The Evil Stepsister (Fairytale Killers #2)

There's No Sex Tape

Having caught, apprehended and handcuffed his former co-workers, Oz returned to the Walter for my lawn to find it swarming with cops. He watched Viorel's head get pushed down as he got in the back of the police car. Morning was settling in, making the Walter twins stand out even more. Captain Rio was there too, in the reporter corner.

Caterina was a nun: all black, same dress she tried to impress Rawlings Senior in. Carmela was more Junior-oriented, same flashy minidress with no bra. Oz just went to her, there was no point in pretending not to see her pouting at a safe distance, too disgusted to even look at him.

“So, you two had a fight?” he asked her. The twins weren't talking, neither was on her phone.

“We'll be fine. Go away.”

“A very short engagement,” he didn't move, enjoying her eye roll.

“There's no engagement. Probably not even for Caterina, now that she's discovered driver dick,” Carmela said, but the problem was how. Like she hated every word of that sentence, when Oz knew for a fact there were at least a couple she loved. 

"Cop dick," he said, and Rita signaled to him to cut it off, using her own neck as an example, from her place taking Caterina's statement. 

“Don't worry, there's no sex tape!" Caterina yelled from across the front lawn, making heads turn, basking in their attention. 

Carmela got so angry that her spray tan couldn't hide the red patches spreading on her skin, or how her ears turned crimson as if in flames. It made Oz remember he was also angry, with a better motive. So he started walking to Jerry, to see what the status was.

Carmela caught up to him, annoyed he wasn't apologizing, dragging him by his shirt.

"You're not going to say anything?"

"Don't worry, your sister doesn't want to be cop girlfriend, either," Oz turned to her eyes darting at him in the morning light, working overtime to stay open under the heavy eyeshadow, still failing to cover how hurt she was. It made him give in, "Nothing happened with Caterina, her main purpose was to get something to annoy you with. A photo, a video. You know, a taste of your own medicine."

Carmela had her eyes closed, grey eyelids merging in black making her look like a raccoon. Oz approached her, they were drawing funny looks from the guys.

"Carmela," he said, finally understanding why he didn't want to fight anymore. "I really can't do this."

She just stared at him, so he explained, "This is just another day for you. But to me, it's a lot. When we met, I was in my drinking days, so I wasn't really myself. All this changing your mind, not knowing what you want… it's making me want to go back. I can't have that on a daily basis, it's like my kryptonite. It's just gonna be cop girlfriend. Let's just agree we want different things."

"I was angry when I said that," she said. She came closer, wet grass climbing her heels, they went too deep into the ground. "I just… wanted to hurt you... I didn't even know your name--and it hurt, feeling like a fool."

"It's Oz," he said. "Captain made it easy for me, first mission back. Iosif Zaharia," he reached out with his hand to shake hers.

"Carmela Walter," she responded. "You're gonna have to take me on a date, so that we talk, instead of--"

"Low-key place, where the food is great?" Oz teased her.

"Very well-lit, no booths." At his raised eyebrows, Carmela continued, "No darkened hallways, no side exit door in a back-alley. Definitely not a spotless bathroom, it would just invite temptation."

He smiled back, "Maybe we wait this out, you know, talk later? How long can it last? We have to get bored of each other at some point. End up talking."

"I don't think I have… my place anymore," she showed the house, all windows showing inside activity. The search warrant meant everything got turned upside down. 

"I can take you to my place. You'll hate it, it's small and cozy," Oz reached out to her, encouraged by how she inched closer to him, wobbling on the soft ground.

"We'll see," she said. "I might like it, after all. It's my mother's fear, being poor. Dependent. She'll get half of Franco's legitimate money, so I think we'll be fine. And I can always milk Caterina's internet fame," Carmela imitated her sister's smile in full HD resolution.