.
"I said they could have had a touch of gold in them but she had like no light in her eyes and were always afraid of stuff or skittish whatever you want to call it. I never saw her smile and she spoke in a low voice." I said.
"About 5'9 and a little overweight but a lot of curves?" Jason asked then I looked at him.
"Yeah." I said.
"What is it brother?" My dad (Cole) asked stopping beside Jason as my mom sat down at the table.
"The new neighbor across the road that I told you Shannon (his wife) has taken a liking to but she seemed really scared of me but not so much of Shannon; what they just described matches the girl to a tee." Jason said my dad's eyes got big.
"She give you a name?" My mom asked.
"Only a first name; she wouldn't even talk to me. Shannon said she doesn't have a cell phone, no car she just rides a bike everywhere, no internet, no laptop or computer, the TV she has is kind of old school compared to the new stuff these days, and no pictures what so ever in the house." Jason said looking at my mom and my dad shook his head.
"She thinks she might be one of the Daniels' boys girlfriend because both of them has been over to the house a lot since she moved in 3 weeks ago and I mean that would make sense since last time I checked the house across the road belonged to Chief Daniels' late wife and they just never sold the house." Jason said.
"The cops/ officers Daniels." My dad said and Jason nodded his head.
"Yeah the oldest old is around more than the younger one but yeah I see one of their cop cars in the driveway at least 3 times a week if not every day." Jason said.
"At least we somewhat get along with those cops unlike their dad Captain Daniels." Axel said and Cameron nodded his head.
"Where is Shannon?" My mom asked.
"Over at her house right now. She wanted to invite her over here because she said the girl barely has anything to eat in her refrigerator when she goes over there." Jason said and my mom shook her head.
Jason turned back around when none of us said anything and 10 minutes later Shannon walked through the gate in the fence that goes around the backyard.
"Well if it isn't my two nephews." She said smiling at Cameron and me.
"Jason filled us in on the new neighbor." My mom said as Shannon sat down at the table and across from my mom.
"Yeah; honey, it's a no go I couldn't convince her to come over." Shannon said looking at her then at Jason.
Jason nodded his head.
"She's a sweet girl I just can't get over this feeling that there is a good reason why she is skittish of Jason. I mean she took one look at him and she started backing away from the door and almost shut it in our faces when we went to welcome her to the neighborhood." Shannon said looking at my mom.
"So she talks to you." My mom said.
"I do most of the talking but yeah she talks to me." Shannon said nodding her head.
"I told her we would bring her food later honey." Shannon said looking at Jason.
"Not a problem." Jason said giving a thumb up and Shannon smiled.
"They know her; apparently Cutter picked her up on the side of the road…" Jason started to say.
"Wait, she's the girl you told me about?" Shannon asked looking at my mom and my mom nodded her head.
Shannon looked at me after that and she nodded her head.
"I just don't get how she ended up here when Jonah and I saw her get on a bus for Seattle." Park said.
Shannon nodded her head.
"Yeah and we have proof she purchased a ticket for Seattle." Jonah said.
"When I met her she didn't have any bruises that I could see." Shannon said looking at my mom.
The front doorbell rung after that.
"In the backyard!" Jason yelled.
Not long after that we heard the gate open and close. Everyone at the table turned to see who it was when Snow walked into the backyard where we could see her. I saw she had a dark blue long dress on with long sleeves plus a high neckline. She looked at the ground as she walked and Shannon quickly got out of her chair.
"Hey Marie." Shannon said smiling at her as she walked down the steps on the porch.
All of us looked at each other after that because we knew her as Addison.
Addison's POV
I stopped near the porch when Shannon walked down the steps after she said hi to me.
"Hey Marie, you are welcome to join us." Jason said.
I looked up from the ground and looked at Shannon. Past Shannon, I saw Julia and them at the table.
"They are family; Cameron and Wes are our nephews." Shannon said as I quickly looked back at her.
"Do you have a plastic food carrier that I might could put cookies in?" I asked and she smiled at me.
"Baking cookies; someone is going to be happy." She said smiling really big.
"They are for Oliver he's coming over later." I said and she nodded her head.
"Let me go find one; you are welcome to come inside or you can stay right here doesn't matter." She said still smiling.
"I'm good here." I said before looking down at my hands and I saw her nod her head.
"Surprised Nathan isn't coming over." Jason said as Shannon walked away.
I didn't say anything and kept looking at my hands.
"So is your name Marie or Addison?" Julia asked.
"Both." I said as I heard the back door open and close.
"Addison your middle name?" Shannon asked stopping in front of me then holding a food carrier out towards me.
"Yes ma'am." I said looking at her then taking the food carrier and she smiled at me.
"Thanks for this." I said and she nodded her head then I turned and walked away.
Wes' POV
"See what I am talking about? She won't even look at me but my wife or your wife she has no problem looking at them. I think she has something against guys." Jason said as Shannon rejoined us after Snow left and looking at my dad.
"Well if she is the same girl…." Shannon started to say.
"She is." I said and she smiled at me.
"More than likely the person who gave her the bruises etc. was a guy possibly even someone related to her." Shannon said.
"I thought it was a family member too." My dad said and Shannon nodded her head.
"She told us her last name was Kennedy." Axel said.
"I haven't asked her what her last name is." Shannon said.
The food was done not long after that and everyone ate. While my parents were helping Shannon clean up, I saw Jason putting aluminum foil over a plate of food.
"I'll take it to her." I said standing up and grabbing the plate.
"Alright good luck." He said and I nodded my head before walking away.
Addison's POV
I was reading a book in my living room when the doorbell rung. I knew it was probably Mrs. Miller or Shannon as she told me to call her with the food she said she would bring me later. I got up and walked towards the door as the doorbell rung again. I opened the door without looking through the peep hole since I figured it would be her. When I opened the door, I saw Wes and he was holding a plate of food with aluminum foil over it.
"I bring food." He said as I looked down at the plate of food.
"Thanks." I said before taking the plate from him.
I went to shut the door when he put his left foot inside to keep the door from closing.
"Snow, can I come in?" He asked as I kept my eyes on the plate of food in my hands.
I shook my head.
"Just to talk I promise and I won't hurt you." He said.
"You are right you won't hurt her. Get away from my sister Miller." Oliver said from behind Wes then I looked to see him.
I saw Wes get a shocked look on his face as Oliver pushed past him then got between us.
"Go put that on the table. I'll get rid of him." Oliver said smiling at me.
I nodded my head then turned and walked away.
"You aren't welcome here Miller so leave now." Oliver said as I walked into the kitchen.
"I didn't know she was your sister." Wes said.
"Well now you do so go back to your stupid cult." Oliver said then I heard him slam the door shut before walking towards the kitchen.
I watched Oliver walk past the kitchen and towards the bathroom. I looked at the cookies on the stove that I hadn't put in the carrier yet. I quickly grabbed a couple then I headed towards the front door. When I opened the door I saw Wes was about halfway down the driveway. I left the door open and walked down the driveway. When Wes heard footsteps, he stopped walking then he turned around to see me.
I stopped in front of him and held the cookies out towards him without looking up at him. He took the cookies with his left hand then he put his right hand under my chin before lifting my face up to look at him.
"Thank you Snow." He said smiling at me.
I nodded my head.
"What type of cookies are they?" He asked.
"Peanut butter and chocolate chip; it's a family recipe." I said and he nodded his head.
"Peanut butter and chocolate chip all in one cookie; I can't wait to try it." He said.
He leaned towards me then he kissed my left cheek before standing up tall again. He smiled at me before letting go of my chin then he turned and started to walk away.
I touched my cheek because it felt all warm and tingly something I have never felt before. I turned around and quickly walked back to the house. When I got back to the kitchen, Oliver was just coming out of the bathroom so I started putting the cookies in the carrier.
Oliver stayed for 4 hours before leaving for his work shift.