Page 42 of My Turkish Fling
When I got to the front door, I head a sharp bark. Gru emerged from the shadows, jumping at my feet. Relief flooded through me. At least the dog was here, and alive. “It’s okay, boy.” I bent downthe pat him. “He’s gone now.”
Careful of the knife I was still holding, I picked him up and stepped inside.
We found Janie in the living room, huddled in the corner of the couch under a blanket. The way her face brightened when she saw us made my heart swell more than I liked to admit.
“Oh, Gru! Thank you, thank you!” She rushed to meet me.
I spread my arms wide to avoid stabbing her. She took that as an invitation and wrapped her arms around both of us. I walked us to the kitchen, returned the knife into its holder, then hugged her back.
Gru was so excited he didn’t know who to lick first, offering both of us a fair share of saliva. I set him on the floor and Janie lowered down, continuing to pet him. “Where did you find him?” She asked, looking up at me.
“He was just outside the door. The thief must have pushed him out of the house when he arrived.”
“He probably licked the intruder,” Janie mused, scratching Gru’s ears. “You’re not much of a guard, are you?”
“He’s a good boy.” I wasn’t much of a guard either.
“Where did you go anyway?” She asked.
“I… chased him, but he got away. He must have gone into the bush. It’s so dark out there and the light on my phone is terrible.”
Janie stood up, her eyes huge. “You saw him?”
I shook my head in regret. “I only saw movement, and this dark shape running into the night. A man or a large woman. that’s all I can say.”
Janie’s brows pulled together as she stared at me in confusion. “But nothing’s missing. There’s no mess or other signs of burglary. Why would… How… This makes no sense.”
I stepped closer, taking her hands in mine, holding her gaze. “I know it doesn’t, yet. But I need you to believe me. I know I’ve been an overprotective, jealous idiot tonight. But I saw him. Your bedroom door was open a crack and they were just outside, getting away.”
“And you chased them?”
“Of course. I would have caught them too if it wasn’t so dark out there. I’m not great at Pilates but I’m a good runner.”
She shook her head, her eyes huge. “You don’t run after a burglar, Emir. That’s dangerous.”
“It was just one person,” I argued. “And they were running away. People who run like that are not prepared for a fight.”
“Maybe not prepared, but they’re desperate and unpredictable, possibly high on meth. They could be armed. I don’t like this. I don’t want you to act stupid, even if it’s to protect me.”
My stomach flooded with warmth. “It was a calculated risk, I promise. I wanted to see which way they went, see if I could catch the license plate.”
She seemed to accept this answer, turning her head to scan the room. “So, now what? Do I need to call the police? If they didn’t take anything, it seems like an overreaction.”
“We don’t know that yet. Let’s go through the house and do a proper check, okay?”
Chapter 20
Janie
“Nothing. I swear, nothing is missing,” I wailed at Emir, staring at the contents of my wardrobe and jewelry box spread out on the duvet.
We’d spent an hour cataloguing the house contents like the world’s most invasive insurance appraisers. I’d never realized how much stuff I had until I’d been forced to stare at each item through the eyes of a thief. What was it worth? How much did it weigh? I needed to organize a garage sale. Except I didn’t want to invite strangers to poke around my house. I didn’t want anyone around, except Emir. For some reason, I trusted him. Maybe it was his refusal to sleep with me, his direct manner, or the lack of smiles, but he was the one male I could tolerate right now. Barely.
“How can you know?” Emir demanded. “You have so manyclothes.”
“I know the designer pieces. Nobody would go after my farm clothes.”
“What about your underwear?”
