Page 74 of Running Winter

"So I've always known I was adopted," Rayna murmured as I nodded.

We didn't ever discuss it simply because it was of no real relevance. Rayna's parents adored her, and she was happy. They had never been anything but honest with her, which was admirable as far as I had been concerned.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I got my adoption birth records sent to me, finally."

I frowned, wondering why she hadn't mentioned this.

"You requested those?" I asked gently as we finally reached the bench. "You wanted to find your real parents?"

Rayna nodded, gazing straight ahead.

"Yeah."

I didn't want to press her but fuck me; she was dragging it out.

"Rayna, I'm on edge here," I warned her, and she flinched.

"I'm sorry."

Rayna pushed her hair behind her ear, and it's then that I saw the marks on her throat.

My stomach dropped, and I pushed her hair back, exposing more of the red marks.

Startled, Rayna tried to move her hair back, batting my hand away.

I held her hands in mine, pressing them against my chest.

"Did he do that to you?" I managed to ask, rage bubbling under my skin.

"Leigh?" Rayna asked with a sharp laugh before shaking her head. "No. This was his psycho girlfriend who thought I was some new ass of his."

"Shit," I muttered, lifting her hands to my lips as I kissed them softly. "Fucking bitch."

"She is seriously deranged. She makes Kendra look like an angelic girlfriend," Rayna shuddered before continuing. "I finally got my adoption records back. It said I was a twin."

She smiled at me sadly before continuing.

"I thought it was going to be amazing—a twin! But I didn't think it would be a guy. Let alone a guy that has had a shitty time," she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "It took me a while to find him, you know? Mom and Dad didn't know either."

I wasn't even sure what to say at this point.

I knew her parents would've supported her finding her birth parents but understood why Rayna was angry; twins weren't usually separated.

"Leigh Hurley. Born on the sixteenth of May, two minutes before me. We were separated then; and given to different orphanages."

Her voice was flat, and I didn't breathe. I couldn't even imagine finding that out.

"It took some digging because he had to be actively looking for me for them to release his name."

"Was he?" I asked as she shook her head.

"He didn't know I existed."

I closed my eyes, pulling her into my arms. She didn't even smell like my Rayna—and I knew there was more to this story.

"So, how did you find him?"

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