Chapter 348: Chapter 132 Wedding Under Fire

Gemma’s POV

The weekend at my grandmother’s house had exceeded all my expectations. Dominic’s proposal caught me completely off guard, and I couldn’t have imagined anything more perfect. I’d never been the type to fantasize about white dresses or fairy tale ceremonies, but now with this gorgeous blood diamond on my finger, I found myself bubbling with excitement about our mafia wedding.

"I’m actually engaged to a Capo," I whispered to myself, admiring the stunning crimson stone on my hand as I stood in our heavily secured walk-in closet.

"Yes, Songbird, you are." Dominic’s powerful arms encircled my waist from behind, pulling me against his chest as his lips brushed the top of my head. "And I want to set a date for our blood vows."

I’d been so lost in my daydreams that I hadn’t heard him enter through the reinforced door. He was already dressed for family business in that charcoal suit that made his emerald eyes pop even more dramatically, the concealed shoulder holster visible beneath his jacket. Meanwhile, I was still wrapped in my silk bathrobe, completely distracted by the sparkle of my engagement ring.

"What do you think about soon?" I suggested.

"Too long," he complained, his lips finding the sensitive spot on my neck where he’d once marked me as his territory.

I shook my head firmly. "I don’t want to rush into anything like what happened with Ivy’s emergency ceremony when the rival families were closing in. Taking our time gives us perfect timing to secure all the family alliances." My tone made it clear I wasn’t willing to negotiate a shorter timeframe that might compromise our safety.

"Fine," he conceded with a sigh. "What kind of ceremony are you thinking? Something grand with all the family heads present?"

"Actually, no. Something intimate with just our inner circle and trusted soldiers." I had a specific vision forming, though I wasn’t sure how he’d respond to it given the security concerns.

"You’ve already planned it all out in your head, haven’t you?" Dominic caught my eyes in the bulletproof mirror reflection, and I couldn’t help but smile.

"Sort of... if you agree to the security arrangements..." I turned to face him. "I’d love to exchange vows on the beach at sunset."

His face lit up with a radiant smile. "You really do love the sea! That sounds perfect. Quentin has a gorgeous fortified beach compound not far from here. If you’d like, we could have the ceremony on the private sand and the reception at the main house with full perimeter security."

"I love that idea! I’ll talk to Nadia about coordinating with the family."

"If you need additional protection details, just let me know."

I laughed. "Just make sure you show up armed and say ’I do.’"

He shook his head playfully, and my heart swelled with joy. I was truly happy. Since I’d started turning off my encrypted phone at night per Dominic’s security protocols, I’d been sleeping much better and feeling refreshed each morning. I made plans to meet the girls at the Social Union’s private dining room after work, hoping they’d help me organize the wedding. I’d invited Nadia to join us as well.

When we gathered at the underground club’s restaurant, the girls immediately grabbed my hand, examining the engagement ring from every angle while staying alert to our surroundings. We were giggling like schoolgirls despite the armed bodyguards stationed discreetly around our table. Nadia arrived shortly after with her own security detail, and they all launched into animated wedding planning discussions.

"Ladies, please calm down," I laughed at their enthusiasm. "I already have some ideas, so just listen for a moment."

"Here we go," Zoe groaned dramatically while checking her concealed weapon. "I bet you’re going to tell us you’re just heading to the courthouse with a justice of the peace under witness protection."

"No, Zo, we’re having an actual ceremony," I assured her. "But something small with just close associates and trusted soldiers." Zoe pouted visibly. "On the beach," I added.

"Oh my God, what a fantastic idea, Gemma!" Nadia exclaimed supportively. "Dominic loves the sea, and it’s easier to secure than an indoor venue!"

"So do I, Nadia. And he mentioned you have a beautiful fortified beach compound..."

Nadia didn’t even let me finish. "It’s perfect! Consider it yours! Do whatever you want with it!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I’m so touched that my little brother is having his blood ceremony at my property! We should spend a weekend there so you can see the security setup and plan accordingly."

"Dominic’s actually giving you time to organize the wedding?" Ivy looked astonished. "Seems like Caleb was the impatient one when a rival family was threatening war." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Don’t complain, Ivy. You loved every minute of that adrenaline rush," Zoe teased, and Ivy nodded in agreement.

"We’re planning for soon," I explained. "Nadia, do you think we could arrange for a priest to perform the ceremony? I’d really like to do it at sunset with the family’s blessing."

"Gemma, leave that to my mother. She’ll definitely secure the priest through her connections," Nadia replied, genuinely delighted by our plans.

"Well, look here, Elza. The mafia wives club is having a meeting," Beatrix interrupted, approaching our table with Elza in tow, both clearly having bribed their way past security. Her face still bore the marks of our last encounter; not even professional makeup could completely conceal the damage I’d inflicted during our territorial dispute. I smiled, feeling rather proud of my handiwork.

"Zoe, I think the enemy informant enjoyed her beating so much she came back for seconds," I remarked casually while noting the positions of our guards.

"And she brought her little accomplice to get eliminated too," Zoe added, her hand moving instinctively toward her concealed blade.

"You’re both trashy, low-class, psychotic killers!" Beatrix seethed, but her opinion meant nothing to me—nobody threatens what belongs to the family.

"Listen carefully, rat," I said, my patience waning as I adopted the deadly calm Dominic had taught me. "You and your associate need to forget we exist, and forget about our men too. Better yet, forget about my soon-to-be husband!" I emphasized each word, making sure this insufferable woman understood that Dominic was bound to me by blood oath.

"Husband? What delusion is this?" Beatrix looked genuinely confused and increasingly desperate.

"Here, let me spell it out for you," I raised my hand, flaunting my ring while signaling our security. "Dominic proposed with a blood diamond, and we’re exchanging vows soon! Wonderful news, isn’t it?"

"You gold-digging whore! You won’t marry Dominic—he belongs to me, he always has been! Even if I have to put a bullet in you, this ceremony won’t happen." Beatrix’s eyes blazed with uncontrolled rage, her hand twitching toward what was likely a concealed weapon.

"You won’t do anything, you traitorous bitch! Crawl back to whatever rival family is stupid enough to shelter you." Zoe stood up intimidatingly, her own weapon now clearly visible. "Disappear before I paint this floor with your blood again."

"Come on, Bridget, these women are completely unhinged!" Elza pulled her friend away by the arm, both clearly rattled by the deadly atmosphere.

"This wedding isn’t happening. You can bet your life on that," Beatrix threatened before finally retreating under the watchful eyes of our armed guards.

"I don’t like that snake," Nadia commented once they’d left. "Dominic told me you really demolished her face during the territory dispute. Girl, even professional makeup couldn’t hide it." She erupted in laughter.

"Nadia, you should have seen it—it was absolutely vicious!" Zoe recounted with glee.

We filled Nadia in on all the details of my confrontation with Beatrix, and she laughed until tears streamed down her face. But something was nagging at me. "Girls, where’s Nora?" I asked suddenly.

"Oh, Gemma, Nora had to leave town today. Her father suffered a heart attack, and she had to rush to be with him. She sends her love," Zoe explained.

"What happened to her father? And why did she need to leave so suddenly?" I questioned, finding the timing suspicious given recent threats.

"Apparently it’s cardiac-related and quite serious. She’s not sure how long she’ll be there, so she resigned from Caleb’s organization," Zoe elaborated.

"Xavier’s worried Jude might request a transfer too, but he’s assured us he’s staying loyal to the family, at least for now," Ivy added, clearly in the loop about personnel security.

"I hope everything works out safely. I’ll have Dominic check on her security tomorrow," I said thoughtfully.

When I arrived home that evening, I found Dominic in the living room reviewing family business documents with Amber sleeping peacefully at his feet. He immediately pulled me onto his lap and peppered my face with kisses, making me feel like the most protected woman in the dangerous world we inhabited.