Looking For His North Star

Chapter nineteen

Aksak tugged at the door handle, and finding it locked, turned back to Seher, all the while the wound in his chest steadily leaked blood.

"Where's the key?" He demanded.

She would die before she gave it to him.

Aksak probably read the determination in her eyes. A murderous, terrifying look sprang into his eyes and he made a move as if he wanted to throttle her to death.

Seher cast her hand back and her fingers closed around the heavy, brass horse statue on the table. With a yell, she brought it down in a wide arc, hitting it against Aksak's arm with a sickening crunch and knocked the knife out of his hand.

Their gazes met. She could see promises of torture and maiming in his cold gray eyes.

Her death would be painful.

Seher backed away as footsteps pattered on the ground. She looked up to see Yaman rushing into the room, gun held infront of him. His eyes zeroed on her, and his expression changed like a switch had been flipped.

"Seher?" He yelled. "Seher!"

And Seher crumpled to her knees, relief washing over her like a numbing drug. Her eyes prickled with unshed tears as she felt his strong arms encircling her, pulling her away from Aksak who leaned against the bedroom door, hand pressed against his wounded chest, his injured arm held at an awkwardly angle. A several police officers came into the room.

"Get him out of here!" Yaman's growl vibrated against her body. "Get him out of here before I put a bullet in his head!"

Seher clutched at his shirt, burying her face in his chest.

"I shot him," she gasped out. "I shot him..."

"Shh..." She felt his palm press over her mouth warningly, silencing her. The cops hadn't left the room yet. "It's alright. Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?"

She was too stunned to respond. Yaman pulled back and inhaled sharply, as he fully took in her state.

"You're bleeding!" He said. "Seher, you're bleeding. Talk to me, how hurt are you?"

A man in a blue uniform, with a red cross on his arm, reached her.

"Let me take a look," he said. "Ma'am, turn to me..."

"This is not my blood," She heard herself saying.

The paramedic cleaned the cut on her neck, applied antiseptic and covered it with a band- aid. When he left, Yaman pulled her into his arms again, giving her a tight hug.

"I'm alright," she said. "Now that you're here, I'm alright...."

His expression was grim. "The children?"

"They're inside," She took the key out of her shoe. "He didn't get his hands on them. I didn't let him!"

Yaman stared at her for a moment. Then lifting her up, he opened the bedroom door deftly, supported her inside and placed her on the bed. Seher closed her eyes. A moment later, she felt a tiny body crawl into the bed and small hands went around her body.

"Auntie!" Yusuf touched her face as if he wanted to make sure that she was alright. His eyes widened at the blood stains on her dress.

"I heard a gunshot," he mumbled. "I was so scared..."

Seher wrapped her arms around him. "I'm alright. Completely. Everything is fine."

The full force of the ordeal was crashing down on her slowly. She concentrated on Yusuf's soft smell and tried to calm her breathing.