Page 82 of Forged in Flames (Made of Steel 2)

Liza shook her head. "No, your mother did have an older sister. The DNA proves it. And so do the records. Jane Davis is three years older to be exact."

I looked down at my hands. I ran my thumb along my index finger, remembering what it was like to feel the trigger. "Then where has she been the past 18 years?"

"That's the strange part," Liza said. "She's been...dead."

I looked back up at Liza.

"Her records show that she died when she was 16 years old."

"Okay," I said slowly. "But obviously that's not true. She's still alive."

"Right." Liza glanced at V and then back at me.

"We're still figuring out the specifics," V said. "We'll tell you when we finalize the data."

They didn't want me to know. My heart started to race. It was bad. If it wasn't bad they'd tell me. "Who is Sadie Davis if it's not me and it's not her?"

Liza cleared her throat. "Well, that's what we were wondering. Obviously she stole the name too. Technically you stole a stolen identity."

Liza stared at me as if she was expecting me to laugh. Was that supposed to be a joke? God, it wasn't funny. It felt like my heart was slamming against my ribcage.

"Tell me." I shifted forward in my chair. "Please just tell me."

"Jane Davis supposedly died in an accident when she was 16. But her body was never found. She completely disappeared. She didn't resurface until she enrolled in the army right after your mother died. With her new name. We think she was probably being held against her will somewhere and she joined the military once she got away for protection."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because of your mother's statement about the accident. Or rather, lack of one."

A chill ran down my spine. "My mom was there?"

Liza nodded. "Your mother was only 13 years old when it happened. She was clearly terrified. The statement shows that. Apparently they had been walking in the woods alone. Your mother said someone approached them. A male in his late teens. He tried to assault your mother. But Jane stepped in and attempted to fight him off. She told your mother to run. And as she was running she heard Jane's scream. The man was never seen again. Nor was Jane."

"Why did they say she was dead instead of missing?"

"They had been walking near a cliff. It was beside a river. They found Jane's shoe pretty far down the cliff. And some of her blood on the rocks. They thought the body washed away."

I went to reach for my pendant, but just felt the emptiness. It always gave me strength. I pressed my hand against my chest instead, trying to somehow ground myself despite the fact that it felt like I was sinking. I had been young, but even I could see the shift in my grandmother's demeanor. She hadn't really been able to lift herself back up after my mother died. Her smiles seemed rare. Her scolding became more constant. She was devastated. And the devastation was so much worse than I had imagined. Because she hadn't just lost one child. She had lost two.

I felt Eli gently rub my back, pulling me out of my thoughts. I pressed my hand a little harder against my chest. "So everyone thought Jane died trying to protect my mom?"

"Yeah. And that's not even the weirdest part," Liza said. "The name..."

"We really don't know everything yet, Sadie," V cut in. "I'd like to finalize everything before we fill you in."

"Whatever you have, you need to tell both of us," Eli said. "Keeping her in the dark isn't helping anything."

V glared at him.

"Please just tell me." I hated how desperate I sounded, like I was barely holding on. My heart couldn't take waiting another second. It felt like it was going to explode in my chest.

"The report also said your mother recognized the man," Liza said. "Apparently she had seen him around town before. She said she almost felt like he had been watching her. We think he probably followed her into the woods to...well, you know." Liza awkwardly cleared her throat.

"She was only 13 years old." I realized the irony of what I said as soon as the words fell from my lips. I had only been 12 when Don started hurting me. I swallowed hard. Touching me.

"The cops thought he may have been stalking your mom. Apparently it was clear to them that Jane didn't recognize the man, where as your mom seemed to. But you mom swore she didn't know the man's name. After the accident, your grandmother was so paranoid that he'd come after your mom again, she changed their names and moved away."

"So they became Wagners?"

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