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

want him

of my own, I nodded,

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

then held out a thick

I knew what was in her small

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her grey

her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in Black

"It's yours.

keep it to

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

me and I'm

back to me when you

battle when I see

and said,

want you to

on the 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

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

silent demand as she moved on her knees

and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as she

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

to everyone who would just look in my

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 from one place to another because of the stalker that didn't let me settle in one

"See, this makes you

as she came

just then I heard my phone pinging

my phone and focused on my daughter as I

between her palms and brought my face

grey eyes fierce as she

be

blinked the tears away and said, "So are you, my

her nose and in return

"I love you."

love you

back and

made a face and I said,

I tugged the blanket over

I

"Good night, baby"

"When

"Soon."

"Good night,

picked my phone from the bedside drawer and made my way toward the

"Yes, baby?"

boy be my new

swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go

will be

her grey eyes closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her

I had to ignore her questions or make up a

always painting her

was purposely keeping her away from her father which

that

pregnant when he threatened me and

now that he has a

last time I had gone to meet 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 threatened

the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful, cold and filled with promise

and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I opened

wasn't prepared for his

there in

Don't wear any panties."

already made me feel half naked so

bedroom to check up on her before I turned toward the apartment

be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want

if I can

I would try as 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

it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the elevator on

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