“Søren?” Zach repeated and looked down. A man stood at the top of the staircase where he and Nora had entered. Zach couldn’t make out any of his features at first. All he noticed was the man’s commanding height, his incredible presence. All play below had ceased at his entrance. He strode down the staircase slowly, imperiously. The world stopped for him. The chaos on the floor fell silent. Everyone everywhere, Nora included, seemed to be holding their breath.

Zach narrowed his eyes at the sight of Nora’s former lover. He noticed something strange about the man’s clothes.

“Zach, I should have told you. There’s a lot I should have told you.”

“Søren…” Zach said in utter shock. “He’s a priest?”

“My priest.”

Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER 19

A hundred whispers and hints from conversations over the past few weeks came back to Zach in an instant. Nora Sutherlin’s former lover who still haunted her like the shadow of a ghost was a Catholic priest. And if it weren’t for the fear in her eyes and the dread in his stomach he might have laughed.

“Zach, look at me,” Nora ordered, and Zach wrenched his eyes away from the scene below.

“It’s all right,” Zach said, trying to reassure her.

“No, it isn’t,” she said. “He’s here for a reason and it’s probably not a good one. If he wants me, I have to go with him. I won’t have a choice.”

“Of course you have a choice,” Zach said.

Nora shook her head. “Not down here. House rules. Griffin?”

“Yes, my Mistress in Distress?” Griffin said, clearly taking great pleasure in Nora’s extreme agitation.

“I’ll need you to stay with Zach if you can. Just don’t let him out of your sight. That’s an order.”

“I’m all over it. And him, too, if he’ll let me.”

“He won’t let you,” Zach said, and Griffin grinned at him.

“And Griffin.” She reached out to take Griffin’s face in her hands. “For God’s sake and for the first time in your life, keep your mouth shut.”

Zach expected one of Griffin’s witty retorts but the young man merely nodded. Zach saw something pass between them, some sort of secret understanding that he was apparently not to be privy to. He’d already seen Nora’s former lover was a priest. What else was left to shock him?

“He’s coming,” Griffin whispered and Zach’s heart beat hard in his chest.