The Klaus Brothers Boxed Set

by penny watson

  Oskar blanched. He stepped forward and ran his hands over her sides. “Jesus, Kiana. You could have fallen out of the damned sleigh while we were flying back to Glasdorf. That trunk door doesn’t latch properly. Are you sure you’re all right? No bumps or bruises?” He shook his head. “You crawled into the trunk? Are you crazy?”

  She released a hysterical shrill of laughter. “Flying? We were flying? Yes, I think I may be crazy. I’m surrounded by elves, and there’s some other bizarre stuff happening, like flashing lights whizzing around me that sound like they’re giggling.”

  “Sternschnuppen. They’re nothing to worry about,” Oskar replied. “Is this a bruise?” He held up her hand for inspection. “God, don’t ever scare me like that again.” He pulled her into a tight embrace.

  “Really, I’m okay, Oskar. Just a little bit sore,” she answered. She closed her eyes for just a moment, relishing the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her. Gabi whimpered.

  Kiana reluctantly pulled out of his arms and turned to console the little girl. “Don’t worry, sweet pea. Everything is going to be fine.” She brushed a loose strand of white-blonde hair behind the girl’s ear.

  “Kiana, who is this?” Oskar’s face registered shock when he finally got a look at her. “Gabi, is that you?”

  Gabi nodded shyly.

  “Oh, thank God.” Oskar knelt on the ground next to Gabi. She shuffled over to him and threw herself into his arms. Oskar peered at Kiana over the top of Gabi’s head as he hugged her fiercely. “We’ve been really worried about you, Honigbienchen. No one knew where you were.”

  Gabi sobbed into Oskar’s neck. “Please don’t send me back. Please don’t send me back.” Her entire body shook with distress.

  Kiana rubbed the back of her head reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Gabi. You are not going back with that… that…” She caught her breath and turned to Oskar for support. “I found her hiding from her stepfather.” Kiana pointed to her own face and whispered bruise.

  Oskar pulled back to examine Gabi’s cheek. His eyes narrowed. “Wiebe? Are you talking about Wiebe? Did he do this? How do you know this, Kiana?” he demanded, not bothering to keep the anger out of his voice.

  “She told me, in so many words. She was hiding out at the Weihn… uh…”

  “Weihnachtsmann’s house. That’s my dad’s place.” Oskar continued to shush Gabi, whose tears were drying up.

  “Your father? Your father is Santa Claus?” A nervous giggle escaped her as she uttered the ridiculous statement. She waited, hoping that Oskar would laugh at her absurd comment, but he just continued to rub Gabi’s back.

  “Yeah, that’s right. The Big Guy himself, St. Nicholas.”

  “You do realize that Santa Claus is just a myth, right?” Kiana asked.

  Oskar barked out a laugh. “Well, someone forgot to tell my dad. He’s been busting his hump for years, delivering gifts all over the world. Guess he better find another gig.”

  Gabi gasped. “No! Don’t say that, Oskar.”

  “I’m just kidding, little honeybee. Kiana’s a Suddie, so she’s not used to all the stuff going on in Glasdorf. We’ll get her caught up in no time. Why don’t we go into my cottage and get some yummy hot chocolate from Klaus Küche?”

  Gabi smiled tremulously at Oskar. “Oh! I love your brother’s hot chocolate. It is soooo good.”

  Oskar stood and held the girl still clutching onto his shoulders. “Let’s go, Moon Goddess. We still have a lot to talk about, and I don’t want anyone seeing you.”

  “Why don’t you want anyone to see me?”

  Oskar turned to her and sighed. “I don’t want anyone to see you because I could get into big trouble harboring a Suddie in my place without permission of the Council. I’m sort of on probation.”

  Gabi giggled.

  Kiana shook her head. “Why?”

  Gabi tugged on Oskar’s ear. “He’s naughty.”

  Kiana rolled her eyes. “Why does that not surprise me in the least?”

  “Let’s get into my house and talk. There’s a lot going on right now, and I want to make sure both you and Gabi are safe.” He wrapped one arm around Gabi and held out his other hand to Kiana. “Come on.”

  She stared at his hand for a moment and then reached for him. In spite of the nagging fear at the back of her mind—the one that insisted she was suffering from some sort of mental breakdown—she welcomed the touch of his strong, rough hand. It felt very real and safe.

  If all of this was just a dream, then she was glad Oskar had a starring role.

  Oskar led Kiana and Gabi into the foyer of his cottage where they stopped to remove their coats and hats. He knelt down next to Gabi on the stone floor. “Why don’t you head into the great room and warm up in front of the fire, Honigbienchen. Kiana and I will make some hot cocoa and bring it out in a second.” He squeezed her hand. “There’s a big pile of Dr. Seuss books in the basket next to the sofa.”

  Gabi shot him a lop-sided smile. “Thank you, Oskar. I love Dr. Seuss.” She skipped away, humming under her breath.

  Kiana shook her head as she watched the young girl dash from the room. “She needs new clothes. Those are ragged. No wonder she’s so cold. And a nice, hot bath tonight. I think—”

  He pulled Kiana into his arms and searched her face for signs of shock. She looked surprisingly well-composed. “I promise Gabi will be well taken care of. I know you must be stunned about all of this. Don’t you have any questions for me?”

  Kiana sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. “It’s easier for me to deal with Gabi’s needs than to think too closely about what’s going on here.” She paused and looked up at him. “Is this really happening? How can no one else know about this place?”

  Oskar smiled. “Glasdorf literally means ‘village of glass’ in German. The elves have constructed a magical castle to hide our location. It’s only visible to the Klaus family. A few outsiders know about us, but not many. There is too much at stake.”

  “The sleighs really fly?” Kiana grimaced as she spoke the words.

  “Uh huh. It’s elfin—”

  “—magik, right?” She quirked a brow at Oskar. “I’m getting the idea.”

  Oskar laughed and tightened his hold on her. “I’m amazed at how well you are dealing with all of this. I know it must be unsettling.”

  “Honestly, I’m trying not to think about it. But Gabi’s safety is more important than my nervous breakdown.”

  He always wondered how a Suddie would handle the irrefutable fact that Santa Claus was alive and well in the North Pole. Most adults would be in hysterics by now. Oskar was impressed with Kiana’s calm demeanor as she processed the shocking information. And touched by her concern for Gabi.

  Kiana cleared her throat. “So when you told me you were Director of Human Resources for Klaus Enterprises, what you really meant was…”

  He nodded. “Not actually ‘human’ resources.”

  She shook her head. “You weren’t kidding when you said your employees were a handful.”

  “Yeah, and believe me when I tell you the kids at Brockman’s look like a choir of angels in comparison.”

  “Okay. So, I think you’re entitled to a bit of complaining. You’re in charge of Santa’s elves.” She laughed nervously. “Your job just took on a whole new level of difficulty. I will never complain about the kids at the New York Public Library again.”

  Oskar stroked a thumb across her cheek. “Are you sure you’re okay after that sleigh ride? I’m still having heart palpitations thinking about that.” He frowned and ran his hands over her arms, re-checking for injuries.

  “I’m fine, Oskar. Really. Although, I’d rather not repeat the experience any time soon.” She bit her bottom lip. “I never meant to get you into any trouble. I hope your Council won’t be mad I’m here.”

  “Don’t worry. If we play our cards right, the Council will never know.” He brushed a silky strand of hair from her forehead. “Why don’t we make Gabi some hot
chocolate? I want to show you around my place.”

  “All right. I could use a cup myself. It was freezing in that sleigh.”

  He grasped Kiana’s hand and steered her into his kitchen. She was quiet as he assembled a platter of hot cocoa, peppermint sticks and bowls of whipped cream. He could tell she was ruminating over her newfound knowledge.

  When they entered the great room, Kiana stopped dead in her tracks and gasped.

  “Oh. My. God.” She turned to Oskar, shaking her head. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  Oskar grinned and set the platter on a table in front of Gabi. “I knew you’d love it. What do you think?”

  Wall-to-wall bookshelves lined the perimeter of the room and stretched up to the ceiling. Ladders on coasters jutted out from a brass banister about twelve feet up. There were labels on every shelf, cataloguing biographies, poetry, children’s literature. Literally, every topic under the sun. Oskar had installed spotlights and reading nooks all over the room, big comfy sofas and chairs to curl up in, and angled reading tables for larger volumes. This room was his pride and joy, a bibliophile’s Shangri-La. No one would appreciate it more than Kiana.

  “Do you have any idea how many books you own?” she asked, gaping at the collection.

  “No, not really. I guess I have a bit of a hoarding problem,” he joked.

  Gabi giggled. “He has a great collection of Dr. Seuss books.” The girl lifted a mug of cocoa and closed her eyes as she inhaled the steaming beverage.

  “I have never seen anything like this in my life. Is your whole house like this?” Kiana asked.

  “Well, I have book shelves in every room of my cottage, but I’m running out of space.” He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Unfortunately, I had a ton of books in my office, too. But now they’re toast.”

  Kiana’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”

  “You remember I got that call about an emergency?” He asked. Kiana nodded. “Well, there was an explosion and fire at the Glasdorf Recreational Plaza. The theater and my office were destroyed.”

  Kiana gasped. “Oh, Oskar. That’s terrible. Was anyone hurt?”

  “Thankfully, no. But I need to figure out what’s going on before someone does get hurt.” He looked at her concerned expression and shook his head. “Believe me, I did not want to leave you.”

  Gabi’s eyes grew wide. “Oskar?” her voice wobbled. “Was the entire theater really ruined? I’m so sorry.” A tear slipped down her cheek.

  “Don’t worry, Gabi. Everything will be okay. The fire’s out and we’ll rebuild it better than ever.”

  Gabi nodded, but did not look convinced.

  “It sounds like I picked a bad time for a visit,” Kiana murmured.

  He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “I don’t care. I’m really glad you’re here.”

  She blinked at him in surprise. “Me, too,” she answered softly.

  He ran one finger down her cheek and leaned in closer. “God, your lips look sweet…”

  “Yo! Boss!”

  They spun to find Boris ambling toward the great room.

  “Sure am glad Ingo stopped by with that information. It’s a good lead—”

  Boris stopped abruptly and stared at Kiana. “Uh, boss, you know there’s a Suddie in your house.”

  Kiana glanced at Oskar for some direction.

  “Yeah, Boris, I know. Boris Kohl, this is Kiana Grant. Librarian, Stow-Away, Moon Goddess. Kiana, this is Boris, my assistant. By the way, he’s an elf.” Oskar watched in amusement as Boris’ mouth fell open, and his cigar fell to the floor.

  Kiana raised a brow at Oskar. “Very funny, Oskar.” She walked over to Boris and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Boris nodded and took her hand. “Well, isn’t this unexpected?” He swallowed nervously. “Mind if I ask who you are exactly, and how you got here?”

  Oskar answered for her. “I met her at Gregor’s party last night. And she snuck a ride in the sleigh, in the damned trunk.”

  Boris glanced at the love bites on Kiana’s neck and nodded. “Looks like you got to know her real well at the party, Boss.”

  Kiana clamped a hand over her neck and glared at Oskar, who was trying to muffle his laughter.

  Boris’ eyebrows rose. “By any chance does the Council know…”

  “No. And they are not going to find out either. I expect you to keep your mouth shut, since the Council would have a heyday with this.” He shot his assistant a serious look. “Unfortunately, we need to make plans to get Kiana home as soon as possible.”

  Kiana spun on her heel to face him. “No! I am not going home until I’m sure Gabi is safe.”

  “Gabi’s here?” Boris asked.

  The little girl poked her head over the sofa. “Hi, Mr. Kohl. Want to share my hot chocolate?”

  Boris hustled over to the child and leaned down, frowning. “Where exactly have you been, child?” He noticed the bruise on her face, then turned to Oskar with disgust. “Is this what I think it is?”

  Kiana headed over to Gabi and added some more cocoa to her mug. “Boy, this chocolate smells good. How about some extra whipped cream?” She stroked the girl’s hair. “I’m going to have a little chat with Oskar and Boris in the kitchen. I’ll be right back, sweet pea.”

  Oskar nodded in agreement and tugged Kiana out of the room, with Boris following behind. Her expression as she watched over Gabi was both fierce and protective. Hell, this was going to be another complication. He lowered his voice to a whisper.

  “Kiana, I’ll make sure Gabi is okay. Believe me, I’m not letting her go back to Wiebe after signs of abuse,” he said.

  Boris scowled. “What a sorry excuse for a father. Wiebe should be strung up by his damned boots.”

  “I gave her my word she would be safe. I am not leaving until I’m sure her stepfather is out of the picture. I mean it, Oskar, you can’t make me go,” she insisted, defiantly. She glanced through the doorway toward Gabi and sighed. “I gave her my word.”

  Oskar shook his head. “If you could stay, I would let you. But you don’t understand. I’m on probation with the Council. They gave me an ultimatum last time. One more mistake and they’ll kick me out of Glasdorf.” He reached for Kiana’s hands. “And there’s some crazy-ass elf running around torching stuff. It’s way too dangerous for you to stay here right now.”

  Boris raised an eyebrow at Oskar. “Well, boss, if the two girls stay hidden at your place, maybe we can talk to your mum and get the wheels turning for Gabi to be placed with another family. And for a formal investigation to be conducted by the Council. We’ve still got a lot of work to do about the arsonist. Actually, it would be helpful to have someone looking out for the Honigbienchen while we’re working.”

  Oskar scratched his head. “I don’t know. I still don’t like it.”

  “Boris has a point, Oskar.” Kiana shot him a pleading look. “Maybe I can help you with your investigation, too.”

  “Oh, no. No, no, no. Way too dangerous. There is Dark Magik involved and I don’t want you to have anything to do with it.”

  “Wiebe might be involved with that, too. In fact, we should question Gabi and see if she knows anything,” Boris said.

  Kiana held up a hand. “Not tonight. She’s exhausted.” They all turned to find Gabi’s head resting on the coffee table. “She needs a bath and a good night’s sleep. It’s obvious to me she’s been sorely neglected.” Her voice broke and she turned away from Oskar.

  He slid an arm around Kiana’s waist. She glanced up at him, tears in her eyes, then burrowed her head against his shoulder. “That poor girl. She was very brave to run away at such a young age. I don’t want to see her get hurt anymore.”

  He rubbed her back. “I swear to you she’ll be safe. My mother is like a lioness with her cubs when it comes to the elfin kids in Glasdorf. She’ll find a wonderful family for Gabi. And Wiebe will get what’s coming to him.”

  She turned her face to look at him.
“So, can I stay? I made a promise to Gabi. I won’t be any trouble.”

  Kiana’s misty eyes pleaded with him. There was no way he could deny her. “Just until Gabi’s set up in a new foster home. Then I’m sending you right back to New York. I want you far away from here until the arsonist is discovered. Okay?”

  “Thank you.” She tightened her arms around him, and Oskar wished he could hold onto her indefinitely.

  “Do you have a guest room where I can put Gabi to bed for the night?” Kiana asked.

  “Absolutely.” He wiped the tears from her face with gentle fingers. “I’m glad you brought her here. She’s lucky to have you looking out for her.”

  Kiana smiled at him. “I knew you would understand.”

  Boris lifted Gabi in his arms. The little girl’s face was covered with chocolate, and she was sound asleep. “Where to, Boss?”

  “Let’s put her in the back bedroom. Tomorrow we’ll get her some new clothes and toys.”

  Boris grinned, a new unlit cigar hanging out of the side of his mouth. “Well there’s certainly no shortage of toys in Glasdorf,” he added with a smirk.

  Kiana hurried ahead of Boris to pull down the covers on the bed. She and Boris tucked Gabi under the blankets.

  Oskar handed Kiana a wet washcloth to clean the little girl’s face, and layered some extra quilts on the bed. Gabi never stirred.

  “Here’s my old teddy bear. Why don’t you pop this into bed with her?” Oskar offered the bear to Kiana who looked at the toy and laughed.

  “What did you do to this poor stuffed animal?” she asked incredulously.

  The bear, named Stanley, had stuffing dangling from an injury on his left side, one button eye hanging on by a thread, an ear missing, and an artificial leg. The fur was matted and stained.

  He shrugged. “Stanley’s been strapped to a snowboard, tossed off a three-story building with a parachute that didn’t open, dipped in hot fudge, was the mascot for the elf curling team, which may have involved being crushed by a forty-four pound granite curling stone…”

  Kiana shook her head. She sniffed the bear and grimaced. “How about we give her a pillow to hug tonight and tomorrow we’ll get her a new teddy bear.”