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 him

own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if he

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

and then held out a thick black macrame cord in her

was in her small fist even before she opened her

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her grey eyes

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

"It's yours.

keep it

the shining black rock in my

it to me and I'm loaning it

can give it back to

battle when I

nodded and said,

want you to go

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 to me, I'll

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 crossed my genius

in a silent demand as

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

fingers between the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken

who would just look in my

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

makes you look

as she

in a tight hug, just then

focused on my daughter as I

clapped my cheeks between her palms and brought my face

grey eyes fierce as she

will always be the

the tears away and said, "So are you,

kissed her nose and in return she kissed

"I love you."

love you

pulled back and ruffled

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

laid down and I tugged the blanket over

I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

my way toward the bedroom door

"Yes, baby?"

boy be my

heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the

be

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

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

but always painting her father in the

keeping her away from

knew that he

when he threatened me and told me

even now

would've happened if the 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

react when 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

it even before I

prepared for his

there in

Don't wear any panties."

so I wasn't going to obey his insane

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

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

if I

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

there was no one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out

me when I came into the