The Goalie's Keeper

Rosie

“You bloody cheating bastard!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs, gripping Mia’s little hand tightly for support as I swallowed hard to hide my sheer nervousness.

I must do this and get the money.

I marched down the aisle toward the altar, where the ceremony was already underway. The groom was Jude Winters — the man I was paid to crash a wedding for. By whom? I hadn’t been given much detail. Honestly, I didn’t care as long as the money was real.

A tiny prick of guilt tried to flare up in my chest, but I blinked it away. Now was not the time for a conscience. Morality could be damned if it was going to shackle me down. This was a rare opportunity. The money I was getting from this single gig was more than all my part-time jobs combined for a year. Why not earn it in a day?

I looked at the groom again. His side profile was beautiful. Sharp jaw, striking features.

What a pity.

I nodded at my seven-year-old niece, Mia, signaling her to start her part, but with Mia’s height, which was smaller compared to other girls of her age, she could pass as a five-year-old girl.

Without further ado, Mia yanked her hand from mine and started blinking as her eyes welled up instantly. Tears rolled down her cheeks right on cue. “Daddy! Daddy!” she cried, running straight past the confused, wide-eyed groomsmen and throwing her arms around the groom.

Sorry, big guy, but this must be done.

Gasps and shocked murmurs flew across the church like wildfire. Everyone was shocked as the groom looked confused and tried to detach himself from Mia, who was now clutching his legs.

“W-what?” he stuttered, looking from me to Mia, then to his bride. “I don’t understand. I don’t know you.”

I forced my face into an expression of strikingly heartbroken distress. “Are you seriously denying me now? Denying your own family?” I let my voice crack, making it believable.

Lord, forgive me...

“Daddy, Daddy,” Mia sobbed, holding him tighter. “Don’t you want us anymore?” She blinked up at him with innocence.

I was honestly surprised by how deeply Mia was into the role. I’d definitely have to buy her an extra-large ice cream after I got paid. She knew exactly what was at stake; I had explained to her that this performance was for the betterment of our lives.

“What is the meaning of this?!” the bride yelled, yanking her veil off her face and glaring at Jude with anger.

“Kira, I swear, I don’t know what’s happening—”

“You don’t know, or you’re just playing me?!” the bride bellowed. She turned to where their families stood rooted in shock, then snapped back to the groom. “Fuck you, Jude! I was already struggling to figure out how to fall in love with you, and now I find out you’re a scumbag!” She threw her veil to the floor and stomped on it.

I felt a brief twinge of pity for her, but I pressed on, walking right up to the altar. “Is this why you haven’t visited me and your daughter for two weeks? Is this why you’ve been hiding us away?”

“Woman, what the fuck are you talking about?!” Jude gritted out as the church dissolved into chaos. Camera flashes began to fly around.

I had forgotten to mention — this was a high-society wedding. A wedding big enough to shake the entire city. And here I was, an insignificant nobody, crashing it for money.

The bride tsked in disgust. “You are a monster. You’re even denying the mother of your child!” With a swift motion, the bride raised her hand and slapped Jude hard across the face.

Smack!

I swallowed hard, flinching at the resonating sound.

The bride spun on her heels and ran down the aisle with her family chasing after her, shouting her name. “Kira! Kira, wait!”

I smiled inwardly. Mission accomplished. This was exactly what I had been hired to do.

I turned to leave, signaling for Mia to let go so we could make our grand exit. But before I could take a step, a hand gripped my arm from behind and I jolted, looking up at the groom’s face.

Jude’s eyes were completely vacant of emotion, except for a dangerous smirk on his lip. The bright red handprint from the bride’s slap was stark against his cheek. I winced internally.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his voice low as I jolted. “You can’t just crash my wedding and leave.”

He turned to the shocked, frozen priest. “Continue the ceremony.”

“Continue what?!” I panicked, trying to pull my arm free.

Jude smirked, a predatory expression on his face. “Aren’t you my secret lover? The one I allegedly abandoned? Well, I’m doing the right thing now. I’m giving you the altar.”

“I’m not interested anymore!” I hissed under my breath. “You... you betrayed me already! Let me go!”

“Father, please bless us,” Jude commanded, ignoring my protests entirely.

My gut had told me this gig was sketchy from the start. I had been skeptical, but the money was too good to pass up. I should have known something was wrong when the anonymous employer told me to wear a full wedding dress just to crash the event.

I stood rooted in shock. This wasn’t what I signed up for. But the media cameras were rolling, the crowd was watching, and Jude’s grip on my arm held firm.

This can’t be right.

I can’t just get married without my consent, can I?

He leaned down, whispering in my ear, “You don’t want to marry me, yet you are in a wedding dress — unless you’re here for extortion and fraud.” He straightened slightly. “Or I could call the cops.”

My heart plummeted. If I got arrested, who would take care of Mia? I was trapped. I didn’t have a choice.

I smiled thinly; I couldn’t lose, and nodded weakly. The priest stared at both of us before he began the vows.

I completely zoned out for most of it until the priest finally announced, “You may kiss the bride.”

I raised my eyes to Jude. No, this can’t be happening.

He grinned at me, stepping closer. His large hand slid down to my lower back, pulling me against his hard chest effortlessly. Then he slammed his lips onto mine in a bruising, dominant kiss. When he didn’t stop, panic took over and I bit down hard on his lip.

The metallic taste of blood burst onto my tongue as I grimaced.

Jude pulled back just a fraction, a smirk playing on his bleeding lips. “A blood kink? I love it,” he whispered against my ear, his hot breath making me shiver down to my spine from what I didn’t know.

Maybe from his words, or maybe from the sheer terror of what my life was about to become, or maybe from the crowd that had gone along and started clapping.