Snatched Two Husbands, But They Both Remember the Fire Chapter 04

Snatched Two Husbands, But They Both Remember the Fire Chapter 04

“Boss. You really wanna take Rocco?”

Alessia’s voice. Faint. Like I was underwater.

“They say that guy’s got ice in his veins. What if he won’t marry you?”

I opened my eyes.

White ceiling. Chandelier. Curtains half open. Morning light on the floor.

Birds outside. Flowers in the air. Cars in the distance.

I looked down.

Silk pajamas. Hair on my shoulders. Fuzzy slippers. Newspaper on the nightstand.

The date-

My heart stopped.

The day of my wedding to Sophia.

The one from before.

Before the fire. Before Rocco and Luca and a whole life of mess. Before Mama Ross’s poison.

I wasn’t dead?

No.

Not “wasn’t dead.”

Was alive. Again.

For a long moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling. The fire Blashed behind my eyes. The smoke. Alexander’s screaming face. Luca running toward me with blood on his forehead. Rocco in his white shirt, no shoes, no coat, running like the devil was chasing him.

Then darkness.

And now-this.

I closed my eyes. Opened them. My hands were shaking.

Not scared.

Ready.

Everything in me-every call, every drop of blood-sait “This time. You win

Before I died, what did I think?

I thought I had a do-over. 18-

Killl Sophia.

Find out if Lace ever thought about saving me-an, wait, he did. He ran into the fire. I saw him.

And-

Rocco

Why did be run into the fire?

He hated me.

He said so every day.

“Buss?”

Alessia’s voice. Worried

“You okay? You’re really pale. Is the food-”

“I’m fine.”

I sat up. Took a deep breath

“Alessia

“Yeah?”

“Get people ready. I’m changing the wedding today.”

Alessia’s eyes went wide.

“Come again?”

“Go get Rocco. Bring him to me.

“Boss-”

“You heard me.”

She opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Like a fish.

“B-but, Boss, Rocco is Sophia’s-”

“I know.”

“And Luca-”

I smiled. Probably didn’t look nice. Alessia took a step back.

“Send more people. Bring Luca too.”

Alessia froze.

“Boss-”

“One. Two. Whatever. Bring both.”

“But-Luca’s dad is the consigliere. He’s been here forever. If he gets mad-”

“Worry about that tomorrow. Today I’m doing what I want.”

I opened my closet. Pushed through dresses. Picked black.

Black. My color.

“This is my wedding. I’ll do it my way.”

Alessia stared at me for a long time.

Then she straightened up. Like a soldier going into battle.

“Got it, Boss.”

“And-”

I looked at myself in the mirror. Smiled a little.

“Sophia’s dowry. Bring that too.”

“…what?”

“Bring it. Hide it. Send it to Alexander’s house tonight.”

“That’s not-”

“The best thing about me,” I said, pinning up my hair, “is that I’m not very good.”

Alessia opened her mouth. Closed it. Ran out.

I heard her voice in the hall. Orders. Engines in the courtyard.

Everything moving.

*Click.*

Like a machine that just got turned on.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

Black dress fitting like armor. Hair up. Neck showing. Collarbones.

I didn’t look like a bride.

I looked like a general going to war.

I was already on my way to get Rocco.

Black SUVS tearing through Manhattan. Three cars behind me, full of my people. Radios crackling.

Alessia in the front seat. Serious. Like she was planning an invasion.<

I was in the back. Looking out the window. Thinking.

Last time, I took Rocco. Not Luca. Rocco hated me for it. Luca married Sophia. Burned alive with me.

This time, I’m taking both.

Not because I want two husbands-though I’ll admit, the idea has its appeal. In this world, a woman like me doesn’t get to keep things. I’m taking because I can.

And because I figured something out.

I owe Luca.

Last time, he looked at me from across the room. Smiled a little. Agreed to marry someone else.

And I gave him to Sophia. Let her mess with him that whole other life.

And he never complained.

Never.

Just looked at me sometimes with those sad eyes. Like a dog left out in the rain. Waiting for its owner to come back and say, “Let’s go home.”

He died in that fire.

For me.

This time, he’s not waiting.

Everything everywhere at once.

I got out. Ran toward Rocco-

And then everything went different.

Before I even touched him, Rocco got out of the Rolls. Three steps and he was in front of me. Fast as a

shadow. Coat flying.

He jumped in my car.

JUMPED. IN. MY. CAR.
I froze.

Two seconds.

Wait.

That’s not right.

Last time I had to tie him up and drag him.

He just… got in?

No time to think. People with guns behind me. I hit the gas. The SUV jumped forward. Tires screaming.

Rocco closed the door. Looked at me.

“Catalina. You got balls. What the hell are you doing?”

Teeth grinding. Each word like he was chewing glass.

Same. Same as last time. Same words. Same face.

I felt better.

“What does it look like? I’m taking you home to be my husband.”

I waited.

And waited.

Time stopped.

Then his voice. Quiet.

“Crazy.”

I couldn’t help it. I looked at him.

Was he… different?

Last time he screamed at me. Called me everything. The whole way home.

This time? Nothing.

And the way he looked at me-

No hate. No anger. None of that.

He looked-

Like he’d been waiting.

He caught me staring. Pressed his lips together. Looked away.

“Eyes on the road.” He pushed my head back forward.

But his fingers-

His fingers stayed in my hair for just a second.

Warm. Through my hair, through my skin, through everything. Made me shiver.

When he moved his hand, the warm spot stayed.

I took a breath.

Rocco was still Rocco. Even if he jumped in my car. Even if his eyes looked different. Even if his fingers

lingered.

Still the same sour-faced asshole.

Right.

Got him.

I hummed on the way home. Sun was out. Sky was blue. Even traffic looked good.

“Boss! You’re back!”

Alessia ran to meet me. Gun still in her hand. Smiling like the sun.

“Got them both! You should’ve seen Sophia’s face-she fell on the church floor. In her wedding dress. Mama

Ross turned green. Like, actually green.”

Alessia kept talking. Fast as a machine gun.

But I wasn’t listening.

I was looking at the courtyard.

Covered in jewelry.

Rubies. Sapphires. Emeralds. Diamonds. Pearls. Necklaces. Bracelets. Earrings. Tiaras. All of Sophia’s dowry.

In the sun. Shining like a mountain of stars.

Mama Ross really loved her daughter. This could buy half of Manhattan.

“Alessia.”

“Yeah?”

“Put this in the basement. Hide it. Send it to Alexander tonight.”

She nodded. Started yelling orders.

I looked at Rocco.

He got out of the car. Stood in the courtyard. Hands in his pockets. Looking around.

Last time, he found a vase and smashed it. First thing.

This time? Nothing.

Just stood there. Looking.

“Oh,” I said. “You’re staying in the-”

I stopped.

Because Rocco was already walking toward the side yard.

The same place he stayed last time.

My heart jumped.

“Alessia.”

“Yeah?”

“Background check. Everyone at the estate. Get every file.”

“What are we looking for?”

“Not sure yet. But check anyway.”

Something was wrong.

Lera

“Stop.”

Rocco stopped. Turned around.

“You’re staying over there.” I pointed to the other yard. “The small one.”

Rocco’s face went dark.

“Where’s the main yard?”

“For my husband.”

The courtyard went cold.

Alessia took three steps back.

“Boss,” she whispered. “His face looks really bad.”

“I see it.”

“I think he might kill someone.”

“He’s always trying to kill me.”

“This time I think he means it.”

I didn’t answer.

Because something was coming together in my head. A thought. Planting itself like a seed in my brain.

The way Rocco looked at me-

Not like I just took him.

Like he’d been through this before.

Like he-

“Boss!”

A maid came running. Almost fell over.

“Luca’s trying to kill himself! Please come!”

Iran.

Someone grabbed my arm.

Hard.

Rocco. His eyes were red.

“There’s someone else here?!”

“Of course.”

I tried to pull away. He held tighter.

“Luca. You took him too.”

Through his teeth. Every word like poison.

“Took him? He’s mine.”

I pulled. Got free.

“You-”

I was already gone. Running.

“CATALINA!”

His voice. Laughed across the whole estate.

I didn’t look back.

Luca’s room. Maids everywhere. On their knees.

“Thank God you’re here!” they cried. “He won’t listen! He thinks Sophia locked him here–”

I ran in.

Luca’s voice.

“Get out. Tell Sophia to talk to me herself.”

Cold. Not like Luca at all. Luca was nice. Luca smiled at maids. Gave them presents on holidays.

But he said *get out.*

Something was wrong.

The door opened.

I saw him.

Grey suit. All buttoned. But his tie was loose. Hair in his face. Eyes red. Like he hadn’t slept in days.

Holding a gun.

And his face-

Alone. Lost. “I give up.”

The same face he had before I died.

*Clatter.*

The gun hit the floor.

Luca’s eyes went big.

His mouth opened. Like he wanted to say something but was scared.

Then-

He grabbed me.

His arms around me. Too tight. My face against his chest. His heart-*thumpthumpthumpthump* – fast as

a drumroll.

He was shaking.

He’s a head taller than me. A man. Son of the consigliere. People call him “Mr. Ross.”

He was shaking.

Like a drowning man who just found something to hold onto.

“Catalina! You’re really here!”

His voice was gone. Hoarse. Like he’d been screaming in his head for years.

“This is really your house? I’m really here?”

He pulled back. Looked at my face. His eyes were red. His nose was red. He looked pathetic.

“Where else would you be?”

Luca laughed.

I’d only seen him laugh once. Last time. At the wedding. Standing in the corner. Looking at me. Smiling so

small I almost missed it.

But this time-

He kept laughing. Eyes turning into crescents. Laughing until tears ran down his face.

*He knows,* I thought.

Luca, I mean.

He knows.

“Luca,” I said. Quiet. Only he could hear. “You remember too?”

His laugh stopped.

Then he pulled me closer. My ribs hurt.

“Yeah.”

His voice was in my hair.

“But I didn’t touch her. Last time. Or this time. She never-”

“I know.”

I put my hand over his mouth.

“I know.”

He blinked.

“Really?”

“Really.”

He let out a breath. Like he’d been holding it for two lifetimes.

On his forehead, that cut. Where Sophia hit him with the bottle. Last time and this time.

I touched it.

“Hurt?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

I pulled up his sleeve.

Burn marks. Cigarettes. All in a row.

Sophia.

“I know,” I said.

“From now on, you stay here. In the big house. You’re the first husband.”

“What about Rocco?”

“Small house.”

Luca tried not to smile. Didn’t work.

He was happy. I could feel it. In his hands. In his shoulders. In his heart against my cheek.

Then Alessia.

“Boss! Sophia’s here! She wants her husband back!”

“Her husband? Isn’t he Rocco?”

“But the wedding didn’t-”

“Then tell her to go find him.”

I looked at Luca.

“Tonight. We’re busy.”

“But Boss-”

“Good night.”

I closed the door.