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

you want him to

I nodded, "I would

and pulled the basket from

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

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

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her grey eyes

shook my head and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere

"It's yours.

should keep

lips and picked up my hand then slammed the shining black

gave it to me and I'm

give it back to

battle

and

I want you to go back to

didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious

five years old daughter was a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment

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

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

thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the

everyone who would

a human heart, not the one that we drew as children but with jagged edges and veins running inside it, crystal clear and shining but now 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

makes

daughter announced as she

a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging with

my phone and focused on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I was already the

cheeks between her palms and

eyes fierce as

be the

away and said, "So are you, my

in return she

"I love you."

love you too,

and

made a face and I said, "Now, go back

I tugged the

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good

made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft

"Yes, baby?"

boy be my new

heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the

be back

nod and her grey eyes closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I

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

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

away from her father which was in fact

knew that

I was pregnant when he threatened me and told

even now that

the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if we hadn't been interrupted and he hadn't threatened

wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that

straight and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I opened the message icon that it

wasn't prepared for his demanding

will be there in

Don't wear any panties."

half naked so I wasn't going

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

decided to wait for him downstairs

I

Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from

wasn't the case as I stepped out of

notice of me when I came into the entrance hall