She knew that under the handsome veneer of a wealthy and enterprising producer, John Alexander hid a feral side. No, it was more than feral. John was one of the cryptids. Supernatural beast in human skin. And this beast was a dangerous one, a true predator in the wild. There was a true tiger within him, something that at once overwhelmed him and was totally under his control by sheer force of will. And she’d just made a demand of that beast.
Not many people were aware of them, but they did exist. Her brother George had a talent for detecting those people. In fact, George was the one who told her that John was more than just an ordinary man. It was a bit of a surprise when that knowledge became an invaluable form of leverage. If John declined to marry her, she planned to blackmail him with his furry little secret…
Never in her life had she imagined involving herself with the cryptids and so far, she counted herself lucky she had made it this far.
Finally, she found her words again.
“I’d like to get married immediately,” she said, her voice unsteady. “This is Las Vegas; I have the marriage license application in my bag. The Clark County office opens until midnight. We’ll take a cab from here and go together. But I must warn you, those pictures can go public with a push of a button, if you’re thinking of trying anything to get out of this.”
“Okay. After that?”
“You can go back to your vacation, and I’ll go back to my family. I’ll call you later.”
In reality, she had no intention of calling; not unless she really really, really had to. All she needed was the marriage certificate to get Uncle Alfred to back off. The Alexanders were the biggest investors in the Benedict’s family business. Once she married John, she’d have the Alexanders’ protection. Her uncle would think twice before he tried to harm her younger twin siblings again. George and Harry were her world and they were in danger. She had no qualms stooping this low if it meant she could provide a safer environment for her brothers.
John let out a mirthful laugh, and she felt the color rising to her face again. Was this just some kind of game to him? It was rumored that all
of John Alexander’s escapades in Hollywood had made him more than a few friends in the underground. He may have come off like a debonair and easy-going kind of guy, but there was no question in her mind that he was far more cunning than he ever let on.
“Well, we should probably get a move on,” he said, standing up and laying a hundred-dollar bill on the table, paying for what little he’d eaten before Jane showed up. She stood up with him, but was a little spastic, and she nearly stumbled as she rose.
He caught her, helping her get her footing again, as she wobbled and looked at him warily.
This close up, Jane realized just how much taller he was than her. Her head could practically rest on his chest.
“Save it for the first dance, babe,” he said with a wink as if he could read her mind, and Jane moved away quickly, huffing.
A few moments later, after hailing a cab, they clambered into the car. Jane’s eyes were firmly on John, but he seemed as at ease as though he were on an ordinary date.
What the hell is going through his mind?
“Where to?” the driver asked over his shoulder.
Jane started to open her mouth to name the wedding chapel she had in mind, but John spoke up first.
“Haute Bridal on Durango, please.”
Jane looked over at him incredulously. “What are you doing?”
“Well, if we’re going to be married, you can’t walk the aisle without a wedding dress, can you? And we’ll also need rings!”
He sounded serious, but Jane knew that was a show for the driver. John meant to tease her about this as much as he could, if it was going to happen.
John pulled out his phone and called someone; it sounded like he was making a reservation. When he finished talking, he pocketed his phone and shot her a charming smile.
They rode for a while until the cab pulled up at a fancy bridal boutique. The sign said closed but as they get out of the taxi, a woman hurriedly opened the store. Obviously John had some sort of connection with the owner. From its window, she could see the ready-made wedding dresses hanging on the racks; it was obvious that this was the kind of place that catered to eloping couples like them.
Couples.
Jane almost laughed at herself for thinking of them as a couple as they headed towards the store. This was an unorthodox arrangement, to put it politely. But she had to admit, as he held the door open for her, John was doing a remarkable job of acting like everything was real.
Jane’s plan hadn’t accounted for actually making a show of getting married. She found herself taken aback by the dresses that surrounded her, and she felt more than a little exposed in the server uniform she’d worn to approach John.
The shop was small, but fully stocked with vintage designer wedding dresses, jewelry, and accessories. A few items caught her attention, but when she checked the price tags, she was immediately disappointed. Even second hand, the items still commanded ridiculously high prices. It felt like money wasted for a sham wedding.
“You look like you haven’t given much thought to your taste,” John said as he led Jane into the back of the store, where they displayed even more gowns.
“Bussing tables for a living doesn’t give you much room to,” she admitted ruefully. “Neither does trying to push a few paintings.”