Fearful of running into Tia and risking more questions, Tabitha called a cab to take them over to Valerius's house. Otto was already gone by the time they reached his mansion.
As expected, Gilbert met them at the door. He seemed stodgy as ever as he greeted them formally.
"Nice seeing you again, Gil," Tabitha said as Valerius handed him her suitcase. "Nice rigid stance."
Gilbert frowned before he looked down, then gave her a quizzical stare.
Valerius almost smiled. "Ms. Devereaux will be staying with us for awhile, Gilbert. Would you please have Margaret ready a room for the lady?"
"Yes, my lord."
Valerius started for the stairs, then paused. "After Margaret is finished, I would like for the entire staff to take a few weeks off."
Gilbert looked shocked. "My lord?"
"Don't worry. It's with full pay. Consider it an early Christmas present. Just leave a number on my desk where I can contact everyone to have them return."
"As you wish, my lord."
Tabitha felt Valerius's sadness. In spite of what Acheron said, Valerius did like Gilbert and seemed to hate the thought of the man leaving.
"Where are you off to?" Tabitha asked as Valerius took another step up the regal mahogany staircase.
"I was going to get new weapons. Would you care to join me?"
"Ooo," she said suggestively. "I've always been a sucker for a man with lots of weapons. Show me what you got, baby."
She wasn't quite sure if he was amused or not as he waited for her to join him. Tabitha followed him up the stairs, then turned down the long hallway on the right. He led her halfway down before he paused in front of a door and opened it.
Tabitha whistled low as she caught sight of his training room. It was huge, and held a variety of punching bags, mats, and dummies. One in particular looked like it had been seriously abused.
It also wore a bright Hawaiian shirt.
"Is this supposed to be someone we know?" she asked as she noted the stab wounds to the dummy's head.
"I plead the Fifth."
"I take it Otto doesn't participate in your training sessions."
He glanced at the dummy. "I guess you could say that in a way he does."
She shook her head as Valerius headed over to the closet. Inside was an arsenal she was sure the ATF would have some issues with.
"Grenade launcher?"
"EBay," Valerius said. "You can find anything on there."
"Apparently so. Who needs Kell when you have all this?"
He gave her a wicked grin as he strapped a long, lethal blade to his forearm. "What's my lady's choice?"
Tabitha pulled a small crossbow off a hanger on the door. "I've watched one too many Buffy reruns. I'm a crossbow girl all the way."
Valerius stood back while Tabitha picked her weapons. He had to admit that he enjoyed seeing a woman who knew how to take care of herself. She weighed and examined each one carefully with the precision of a pro.
He would never have believed such a thing could be a turn-on and yet his body was already hard for her. It was all he could do not to take her right now in the closet.
Tabitha looked over her shoulder as she caught the sizzling wave from Valerius. His black eyes blazed at her.
He was close to breaking, she could sense it. The fire of his desire reached out to her, igniting her own until she struggled to breathe.
"Here," she said, handing him one of the polished steel stakes.
He stepped back and slid it into his pocket. Before he could comment, the door from the hallway opened to admit Gilbert. "Ms. Devereaux?"
She turned to find the butler nearing her. "Yes?"
"Your room is prepared."
Valerius cleared his throat. "Please make sure it's to your liking before the servants leave."
"Okay," she said, knowing he needed some breathing room. In truth, she did, too. If she didn't get out of this room for a few minutes, they were both going to be naked and sprawling.
Tabitha left the closet to follow Gilbert back down the hall to the other wing. He led her to a room at the end of the hallway, then opened the door.
Tabitha gaped at the palatial room. It was, after all, the very best. She wouldn't expect anything less from Valerius and still the room was awe-inspiring.
It was decorated in dark navy blue and gold. The lush navy duvet was already turned down for her.
Gilbert headed for an intercom, then stopped himself. "I don't suppose there will be anyone here to answer if you call," he said under his breath.
"You don't want to leave?"
He looked a bit startled by that. "I've been with Lord Valerius a long time."
By the note in his voice, she could tell "long" had a meaning all itself.
"Are you another Squire?"
He shook his head. "They don't even know I exist. It's why Lord Valerius changes Squires out so often. He took me in when I was fifteen and he was stationed in London. No one else would have me."
She frowned at his words. "Why didn't they make you a Squire?"
"The Squire's Council refused to grant Lord Valerius that request."
"Why?" she asked, not understanding it. The Council had let Nick Gautier in when Kyrian had asked and heaven knew that boy had an extremely shady past.
"They don't think much of the general or his requests, I'm afraid."
Tabitha growled low in her throat. She'd never been the kind of person who could stand those who sat in judgment of others. As her Aunt Zelda so often said, but for the grace of God, there go I.
"Don't worry, Gilbert. I'll make damn sure no one messes with Valerius while you're gone. Deal?"
He smiled at her. "Deal." He bowed to her, then took his leave.
Tabitha crossed the room only to discover that her clothes had already beea unpacked and everything placed neatly in drawers, the armoire and in the bathroom.
Wow. A woman could get used to this kind of treatment.
She sorted through her weapons, which had been placed in a drawer by themselves. Her favorites were the retractable knives that fastened to her wrists with Velcro. A high-pressure release shot them from her arm into her hands, but you had to be careful or they would cut a nasty wound into the palm.
She lifted her pants leg and slid another stiletto into her boot and tucked a butterfly knife in her back pocket. Most of her weapons were illegal, but she had enough friends in the police department that they didn't harass her for them.
She was pulling on a long-sleeved sweater to cover up her arms when someone knocked on her bedroom door.
Opening the door, she found Valerius on the other side. He had to be the most handsome man she'd ever seen. His hair was still damp, pulled back into his almost requisite ponytail, though to be honest, she preferred it loose and wild.
His chiseled features betrayed nothing, but she could sense delight in him.
"I'm on my way out to patrol."
"I'm ready."
The amusement she sensed doubled. The lines in his face also softened and it was all she could do not to pull him back into her arms.
Really, no one should be so tempting.
He widened the opening for the door. "Come, my Lady Dangerous, your Daimons await."
Tabitha led the way down the stairs where Otto was waiting for them.
He must have come back while they'd been upstairs.
"There's an alert going out to New Orleans," he said to them. "All the Squires except the Blood Rites are being evacuated. Ash is also bringing in a couple more Hunters from upstate and Mississippi. Did you know about this?"
"No," Valerius said. "I didn't realize an alert had been issued."
"Are the Addamses leaving?" Tabitha asked.