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“Did you find my van?” I asked, but he gave no response, and we moved with such speed, I was puffing.
When Jax halted, I caught my breath. All three of the men stared up, and I followed their gazes.
An oversized golden sleigh sat on several crisscrossing boughs.
“Holy shit!” I swore. “Is that—?”
“The Ho Wagon,” Jax said, interrupting. “It’s where Santa does all his Ho Ho Hos.” And he broke into a chuckle, gaining himself a glare from Tatum.
Except my attention was back on the freaking sled, unable to believe my eyes. Golden as the sun, it resembled an elaborate topless carriage, and snowflake patterns were engraved along the side of the body. Its nose curved upward and a door on the side led to the driver’s seat.
Butterflies swarmed my stomach. Being told about Santa and even seeing Krampus was one thing, but this… I gasped, and everyone turned to me as I gushed the word, “Santa Claus is real!”
I sounded like a young child about to see the jolly bearded man while standing in line at the local shopping mall.
Tatum laughed and ran the back of his gloved knuckles across my cheek gently. “It’s finally sunk in, eh? And did you see what type of tree we’re next to? Birches! We can grab samples while we’re rescuing the sleigh.”
“All right then,” Jax said, drawing my attention. “Most of the branches overhead are broken, meaning we can get a clear takeoff, but I need to check the mechanics. So who’s up for pulling the sleigh?”
“Mechanics?” I asked, confused. “When you said you were a mechanic, I just assumed it meant fixing engines.”
“There’s no motor, sweetheart,” Jax explained, bouncing his toes. “Reindeer are the muscle. Mechanics are for navigation like the weather radar display, a GPS, the heater to keep Santa warm, and an electronic flight bag. All the comforts of home. Also comes with a hot chocolate maker.”
I shook my head. “So if the carriage crashed, it means the reindeer must have been hurt, but not the sled? Could Krampus have killed them? But then why take their bodies away?”
Jax shrugged. “Could be, but we won’t know until I get up there.” He smirked so wildly and leaned over, cupping my face with both hands and kissing me. It was quick, yet it still left me shaken and breathless. All the while Leven’s hands gripped my hips, not minding in the slightest that his friend had just kissed me on the lips.
“We might be able to track down Krampus and find where he’s hiding Santa!” Jax winked and turned toward the tree. He jumped up to reach the lowest branch and threw his legs up, then started his climb.
Leven followed suit, both of them swinging from branch to branch, as if this were an everyday occurrence.
“Those two are really taken with you,” Tatum said, looking my way.
“And you?” I asked, unable to believe I was flirting, but Jax’s energy bubbled across my skin. If the sled helped us find my sister, this was a huge discovery and I wanted to cheer. Yep, I was becoming soppy and didn’t care.
Tatum closed the distance between us, and I stepped backward.
“Why do you back away from me?”
“Instinct?” I shrugged, realizing it was an unconscious reaction.
“I’d love to cross paths with whoever hurt you.” The cords in his neck flexed.
And I had no doubt he meant every word. “Good luck. They’re in prison.”
His eyes narrowed, and I shook my head, hating that I’d brought up my past when we were celebrating finding the sleigh. “Anyway, you were telling me what you thought of me.”
“My mind is constantly foggy when I’m near you,” he said.
“So you need to see a doctor?” I laughed, adoring the way he stared at me with such admiration. All of them did, and I couldn’t help but feel special.
“It means that if you’re not careful, I might take what I want.” His gloved thumb caressed the back of my gloved hand, and the touch softened me as sparks of energy jolted through me.
I’d never met such men before. They resembled gods, stared at me as if I were candy, and their caring nature gave me hope that maybe we’d get out of this unscathed. I considered letting myself fall for their charms, but the idea of them walking away from me terrified me. Was I setting myself up for heartbreak?
Yet Tatum reminded me of myself in the way he put on a strong façade, led the pack, and wore a brave face, but I’d seen the slight cracks in his demeanor. Like back in the distillery when Leven hadn’t agreed with his plan, and even now, when he seemed to be always holding back. Never able to give himself completely to what he desired in case he needed to leap back into the leader role. To take charge of the moment, to protect us, to make the hard calls. Exactly how I felt with Britta. I adored my sister, loved her to bits, but I could never let my guard down around her. If something went wrong, I was the adult, the responsible one who had to sort everything out. I had no one to turn to, and I’d accepted that long ago. But now seeing those same emotions reflected back at me on Tatum’s face made me sympathize. He cared so much that it made him vulnerable.
“If we get out of this in one piece,” I said, “I think we should go out bowling or something laidback. Just the two of us.”
