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.

angel, he

you want him to

pause of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if

lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the

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

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

"Wear this.

our lucky

her

closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of

"It's yours.

should keep it to

then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my fingers

to me and

back to me

a losing battle

and said,

you to go back

lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me, I'll

a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere hidden but apparently the same

her palm in a silent demand as she moved on her knees so she was

swiped my

as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle on the hollow of

to everyone who would just

I only had smallest broken part of it, the other 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 because of the stalker that didn't let me settle

this makes you look

announced as she

just then I heard

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

cheeks between her palms and brought

grey eyes fierce as she said, "You

always be

the tears away and said, "So are

and in return she

"I love you."

you

back and

face and I said,

and I tugged the blanket

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

picked my phone from the bedside drawer and made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft voice

"Yes, baby?"

be my

suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot

be back

the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the

I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I didn't want to

but always painting her father in the light that would leave room for

was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact

never knew that

knew I was pregnant when he threatened me

know even now that he

would've happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and

know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever

phone, I knew it even

I wasn't prepared

there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

half naked so I

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

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

I can

much as 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 door behind me and slipped the key behind my

corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of

cringed inwardly as people started to take notice of me when I came into the entrance hall near the