Carmela closed the door, her sisters staring at her. Oz and the henchmen were gone, a trail of pushed down furniture showing an escape through the back door, remains of an half-assed pursuit. Franco didn't have his gun, he just sat in his favorite armchair, his daughters staring at him, like when he'd drink too much.
It was the way Catalina kept glancing at him--not fearing him, but with pity--and hearing she had a life outside his door, that made Franco realize his dream of taking her and escaping was impossible.
His last gambit was to divide the women as he went down, Carmela already knew the tactic.
“Were you in on it?” he asked Catalina, not looking at her. “Your mother, your sisters -- I can take it from them. But you?”
“You two and mom… were planning to leave?” Catalina asked Carmela, her voice breaking.
“Oh so you didn't know, maybe they decided to leave you behind, this time,” Franco said.
“We were going to tell you,” Carmela assured Catalina, sirens somewhere in the distance announcing the end of an era.
Caterina nodded, "We would never leave you behind."
“You were going to take me with you? After... after everything? After I told Dad last time and he locked Mom in her room for a year?” Catalina's voice trembled.
“You were eleven!” both twins said at the same time.
Carmela continued, “Mom wouldn't go anywhere without you.” It hurt to see her sister flop in the only armchair that could contain her tutu. Not believing it, so Carmela underlined, "Neither would we."
“Do you know the only reason Alina let me bring you into this house,” Franco shot back, seeing as his only ally was about to switch sides, “Was to take their place in the Rawlings deal?”
For a second no one said anything, leaving Franco to add, "It was the only way I got her to accept raising you."
Caterina silently sat down on the side of the armchair containing Catalina, her arm going around her without touching her. Carmela frowned at Franco, about to scream, but it remained unnecessary, as Catalina's eyes darted, “Why did she have to make that choice, Dad?”
There was not a lot Franco could say for himself despite him clearly wanting to explain, at least to his youngest daughter. His mouth kept opening and closing.
"I'm gonna call Mora," he said, as if anyone cared he was going to call his lawyer. Carmela walked over to her sisters.
They waited for the police in silence.
CITEȘTI
The Evil Stepsister (Fairytale Killers #2)
DragosteOz is an undercover cop hired to drive the daughters of a Romanian family around town. One of them is more naughty than nice. A modern retelling of Cinderella where the focus is on the bad girl. Because being the good girl is overrated.
