Could she trust him? So far, he’d exhibited pretty decent behavior. Nola hadn’t been hurt. At the very least, he had answers to her questions. Who was Knox, and where had he taken Vale? Who were the others, the ones who’d been frozen alongside him? For that matter, how had they survived being frozen? Did everyone heal as fast as Zion? Could Nola get in on the action? Why had all the sexcakes tried to murder each other when they’d gained their freedom? And who was GG and why was she drawn to him?

As sunlight filtered through a leafy canopy, stroking and warming her further, a twig snapped, footsteps reverberating. Zion marched past a thick tangle of gnarled tree limbs, holding a small satchel.

Without a battle raging around them, she was able to catalog previously missed details. Four tattoos etched his muscular chest, each image set inside a circle. In one, birds. In another, flames. Another, clouds. In the last, a tree of life. The diamonds embedded in his broad shoulders were arranged in some sort of starburst pattern. So sparkly! He was six and a half feet, the same height as GG, and exceptionally handsome, with that thick cap of dark hair, those dark eyes and skin a lovely shade of brown.

While GG had simmered with rage and brutality, every move he made an invitation to the chopping block, Zion exuded calm and determination.

“I brought a snack,” he said.

Twelve hours. For some reason, she heard “ticktock” in the back of her mind. “The other girl,” she blurted out, diving into the deep end. “Vale. She’s my sister, my best friend and business partner, and the only family I have left. A murderous warrior carted her away. He could be hurting her.”

His features softened. “I tried to save her, too.”

“You tried and failed, so you’re just giving up? I have to find her, Zion. She’s my reason for breathing.” Truth. A few times over the past year, Nola had come close to giving up on life, the future too bleak to contemplate. What did she have to look forward to? More flares. More pain. More medication. But, for another day with Vale, she would endure anything. “Will you help me?”

“No.” He sat across from her and placed the satchel between them. The material gaped open, revealing bananas, pecans and carrots. “From the moment Knox broke free, he did everything possible to protect her. I doubt he’ll hurt her.”

A barbed lump grew in her throat, even though he was right. Knox had focused on Vale the same way GG had focused on Nola.

Where was GG now? Was he all right? He hadn’t spoken telepathically since she’d exited the cavern. Though he’d been savage and disdainful, she didn’t want him hurt. Or worse! He was her freaking dream man, after all.