Page 39 of Kiss Kiss Bang
“What’s going on?”
“Call me when you have visual. You understand? Right now!”
“I’m on it brother.”
“Sophie. G-g-get Sophie.”
“I got her, baby. We’ve got her. I need you to be strong for a minute. Who did this?”
“A-a man.” Her teeth were clattering together. “D-d-didn’t see his face.”
“Did he have a hat? A hoodie? Tell me something.”
“Y-yes. Hat. blue j-jacket.” She wasn’t crying. Just shaking. “Sophie. Need to get to Sophie.”
Tom ran into the locker room, followed by the police and four EMTs. It was mayhem as the EMTs checked her and she fought them trying to get to Sophie. But Joey held on tight, not letting her go, even if she was hysterical.
And then silence.
“What the hell . . .”
“We gave her something to calm her so we can work on her.” They hoisted her onto the gurney as the police began to bark out questions. As quickly as possible, Joey explained who he was and what he’d seen and what she’d said as he followed the EMTs into the ambulance and jumped up, ordering Tom to stay put and gather as much info from the cops as possible so that they could follow up later. Tom seemed like he’d seen a ghost when he’d seen Olivia taken out in a stretcher. Apparently, this is what it took to shake things up for Tom.
Joey’s phone rang. “They won’t release her to me but I’m here and I have confirmation. She’s okay.”
“I’m going to call her friend Winnie to meet you at school and get her out. Stay put. Eyes on that little girl no matter what.”
“Got it.”
Joey rummaged through Olivia’s purse until he found her cell phone, then looked up Winnie and dialed.
“What’s up, chick?” Winnie answered.
“It’s not Olivia. It’s Joey. Something’s happened. I need you to meet my partner, Jax, at Sophie’s school and take her out. You can go with Jax if you’d like, but I need Sophie with my men at ICS immediately.”
“Oh my God, what happened?”
“I need you to focus and do this right away. Olivia was attacked at the gym and the attacker knows about Sophie and where she goes to school.”
“Oh my God, oh my God.”
“I’m going to text you my number. Save it. Go now, Winnie.”
“I’m already on my way.”
“Call me when you have Sophie.”
“I will. Is . . . how . . . Olivia? Is she . . . is she okay?”
“She’ll be okay. We’re on the way to the hospital, but I think everything is superficial. I’ll keep you posted.”
“I’m going to have to call Tom to verify all this, you know?”
“I would be disappointed if you didn’t,” he said, before hanging up, texting himself Winnie’s number, then texting Winnie his number.
While Olivia was being treated, Jax called. “I have Sophie and Winnie. I’m also with Annie and two of the guys. What is going on, man, and where do I take them?”
“Take them to ICS. I’m at Mount Sinai Hospital. Olivia was attacked in the locker room of the gym. Man, he slashed her body. Marked her bad. I don’t know what else he did. Sh-she was naked.” A lump the size of a baseball stuck in his throat.
