The Price of Pride

Chapter 20

He stops her just at the door when they get home. The sly smile on his face makes her suspicious. She narrows her eyes at him.

"Reyhan hanım. I had a lovely evening," he says. "And I have you home, just in time for your curfew. Your parents won't have to worry."

She rolls her eyes at how silly he's being.

"This is the part of the date when your suitor tries for a kiss good night," he informs her, pulling her towards him. He leans down, looking as if to kiss her, but sweeps his lips across her cheek until his mouth is near her ear.

"The excitement is in knowing we could get caught at any minute," he whispers, kissing her cheek.

"Wondering how much we can touch before your father peeks through the blinds at us." Kisses her other cheek and wraps his hands around her waist. "The challenge of every young dating couple."

She smiles.

"Well it's a good thing we're married, isn't it?" she asks him.

Her eyes drift closed when their lips finally meet. She whimpers and wraps her arms around his neck, trying to pull him even closer. Kissing him has become her new favorite thing.

He walks her backwards towards the house. When they reach the door, it doesn't stop him like he expects. Instead, it pushes open under their weight and they nearly fall into the house.

"Whoa," he laughs, grabbing her just before she completely loses her balance. But then his surprise turns to worry. "Wait, why is the front door open like this? Did you open it?"

She shakes her head to the negative, but it isn't necessary. He knows she didn't open it. Both her arms were around his neck. He takes her by the hand and pulls her behind him. Something is wrong. They slowly and quietly step into the house and he reaches for the light switch on the wall by the door. When the lights come on, Reyhan's shocked gasp tells him his instincts are correct. The room is a mess and his eyes land on a curled mass on the floor.

"Murat bey!" He runs over to the man as he's just starting to stir and helps him sit up. "Murat bey, are you alright? What happened?"

"Where's Ayla? Where's Anne?" Reyhan's panicked voice asks. She calls out to both of them, running towards Ayla's room.

"Anne!" she screams, when she finds Emine collapsed on the floor with blood pooling around her head. "Emir! Help!"

Instantly he's there, staring in shock. He sucks in a deep breath when he sees what has Reyhan so upset.

"Come here, sweetheart," he says to Reyhan, not wanting her to be faced with this terrible sight. But Reyhan won't leave Emine's side. So Emir goes to kneel next to her.

He turns to Murat to tell him to call for an ambulance, but the man already has the phone in his hand. Even leaning unsteadily against the door frame, he makes the call.

Then he turns his attention back to the room, trying to control his fear. But he can't. Because Ayla is nowhere to be found. She's gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The police arrive just ahead of the ambulance. Emine is still unconscious, so they take her immediately to the hospital. Murat bey is slightly dazed and there's a bump on his head from where someone hit him, but he's lucid and able to tell the police what happened.

"Men broke in," he explains. "Three of them. All wearing black. All wearing masks. They hit me first. I heard Emine and Ayla screaming just before I passed out. I woke up when my children returned home."