Collateral

Be my guest

The door flies open, a young woman stares at me. She looks like Khan a lot.

- I told you there was a girl here.

She speaks to another woman behind her. The other woman looks just a little older than me. I know who they are.
The younger is Hakan's youngster, Dilan Karayağız. The other is his daughter-in-law Handi, who's Volkan Karayağız's wife.

- What's your name?

Dilan looks weirdly excited to see me. I wonder if they heard me calling for help. Handi keeps a serious face, she seems suspicious.

- I'm Dilan!
- I'm Esra, can you help me leave this place?
- You came with Khan?

Handi asks still suspicious. I don't answer, they look at each other. So I understand that they won't do anything against their brother's wishes

- I'm sorry, Esra. You'll have to wait for Khan. But we can make your company, right Handi? Are you hungry?

I look at her in shock. I can't believe how they can act so naturally in this situation

- No, I'm not hungry. I want to leave.

Dilan's face falls.

- I'm sorry, Esra. There's nothing we can do about it.
- Can you see I'm kept here against my will?
- Dilan, we should go now. Your brother will be back soon, let the lady rest for a while.
- I don't want to rest! I don't want to eat! I want to leave this place, now!

Handi takes Dilan by the hand ready to leave the room.

- Come on, Dilan

Before leaving Dilan looks back and mutes some excuses

- I can't believe you not going to do anything! You can't pretend nothing is happening!

They leave, but I run after them. Before they can lock it again I run through the door but I can't go far, as soon as I walk out the door I run into someone.
A man about my age holds me by the shoulders. He looks at me with curiosity.

- Wow! Calm down. What's going on here?

It's Volkan Karayağız, Khan's brother. I can see Khan features in him, but he looks more modern, less serious. He's also very handsome but not as much as his older brother.
Volkan has a playful look, it's unbelievable how everyone in this family seems to be okay with my situation.

- Khan is back for only a week but he's already bringing his problems home.

Handi answers her husband with a clear disinterest in him and contempt for me.

- I see...

Volkan holds me away from him so he can take a look at me.

- Tell me, dear. What kind of problem are you giving to my brother?
- It's Esra. My name is Esra.

His lips twitch in a charming smile.

- This is none of your business.

Khan's voice comes behind us, he gets between me and Volkan and turns to me.

- I told you to stay in the room and don't talk with anyone. Why can't you follow simple orders?

The other people only watch the exchange between us not doing anything.

- Are you all crazy? What kind of family is this?

I glance at each one of them but they're still not interfering. Khan drags me to the room again.

He slams the door shut pushing me inside. I fall back on the bed, for a moment I stay alert not knowing what he intends to do.
He gets on top of me and cups my face keeping me looking at him. My chest rises and falls, adrenaline rushing through my entire body, he looks deep into my eyes. Instinctively my hand hovers over the pistol in his waistband.

- If I tell you to stay, you stay. If I tell you to don't talk, you don't talk. No questions. Do you hear me?

As he waits for an answer my fingers capture his weapon. Khan stops, he realizes what I'm doing. I slowly unlock the gun and hold it against his rib.

Khan pulls back a little but continues to hover over me, he looks down to where I hold the gun against him. He returns his eyes to my face again. Then I feel everything around me freeze. I have the life of Khan Karayagiz at my fingertip.

- Do you want me dead, Esra?

Hearing my name from him affects me a little, he must have heard it while I was talking to Volkan in the hallway. Khan seems calm, his voice is low. He looks at me as a challenge. He puts his hand around mine and holds the gun against his chest. His face doesn't show anything, it's like living or dying doesn't matter to him.

- Just one move from my finger and you're dead.

Khan shakes his head.

- You only die once.

He quotes the words I said to him at the club. His arrogance annoys me a lot, he doesn't believe I could shoot. I want Khan Karayagiz dead as much as I want to kill his father, but I want him to suffer even more. So I decided he will live another day.

- (Patience, Esra. Be patient...)

- So, have you made up your mind?

I drop the gun, then Khan takes it from me and holds my face tightly again.

- Next time you point a gun at me, you better shoot.

He releases me. My heart is still racing, I sit up in bed trying to calm down. Khan puts the pistol away and turns to me again.

Then he speaks again as nothing had happened.

- The cops didn't show up at the club by chance, someone spoke to them. they will come here at some point.
- Then you'll keep me here to make sure I don't talk with the cops.

Khan just looks at me so I already know the answer.

- What if I promise don't tell anything?

I look at him batting my eyelashes but it does not affect him. I already knew it wouldn't work anyway.

- So, this is your big plan? You'll keep me here forever to stop me from talking with the cops?
- You know this not gonna work, right? What will stop me from speaking the first opportunity I get? Will you threaten my life?
- You don't want to talk to the cops.
- Why do you say that?
- Because you're my accomplice

I can't help but laugh.

- Everyone saw you dragging me around the club, I wasn't with you willingly.
- Exactly, everyone saw you with me, what do you think they'll say about us?

My smile falls, I start to understand what he has in mind. This is very low blackmail.

- That's all you would have against me. Why would anyone believe I would protect you?
- First, they would say you saved my life when someone attacked me with a knife.

Khan sits in an armchair facing me, he leans back and speaks quietly.

- Oh! Now you admit I saved your ass there? So what? This is all still circumstantial. How this could go from helping a stranger in need to being your accomplice in a murder?
- They would believe because you'll marry me

I laugh even harder, but when I pause I notice Khan is still very calm. He's not joking

- No way. Did you lose your mind?
- No dear. It's very simple.

Khan leans forward in his chair with his elbows on his knees then he keeps talking calmly looking directly into my eyes.

- As my wife, you would not testify against me, and if you do, much evidence will show that you were with me of your own free will.

I lean forward mirroring his position to answer him in the same serious tone.

- I have to admit you put some thought into your blackmail plan. There's only one thing missing. Why in hell would I marry you?