143Chapter 23- Matteo Marchesi had Six Wives
Willow rocked Andrew gently in her arms. "Michael? How did you… how?"
Michael kissed Jonah's forehead. "I'll be right back, okay buddy? Daddy needs to talk to Willow."
Jonah nodded and Willow carried Andrew with her as she followed Michael into the room connected to the nursery.
"Is this supposed to be my room?" Willow inquired.
"Apparently," Michael said.
"How long have you been here?"
"Two months now. Any other attempts I've made to save Jonah has failed. I figured if I can pretend to be one of Matteo's knights, I can figure out his system and at the very least keep an eye on my son."
"But this is the first time you've seen him since Matteo took over?"
"I've seen him from a distance. I was afraid of blowing my cover if I approached him. He has all the knights numbered. I'm #142." He pointed to the number on his helmet. "He assigned to me to guard you and the kids, thank goodness."
"He has that many knights? There weren't even that many people on this island. Where did they come from?"
Michael shrugged. "V-Town maybe. Or the Marchesis just have connections."
Willow huffed. "So, who was taking care of the kids before this?"
"Harmony and some of the knights were taking turns. But Matteo has work for Harmony, that's why he wants you to take care of the children." He exhaled deeply. "I saw Charlotte. She's a wreck. Matteo drags her along just about everywhere he goes, but when he doesn't want her involved in something, she has to stay in her room."
"What about Mateo Jr.—her baby?"
He shook his head. "Anytime the baby is brought out to them, she starts crying and can't even look at him."
Willow frowned and held Andrew close. "She was planning to give him up for adoption…"
"He's the only baby that Matteo asks to see each day. He claims he's the true heir. Though I wouldn't call his time with the baby a bonding time… he mainly just looks at him while a knight holds him in front of him. He says that Melody was a mistake since she wasn't a boy. But Harmony keeps promising him she'll produce him a male heir. He told her if she doesn't then both she and Melody will be dealt with."
Willow sighed. "That poor baby…"
"Well, we'll do what we can to protect all the kids. But Jonah and Andrew will be our priorities. I'm going to say goodnight to Jonah, but then I better go out to my post before they get suspicious."
"You'll be guarding us 24/7?"
"I have between 4 and 10am to sleep. Other than that, I'm always to be guarding you and the kids."
Willow lowered her gaze. "He's planning to marry me tomorrow."
Michael frowned. "I don't think we have time to come up with a plan by morning. He has knights everywhere."
"I will fight it. As long as I'm with Andrew, that's what matters."
After Michael said goodnight to Jonah, he retreated to the hallway. Now that Andrew stopped crying, it didn't take long for Jonah and Elias to fall asleep. Willow was afraid to even set Andrew down. So, she held him in one arm and shook Melody's and Matteo Jr.'s cribs with her free hand until they drifted off.
She stared at the empty #2 crib but ended up taking Andrew to her room with her. After feeding him, she nestled him in her pink blanket beside her on the bed and stayed up all night watching him sleep.
GHGHGH
The next morning while Willow was finishing feeding Andrew, Melody and Matteo Jr. woke up crying. Willow carried Andrew into the nursery, where Julian, Jonah, and Elias were sitting up in their beds.
Julian ran over and hugged her. "Liv! Take me home! Please take me home!"
"Uh…" Willow started to say.
"I'll be good, I promise."
Matteo Jr. and Melody wailed harder.
"The babies are hungry," Jonah said.
"Okay," Willow said, pulling away from Julian. "Do you know if their mothers are breastfeeding them?"
Jonah shook his head. "They drink formula. It's made in the kitchen."
"They drink it when we eat breakfast," Elias said.
"Okay," Willow repeated. "Julian, Jonah, can you help me carry them?"
Jonah pointed to the closet. "They get pushed in the stroller."
"We eat in the dining room down the hallway," Julian added. "But I wanna go home!"
Willow sighed. "I want to go home too. More than anything." She looked at Andrew and kissed his head. "Well, almost anything."
After changing all the diapers, Willow pulled out the six-seat stroller and buckled in the three babies. She hesitated before taking all the children (Julian included) out to the hallway. A knight was waiting by the door, but she assumed it wasn't Michael since it was only 7am. He didn't say a word to any of them and Willow didn't speak either, only Julian, Jonah, and Elias kept arguing over what they wanted for breakfast.
The knight stood on guard in the hallway. The dining room was empty. A long table at in the room with three chairs along one side and six highchairs along the other side, and a single chair at the head of the table. Was Matteo expecting more babies already?
Willow buckled the three babies into their highchairs, with Andrew in the one closest to her chair. Moments later, Trina walked in with a tray carrying their breakfast and three bottles of formula for the babies.
"Oh Willow, I'm so glad you're here!" Trina said in relief. "I think…"
"How long have you been here?" Willow asked.
"Five months now. He's been waiting to marry me after he gets you and Julie Teeger here. Actually, as nice as it is to have a friendly face, it's just closer to when he'll marry me…"
Willow frowned. "We can't let that happen… but I don't know how to stop it."
Trina set plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon in front of Willow, Julian, Jonah, and Elias, then placed the three bottles of formula on the highchairs. "He put me on kitchen duty."
"Thank you," Willow said taking the bottle away from Andrew. "But I breastfeed my baby."
"Just don't let Matteo know," Trina said. "He probably won't like that."
Willow walked over to Melody's highchair and held the bottle for her as she chugged it. "Okay, I'll be careful." She sighed heavily. "I hope he's not filling their formula with anything."
"I don't think he is. He just wants to be in control of everything."
"Okay, well I still don't want to take that chance. Though I can't really do much for Charlotte and Harmony's babies…"
After everyone finished breakfast and the babies finished their formula, Willow poured Andrew's formula onto a plant and set the empty bottle in front of him just in time for Matteo to storm in with Harmony and a wide grin on his face.
"It's time for our wedding," he said.
Willow swallowed hard, her heart racing, and she wrapped her arm around Andrew protectively. "I won't marry you."
"It wasn't a question. Diane is waiting for us."
"I won't marry you…" Willow said again, just above a whisper.
Matteo struck her across the face. "Don't you DARE argue with me!"
Willow's eyes welled with tears and the babies wailed. Julian jumped to his feet pushing Matteo against the wall. "Leave Liv alone!"
"Get your hands off me!" Matteo grabbed a potted plant and knocked Julian over the head with it. He stomped over to Andrew and started lifting him from the highchair despite Willow's protests.
"Stop it! Please, stop!" Willow tried pulling a screaming Andrew away from him.
But Matteo took Andrew to the balcony and stepped out. Willow followed him out as he dangled Andrew over the railing.
Tears streamed down Willow's cheeks. "Stop! Please… don't hurt him!"
"Say you'll marry me."
"Please, just give him to me…"
"Say it."
"He's just a baby…"
"Say it or I'll drop him," Matteo repeated.
"Fine, I'll do it. I'll marry you. Just don't hurt him…"
Matteo lifted Andrew back up and Willow breathed a sigh of relief.
"Please, just give me my baby," Willow said through her tears.
"You'll get him back after our wedding," Matteo said. "I'll have one of my knights bring you down. Just wear what you're already wearing."
He took off through the dining room again, not giving Andrew back. Julian was sitting up on the floor rubbing his head.
"Where are you taking him?" Willow asked.
"He'll be in good hands until we say I do," Matteo said before taking off to the hallways.
Willow stood frozen to her spot for a few moments before Julian groaned pulling her away from her thoughts.
"He's a bad mean man," Julian said. "He's like Doctor Octopus. He has too many tentacles everywhere."
Willow dropped beside him and checked his head. "Thank you… for standing up for me."
"He's scary," Jonah said.
"I don't like him at all," Elias agreed.
"We've gotta stop him," Julian said.
"Well, you were very brave like Spiderman back there," Willow said.
It didn't take long before a knight walked in with Harmony.
Harmony held her head high. "I'm here to look after the children. Number 78 will be escorting you to your wedding."
Willow had trouble fighting back more tears. "How could you? How could you go along with all of this? You don't care about me. You don't care about Sasha."
"Matteo is a good man. He wants good for our family."
"He's forcing us all to marry him. That's polygamy!"
"Polygamy isn't wrong for a man as deserving as Matteo. We are lucky to be chosen as his wives."
"Come along," Knight #78 seized Willow's arm and pulled her to her feet.
GHGHGH
Willow was taken to the main ballroom where Matteo stood surrounded by knights and waiting with Diane while Charlotte, Julie Teeger (whom Matteo obviously found), Trina, and Sasha sat lined up in chairs on the right side and on the left sat Emma Drake, Brooklyn Ashton, Georgie Spinelli, Nurse Amy, and two teenagers named Bronwyn and Abby who were in Danny's class.
"Where is my son?" Willow asked right away.
"I already told you, you will get him back after we say I do," Matteo said. "Not one second before."
The doors swung open and two knights walked in gripping Jax and Sam by the arms.
"Mom… Dad…" Willow said softly, locking eyes with each of them.
"They tried to sneak in, sir," one of the knights said. "We confiscated their weapons. How would you like us to proceed?"
"Let Willow go!" Jax shouted.
"Their timing couldn't be perfect," Matteo said. "Bound them, then they can watch."
Sam struggled against the knight and tried to kick him as he bound her to a chair. "Willow, baby, don't go through with this! Don't listen to his threats! We'll you get you and Andrew out—" The knight wrapped a cloth roughly around her mouth and the other knight did the same with Jax.
Willow swallowed hard and her heart beat a mile a minute.
"Wow, such a beautiful sentiment trying to save your daughter." Matteo turned to Willow. But if you don't marry me, both your parents and your baby will die. You will never see him again." He pulled a walkie talkie from his pocket and turned it on. Andrew's wails came from the other end.
"Give me my baby back!"
Jax and Sam muffled under their gags.
"Andrew is with my cousin Rafaele," Matteo said. "He just needs my word to throw him in the fireplace."
"Noooo!" Willow started crying again.
"But, once we're married, he'll bring him right down to you."
Willow squeezed her eyes shut. "Fine, just get it over with. Just do it."
Diane cleared her throat. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Matteo Macabbeo Marchesi to Willow…"
Willow kept her eyes closed, focusing on Andrew's cries.
"Do you Matteo take Willow to be second wedded wife?"
"I do," Matteo said.
"And do you Willow take Matteo to be your husband who will rule over you, your son, and any future heirs you give Matteo?"
Willow's breathing sped up and Andrew's cried pierced her ears. "I… I do…"
Jax and Sam's muffled voices grew louder.
"By the authority of Matteo and by the Island of Marchesi, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Matteo's lips then met Willow's and more tears fell down her face. He pulled away, grinning, then spoke into the walkie-talkie. "Raphaele, you can bring him down now." He tucked the walkie-talkie away and turned to his knights. "Get rid of her parents. First thing tomorrow, we are building a security fence with barbed wire around the castle."
Two of the knights untied Sam and Jax from the chairs and they tried to fight them off.
"No, please…" Willow cried out. "Don't hurt them."
Another knight entered with the number 142 on his helmet. Willow sighed in relief. That was Michael's number.
Matteo turned to him. "Kill them."
Michael took them by the arms and escorted them from the ballroom.
Matteo stroked Willow's cheek which sent shivers up her spine. "Take your seat next to Charlotte so my wedding to Julie can begin."
"I—I want my baby back first…"
The doors opened and Raphaele, now bigger and taller, walked in carrying a very unsettled Andrew. Willow hastened over and took Andrew into her arms and kissed his cheek.
"Now sit down and get him to shut up so he doesn't interrupt my wedding to Julie," Matteo said, then turned to Raphaele. "Go upstairs to the nursery and relieve Harmony. Her wedding to me will happen shortly. There's just three ahead of her."
"Are you marrying the other six too?" Raphaele asked.
Matteo scoffed and turned to the other row of young ladies. "I'm not marrying them. My concubines will have lower status than my wives."
Raphaele nodded and hastened from the ballroom.
Willow sat between Charlotte and Julie. She rocked Andrew back and forth. Very hesitantly, a shaken Julie rose to her feet and walked over to Matteo.
"Remember," Matteo said. "Your mother dies if you don't say I do."
Julie breathed in sharply and nodded.
Willow looked between Charlotte and all the other young ladies as Matteo married Julie, Trina, Sasha, and finally Harmony. By the end, Matteo's parents, cousins, and siblings arrived and he bragged about his six wives.