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

you want

I nodded, "I

as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which

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

what was in her small fist even before she

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her grey

my head and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had

"It's yours.

should keep it to

picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock

gave it to me and I'm

back to me when

battle when

nodded and

want you to go back to

on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it

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

palm in a silent demand as she moved on her knees

she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got

the thread wasn't too long and

would just

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

"See, this makes you look the

as she

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

I said with a pout, "I

clapped my cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer

grey eyes fierce as she

be the

away and said, "So are you, my little

return she kissed the corner

"I love you."

you

and ruffled

I

I tugged the

I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

swallowed the knot in my throat

be back

closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out

father, I had to ignore her questions or make

always painting her father

was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in

never knew that he

pregnant when he threatened me and

know even now that he

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

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

and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I

prepared

will be there in the

Don't wear any panties."

already made me feel half naked so I wasn't going to obey his

my mother's bedroom to

be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because

if I can

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

the case as I stepped

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