Blackmailed For Love

I sat down on the sofa and opened the first box of the two in the soft overhead light coming from above the tv console.

I peeled the soft tissue that glimmered in the dim light and looked at the dark purple silk nestled in there.

With hesitant fingers I picked up the silken fabric, it unfurled in my hands as I let it drop down in front of me.

It was a sleeveless and a backless dress with a slit up to just below the waistline.

I would be half naked in this dress but still the thought of wearing it lit up a spark of anticipation deep inside my lower belly.

The other box had the same colored heels with red bottoms.

It took me twenty minutes to get ready as I didn't do much except to put Band-Aids on my nipples as the dress won't allow me to wear a bra and my nîpples poked through the fabric as if begging for attention and applied a natural shade of pink lip gloss.

I looked like a virgin trying to be a seductress.

I shook my head at my own thoughts as I stepped out of the bathroom, 1 faltered when my eyes met dark greys.

My daughter was sitting up in the bed and she was looking at me with wide eyes and a curious tilt of her head.

"Anna…"

"Mama, you look beautiful."

My heart squeezed with love at her words.

I walked to her, concentrating on not falling face first because of the heels I was wearing, it was safe to say I wasn't used to such type of footwear.

"What are you doing waking up? I thought you were asleep."

I said as I sat down on the bed beside her.

"I was."

She said with a silent Duh at the end.

I bit down on my bottom lip as my lips twitched, but she slipped closer to me and said, "I had a bad dream."

I cupped her cheek and pulled her on my lap, uncaring of the expensive silk.

Cradling her against my chest, I smoothed her dark hair back and asked, "Talk to me.

What did you dream about?"

"Someone was taking me away from you."

She replied, her voice small and a slight shaking entered in her voice.

My arms tightened around her.

And I said, "No one is going to take me away from you."

2 "Promise?"

I pressed a kiss on her head.

"Promise, my little angel."

She looked up at me and asked, "Where are you going?"

I didn't know the answer to that myself, but I replied, "Dinner."

Her brows lowered and her grey eyes turned inquisitive.

"But we had pizza."

I tapped her nose.

"Yes.

But I am meeting someone."

"A boy or a girl?"

For some reason I didn't lie to my daughter.

"A boy."

She made a thoughtful face and asked, "Is he your boyfriend?"

I shook my head.

he is

want him to

my own, I nodded, "I would

off my lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which

in it for a bit and then held out a thick black macrame cord

gave a painful pang as I knew what was in her small fist even before she opened her

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

said, her grey eyes

black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in

"It's yours.

should keep it to

and picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and

me and I'm loaning it

back

a losing battle

nodded and said,

to

bed but didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me, I'll help

thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere

silent demand as she moved on her knees so she was behind

threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy

me as the thread wasn't too long

who would just look in my

half and the bigger part was left behind in the cottage on the Aaron estate when I accidentally dropped it while trying to pack all the things I could get my hands on which didn't matter later when I had to run from one place to another

this makes

daughter announced as

her in a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging with an incoming

ignored my phone and focused on my daughter as I said with a

my cheeks between her palms and brought

grey eyes fierce as she said,

will always be the

away and said, "So are you, my little

return she kissed the

"I love you."

love you

back and ruffled

face and I said, "Now,

laid down and I tugged the blanket over

I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

"When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good

made my way toward the bedroom door when her

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be

suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to

will be

turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a rough exhale and

my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that

interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the

was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact a truth is

never knew that he

he threatened

know even now

to meet him to tell him the truth and if I

to help me, now I didn't even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that

it even before I opened the message icon

wasn't prepared for

be there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

dress already made me feel half naked so I

way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I turned toward the

mentioned that he will be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him anywhere near my

if I

I could, until I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I locked the

no one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the elevator on

me when