Blackmailed For Love

I entered the apartment with one last look over my shoulder, making sure that Kristian didn't follow me.

My heart beat like crazy in my chest and my whole body still hummed from his closeness, the way he had pressed into my body reminding me of the nights we had spent in each other's arms, in secret- grabbing forbidden moments away from public eyes.

Losing ourselves in each other.

My innocent love and his fierce possession.

We had burned for each other.

Two poles desperate to connect.

But the universe had its way and pulled us apart.

4 I took a deep breath to control my emotions and took a step further into the apartment only to pause when my foot landed on something.

When I looked down I found a white envelope without any markings.

Cautiously, I picked it up and shuddered at the way the back of my neck tingled with foreboding.

I tore the envelope and upended its contents in my palm.

All the breath left my lungs as the three photos landed in my palm.

One of me in the diner.

The other with Anna outside this building.

And another that sent a shiver of revulsion and fear through me, it was of me sleeping in my bed with my daughter.

2 The photos slipped from my nerveless fingers as apprehension gripped me, only to up in its intensity when my eyes landed on the back of one of the photos.

"You should have gotten rid of her.

I don't like the reminder of the fact that someone had you before me.

Don't worry, I have a solution for it."

2 I swallowed the bile, my throat closing up and a new kind of terror tore through me as an anguished cry left me.

"Anna!"

Footsteps echoed and then two pairs of legs came in front of me.

I hadn't realized I had dropped down on my knees.

"Mama…"

My sweet angel touched my cheek with her small hand and I looked up to find her grey eyes staring back at me with concern.

"Mama, you are crying."

I grabbed her and hugged her tight to me.

"Anna… My angel…"

I cupped her face and kissed her, my emotions going out of control.

I had thought I had left the sick stalker behind when I changed cities.

He had left veiled threats before but now he was openly threatening my daughter.

I didn't know who it was and why he had targeted me but I couldn't let him harm my daughter.

Even the thought broke me apart.

"Hush… Mama, no crying."

She frowned down at me, admonishing me.

I sniffled on hearing her tight voice.

My little domineering angel.

A soft hand caressed my head and I looked up to find my mother standing thëre looking frail and tired in her blue nightgown.

She only asked one thing, "Again?"

one place to

a soft

act had more tears running

was safe and unharmed

smile on my face,

lowered and

you

"Because I missed you?"

huffed and pointed a

"No lies.

Remember?"

around her and pulled her up in my arms as I

in

dropped as we made our

eyes darted to my bedroom and cold

to find a new place to live in,

me time and also I couldn't just live here any

I didn't sleep.

I couldn't.

with a knife clutched in my hand under the blanket

which were

and I was waiting

"Elsa…"

mother, my eyes reluctant to leave

troubled as she said,

I swallowed.

go back to Black Mountain after so many years Kristian would've forgiven

to her, distance and time

and time festers the wound more, not giving it a chance to completely

same man who had brought me to my

is no one there,

the man that would've been the reason for me to go

My new boss.

"I don't know."

and then thought of her words before she said, "Anna shouldn't

in a

"Mom, please."

up and walked to

on the bed,

get the salary at the end of the month,

just need to spend a

how her veins were standing out and her

but I sniffed my tears back as I said, "And

"Elsa…"

she knew what price I

I shook my head.

"It's my job.

free health care for their

one I had been thinking about for the last two days, since I knew that Kristian would take care

because he hated

have to

her eyes shimmering

helped her to sit up and

made me strong, without

face and

deserve and your prince charming will come to

I chuckled.

had stopped dreaming about a

at me like the villain of the story but then again he wasn't

vengeance in his cold grey

have to

rounded the bed to

head and slowly pulled her up into

she wrapped her arms

"Wake up, Angel…."

voice as I caressed her

on, there's my

sound and I smiled while my mother shook her head making her way