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

want him to

thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded,

and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few

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

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

"Wear this.

our lucky

said, her grey eyes

the black stone

"It's yours.

keep it

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

gave it to me and

it back to me when you

battle when I see

nodded and

you to go back to

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 you put it

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 somewhere hidden but apparently the same thought

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

the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't

everyone who would

shape that resembled 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

"See, this makes

announced as

engulfed her in a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging

focused on my daughter as I said

her palms and brought my face closer

fierce as she said,

be the best,

the tears away and said, "So are you,

and in return she

"I love you."

love you

and ruffled

a face and I

and I tugged the

down, I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good

the bedside drawer and made my way toward the

"Yes, baby?"

boy be my new

the

be back

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

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

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

I think my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact a truth is considered

that he

when he threatened me and told me

now that he has

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

react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his

it even

I wasn't prepared

there in

Don't wear any panties."

so I wasn't going to

his text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her

so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him anywhere near my

I

Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of

the case as I stepped out of the

as people started to take notice of me when I came into