“Jo-Jo.”
The girl looked over with a left eye black-and-blue and swollen shut. Her lip was split, and there was a nasty cut across her neck. “I’m Riley Tatum. I came to see you a few days ago, but you were out of it.”
“You’re a cop?”
“That’s right.” She moved toward the bed, pulled up a chair, and sat. “How did you know that?”
“I’ve seen you around talking to the girls.” Jo-Jo shut off the television. “I know what happened to Vicky. I saw it on the news. They didn’t say much, but I knew it was her.”
“She was a good friend?”
“Sorta.”
“Why did Jax Carter go ballistic on you? What happened?”
She smoothed her hand over the rumpled fabric as if erasing the wrinkles would bring order to her screwed-up life. Her tone was laced with anger as she said, “Why don’t you ask him?”
“I have. But you know Jax. He’s not a chatty guy.”
Jo-Jo studied her for a long moment. “Where is he?”
“He’s out on bail. But don’t worry. You’re in a lockdown ward. He can’t get you in here.”
“He’s going to be looking for me. He’ll finish what he started when I get out.”
“He won’t. I’ll see to it.”
Jo-Jo shook her head, absently plucking at her blanket.
“Are you willing to press charges against him?”
Jo-Jo rolled her eyes. “No.”
“We’ve charged him with a half-dozen crimes that have nothing to do with you. But that won’t hold him long.”
Absently, she scratched the bandage holding her IV in place. “You’re the one that chased him into the woods, aren’t you?”
“That’s me.”
“Why would you do that? Nobody chases Jax.”
“That would explain the shocked look on his face when he saw me coming over the crest of the hill. He’s used to getting his way, but so am I.”
“But why did you do it?”
“I saw the surveillance camera footage of him beating you. Nobody deserves that.”
Her brow knotted. “You went after him because of what he did to me?”
“Aren’t you worth it?”
“That was stupid. I’m nobody.”
“When I watched that video, I saw a kid. A kid that could be anything she wanted to be if she had a chance.”
“A chance? I’ve about as much chance of getting out of this life as I do winning a million dollars.”
“I can’t get you a million dollars, but I’ve a few chances up my sleeve for a better life.”
Tears glistened. “How can I have a chance? I don’t have family and the one guy that was nice to me just about beat me to death.”
“I know places where you can go. Good people who can take care of you. It’s not hopeless.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“You and I both know it’s not easy, Jo-Jo.” She sat back. “What’s your real name?”
“Everyone calls me Jo-Jo.”
“I didn’t ask you what everyone calls you. What’s your real name?”
She plucked at a stray thread on the sheet. “It’s Melanie.”
“Melanie. That’s pretty. Melanie, what’s your last name?”
“Don’t call me that name. She’s not me anymore.” She shook her head. “I can’t have you calling my family. With them, it’s worse than Jax.”
“So the number you gave the hospital is false?”
“Maybe.”
“No judgment. Be nice if I can tell the nurse she can stop calling. I’m not calling anyone. I just want to know who I’m talking to.”
“Melanie Lawrence.”
“How old are you? And let’s not start with eighteen.”
She lifted her chin a notch. “Fifteen.”
“Okay,” Riley leaned forward, “Jo-Jo, how did you know Vicky was the murdered girl?”
“Because Jax and Darla sold her to this weird guy.”
“Weird how?”
“Most guys don’t want the girls for more than an hour. But this guy insisted he have Vicky for the weekend. And he kept harping on her brown hair and how her look was perfect.”
“Her look?”
“This guy, Kevin, wanted a girl with brown hair. Jax brought us both to show, but Kevin said I was too skinny. Too hard looking. Too blond.”
“Vicky was new to the streets?”
“Yeah. She’d only been working a few weeks. Did Kevin kill Vicky?”
“We’re waiting on the DNA tests, but that’s my bet.”
“When she didn’t come back, I told Jax he had to do something. He got pissed. That’s when he started wailing on me.”
“And then you stabbed him?”
“I didn’t want to die.”
“I get it. And that wound slowed him enough so I could catch him.”
“Good.”
“Did Kevin say where he was going with Vicky?”
“He said it wasn’t far. Said there was a party about twenty miles west of the city.”
“What kind of party?”
“Said he was playing poker and always did better when he had Lady Luck with him.”
“He said Lady Luck?”
“Yeah. I thought it was weird.”
“Anything else?”
“Is that why Kevin killed Vicky? Did he run out of luck and get mad at her?”
“It had something to do with that, but I don’t have all the pieces yet.”
Tears welled in her eyes and when one spilled, she wiped it away. “Jax convinced Vicky to run away with him about four weeks ago. He said he loved her.” Swollen lips twitched into a wry smile. “He said the same thing to me as well as Darla.”
Riley sat silent for a moment, knowing there was nothing she could say to the girl right now. “I saw Sandy.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s worried about Cassie. She’s been gone for a couple of days.”
Jo-Jo pushed back a strand of dirty blond hair. “Shit. And she’s new. Not as new as Vicky, but Darla would’ve fixed her up. Did Kevin come back for her?”
“Kevin is dead,” Riley said. “Someone shot him.”
Her brow wrinkled in a frown. “Good. If he killed Vicky, then I’m glad he’s dead. But who took Cassie?”
“Do you remember anything else about Kevin? Did he have friends?”
“Kevin told Jax there was a tournament,” Jo-Jo said. “He said they might need more girls. He wanted to pass Jax’s name along to the others. Jax was thrilled.”
“Did Kevin say where the other players were coming from?”
“All over. They all wanted to challenge the old man.”
“Any names?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Riley drew a slow breath.
“Where’s Jax?” Jo-Jo asked.
“Right now, he’s hiding out in his motor home with Darla. A friend of mine put the fear of God in him, so he’s gone underground.”
A smile teased the edges of her lips. “That must be some friend.”
“He’s not someone to mess around with.”
She tugged at the sheet’s coarse cotton. “Jax won’t stay afraid long. He’s mean, but not always smart.”
Right now Carter was trying to stay out of sight and alive. “You’re supposed to get out of here tomorrow, right?”
Panic flared in her eyes. “I don’t think I’m ready to leave.”
“I know. It’s safe here. But I know a place. It’s a house run by a nice couple. I can call them for you.”