The Next Generation: The Legacy (Book 3)

Chante The one day that was supposed to be one of my best days nearly turned into a total disaster. It was the day my family found out that my father had been working for the mob boss, Cat! It quickly became clear that people were looking at me! Did I push through and ignore all the stares or did I just leave and start a brand-new life somewhere else? A life where nobody knew who I was or who my damn father was! I was busy packing the last of my things when my instructor walked in. She frowned as she handed me a letter. We both knew what the letter was all about. Inside the envelope was the station I had been placed at. I looked at her and she sighed. Shaking as I took it from her, I quickly opened the envelope. I pulled out the letter and when I read the words, I felt my heart sink. “They probably didn’t know when the letter was issued.” She frowned, and I sat down on the bed as shock ran through my entire body. “You can ask for a transfer, but you have to go to the station and apply there. I’m sorry Cadet Simmons.” She looked sorry, and I thanked her before she left. She has been my rock throughout training. She was my friend and strongest ally. Now I was going to work at the station where my father worked. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a dream job. Under my new circumstances, it was the biggest curse and I again considered just leaving and never looking back. The thing about it was that this was my dream. I remember as a young girl looking at my dad in his uniform and thinking I wanted so much to be like him one day. Now I wasn’t sure anymore. Freddie Christa clinked her glass of champagne against Cappie’s when our eyes met. “Freddie?” She frowned, and I wasn’t sure what to do. When I stepped out of the rehab facility, I was incredibly nervous. I received a wedding invitation from my ex-officer and friend, and it took some time and a lot of discussions with my therapist before I decided I would be attending the event. After the huge loss of my best friend and my girlfriend, life had lost all meaning, and because I had too much money thanks to Miller’s death. I lost myself in everything that would or could destroy me. My first appointment was with my lawyers, and I was surprised to find the black limo waiting outside the double wooden doors as I stepped out with just my backpack. The driver seemed to immediately recognize me, and when I took a second look, I remembered him as Miller’s old driver. “Would you like to go to the house, sir?” He smiled friendly and I nodded. It would be nice to get cleaned up before my appointment. The clothes I had with me might not be appropriate for an important meeting like that. I wasn’t ready to let anyone know that I was out yet, and asked the driver if he had informed anyone. The driver confirmed that he hadn’t, and I asked him not to. I wanted to know how everyone was doing, and I was sad to hear that Miller’s mother passed away. I remember the therapist telling me something to that effect, but while I was in the rehab center, I didn’t pay much attention to anything other than my pain. The driver caught me up on everything he could, and I smiled when I found out about Christa’s appointment as Captain. The wedding was in a couple of weeks, which gave me some time to prepare and find out if I felt I would be able to face the people from my old life. The visit to the lawyer’s offices was more complicated than I expected, but we got the necessary paperwork signed, and the house was officially handed over to me. The lawyer wanted to know if I would be keeping it or if they should start with paperwork to sell it, but I asked them to give me some time to process being back. The house was clean and looked after, but even after telling them I wanted to take time to decide, I felt that he couldn’t stay there for too long. The memories of the little time we spent there were too much to deal with. I spent some time lounging around, looking for other properties to buy, and just getting used to the fact that I no longer lived on the strict schedule of the institute. When the day of the wedding arrived, I stepped into the church at the back. I didn’t RSVP, because I wasn’t sure if I was going, and took my time to search for people I might know throughout the ceremony. Seeing Cappie, Christa, Bulldog and some other officers from the station was both a happy sight and also brought a sense of sadness to my heart. Tank looked utterly in love, and the woman by his side was beautiful. I kept to the background once the ceremony was over, and they moved to the reception area. Then I noticed Christa, and my breath hitched in my throat. The moment I was dreading had arrived. “Congratulations.” I finally closed the gap between us. I had decided I wanted to go back and do what I loved. I was born to be a police officer and I felt I owed it to Miller to not give up. The only way I could go back was if Christa approved my application. “Wow! It’s so good to see you!” Tears filled her eyes as she smiled and hugged me a second time. It felt excellent to be with the people who loved me again. I had felt so alone while going through what I went through that this was the next step in my healing process.