“After...just after, my dad went after her,” he said, gritting his teeth. “He shot her. And if you want to know any more than that, I’ll have to ask him.”

This had to be a nightmare for him, like ripping scabs off old wounds, and I hated that—but it didn’t stop me. “Yes, please.” I had to know the truth. “Ask him.”

He stalked across the room to make the call. I dialed Nana.

“Ali!” Hearing her voice warmed some of the chill that had taken root inside me. “How are you?”

“I’m...okay.”

“Okay? Well, that’s not very banging, is it?”

Banging? Oh, Nana. Not that word. Please, no. “What are you up to?” I thought I heard waves lapping in the background.

“Strangely enough, I’m chillaxing. I hate to admit this, but...it’s nice. Since your pops died, I’ve been... Well, you know. I didn’t realize I needed this. And that makes me feel so guilty! Especially because you’re there, doing I don’t know what, and I probably don’t want to know what.”

True. “You don’t need to worry about me. I am kicking butt and not bothering with names.”

“Oh, sweetheart. That’s wonderful. But are you eating properly? Resting? Doing the horizontal hokey pokey with Cole?”

I nearly choked on my own tongue. “Nana!”

“It’s a legitimate question, dear. One that deserves an answer.”

“No!” I blurted, certain I was a nice shade of lobster-red. “I’m not.” Not technically. I cleared my throat, then, changing the subject, asked, “Are you safe?”

“Never been safer.”

“Good. That’s good.” I paused. “Nana,” I said, launching into an urgent, back-and-forth pace, “am I related to a girl named Helen Conway?”

Silence.

Such heavy silence.

“Nana?”

“Ali,” she said. She cleared her throat. “She’s my niece. Your mother’s cousin. Why?” Gone was her joviality.

So. There was a familial connection. Which meant I had a relative who’d (1) worked for Anima and (2) killed Cole’s mom. Awesome.

“Why have I never heard of her before? You’ve never talked about her. Mom never talked about her. Why?”

Again, silence, and I wasn’t sure what to think.

Then she said, “She took off right after high-school graduation. I never heard from her again.”

“What of her parents?”

“They’re dead,” Nana added, “just as Helen is.”

“What about—”

“Ali. Let’s drop this, all right? Please.” Her desperation tugged at my heartstrings, and if I’d been made of weaker stuff, I would have done as she’d asked.

But I wasn’t. “I can’t. I won’t.” None of her family—my family—had known Helen worked for Anima. Otherwise, they would have known about the zombies, and none of them had. “I have to know everything. I deserve to know.”

Cole stepped in front of me. The muscles in his face were like stone, or ice, carved from a blade surely honed in the fires of rage, and it kind of scared me. He’d never looked at me like that.

“Nana,” I said. “It’s your lucky day. You’re gonna get the reprieve you want. But I’m calling you tomorrow, and I expect you to answer all of my questions.”

“All right,” she said and sighed. “Tomorrow. Just know that, no matter what, I love you. So much. Never forget that.”

What wasn’t she telling me? Whatever it was, it frightened her. Badly. Made her think I’d grow to...what? Hate her? Not gonna happen. “I love you, too. I’ll always love you.”

Trembling, I set my phone aside. I opened my mouth to ask Cole what was wrong, but he just handed me his phone.

“Mr. Holland?” I asked.

He didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I graduated a year before your parents.”

Um, okay. “That’s...nice?”

“Just listen,” he barked, startling me. “I kept track of the students in the grades behind me, always on the lookout for new recruits. I was especially interested in your dad. But you know that already. You also know he wasn’t interested in me.”

“I don’t—”

“He started dating Helen his senior year.”

Wait.

What? My dad and Helen?

“I tried to recruit them both, in fact. Unlike your dad, she was interested. Then, from what I’ve been able to piece together, your dad met your mom at some family get-together and dumped Helen that same night. He and Miranda started dating the next day. A few months later, all three graduated. Your dad and mom got married almost right away, and Helen took off. I’m not sure when she started working for Anima. All I know is that she returned to Birmingham six years later. There were rumors she’d had a daughter, but the little girl, Samantha, had died.”

Wait, wait, wait. Back up. That sweet little girl was dead?

Reeling. “Died how?”

“Zombie bite.”

I didn’t like that, wouldn’t believe it until I had proof. Rumors weren’t always true. If they were, Cole would have horns, fangs and a forked tail and I would, apparently, look like a he-man. What if the girl, Samantha, was out there?

Could she be my...sister?

What did I know about her?

Helen had packed a bag for her. Had planned to send her to her dad.