Days In (Book 3)

A better man

2 weeks later

Destiny's Funeral

James POV

It was me, Nina, Cali, Indy, and Shayla as we all stood around watching family members say their final goodbyes. Destiny's daughter who was supposedly my child was there and she was taking it the hardest. Her tears sliding down her face matching the rain. I never wanted for this to happen, I left the army to be a better man. Years of murder and trauma finally took its toll. I just wanted to be normal.

I was finally out of the wheelchair as Nina was helping me walk again. So I was on crutches as we all stood up and walked to view the body. As I look at Destiny as she's laying still. Her makeup on her corpse making her appear even more beautiful. But the truth was she was a misguided woman who just wasn't taught right from wrong.

Thirty minutes goes by as everyone was starting to leave it was time to bury the body. I wanted to get this over with and to put it all in my past. My only priority was focusing on my wife and daughters. As I'm walking I trip my crutches on the stairs nearly falling down as someone catches me. I look behind me to see Destiny's daughter, My daughter. Bonita.

"Careful." She tells me as I look her in her eyes as I start to see my similarities. "Bonita?" I say in a low weak tone. She stares at me for a second before realizing who I was. She lets me go as I manage to catch myself from falling. "You!" She nearly screams out as she has this hurtful look in her face. "I know. I know... I'm sorry." I tell her as she looks to exhausted to even yell at me.

All of the girls started to gather around me as I hold my hand up signaling them to not engage. "Let me talk to her." I tell Shayla and Nina as they nod their heads before grabbing their own kids. My kids. That dream fucked me up so bad that I can't believe Nina and Shayla are still alive. But I'm glad they are.

"Your the reason she's dead!" Bonita tells me as she stares me down not even caring that the hearse was leaving. "I never wanted your mother dead." I tell her as she wipes a tear from her eye and taking a deep breath. "She went to kill you and your wife. One of you killed her!" She stares me down wanting to intimate me but I know what the story was. Officer Bryan, Nina's boss filled the report as a accidental homicide. So Bonita should think it wasn't me.

But I can tell she's smart. 

She stares into my eyes as I don't break contact. How could I get called on my bluff by a child. "You need someone to stay with. Let me be your father." I tell her as she looks at me disgust. "I would rather die than to be your daughter." She stated as she was being hard headed. "At least stay with me until I get a dna test. We both know your mother thought I was your father." I tell her as she looks at me with eyes of curiosity. "It's what your mother would want." I tell her as her eyebrows goes back to being narrowed down.

"You don't know what my mother would want." She said as she takes a deep breath her face flooding with emotions. "I know she doesn't want you to live with resentment and hate. So let me in." I said to her as she shocks me as she hugs me hard catching me off guard. Her tears getting my suit wet as I held her in my arms. I look into the glass doors looking at our reflection. I had a bald head as I looked old. I'm old.

I remember being a teenager running around being a mischievous kid. My whole life turned around when I founded out Shayla was pregnant. I had lost Nina too... she tried to kill herself. But look at us now.

Old but gold.

"A officer told me... they tried to restrain my mother but she was a risk to society. A officer shot her down to protect a child. Is this true. Officer Bryan said she never even got the chance to get to you." Bonita finally talks as I sit there in silence. "It's true." I tell her not wanting her to know it was Shayla who killed Destiny. "Okay." She said as she walked away from me and into a car before taking off.