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?"

why we were running from one place to another, 1 nodded with a tight

on my daughter who was making a soft cooing sound like

tears running down my

that my daughter was safe and unharmed in front of

smile on my face,

lowered and her

were you

"Because I missed you?"

pointed

"No lies.

Remember?"

curled my arm around her and pulled her up in my arms

arms in an effort to get away

smiled and picked up the bags I had dropped as we made our

my bedroom and cold fear slithered down my

have to find a new place to live in, maybe close to

time and also I couldn't just live

I didn't sleep.

I couldn't.

my hand under the blanket that was on my lap, while mom and Anna slept

all of our things which were three boxes and two small

get out of here and I was waiting for the sun to rise so we

"Elsa…"

turned my head to look at my mother, my eyes

was troubled as she said, "Did you think about going

I swallowed.

mother had a stupid notion that if we go back to Black Mountain after so many years Kristian

her, distance and

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

same man who had brought me to my knees twice in the last two days in the name of

is no one there,

her, not telling her how much true that was because the man that would've been the reason

My new boss.

"I don't know."

her words before

I should live in

"Mom, please."

up and walked to

bed, I

when I get the salary at the end of the month,

just need to spend

hand in mine, noticing how her veins were

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

"Elsa…"

as if she knew what price I would've to pay for

I shook my head.

"It's my job.

company provides free health care for their employees

two days, since I

him because he hated

have to

rasped, her eyes

to sit up and hugged her

made me strong,

my face and

day, you will have all the happiness you deserve and your prince charming will come to

I chuckled.

dreaming about a prince

at me like the villain of the story but then again he wasn't as charming as one would think to begin with, he was always intense and more

the devil with vengeance in his cold grey eyes

"We have

and rounded the

slipped my hand under her head and

she wrapped her arms

"Wake up, Angel…."

a soft voice as I

on, there's my

I smiled while my mother shook her head making