Naomi McElroy: Blackmailed Sister-in-law

Gene took a drag-on his cigarette, glancing at the set with a bored expression. «Is Jill at nursery school?» he asked, his pale-blue eyes darting about.

Sarah nodded, grateful that Gene had come while her daughter was away. Otherwise, he might stop and play with Jill, staying for hours. The only redeeming quality about her brother-in-law was the fact that he did seem genuinely fond of his young niece. The only real generosity he'd ever shown was toward little Jill. He seldom came over without some sort of present for the girl.

«I don't go pick her up until one o'clock,» Sarah explained, hoping the information would discourage him from sticking around. It was only a little after ten now. And Sarah certainly did not welcome the though of having Gene park himself for three more hours.

«It's just as well,» he said, crushing his cigarette in a nearby ashtray. «It's you I've come to see, anyhow,» he added, looking at her with a strange grin.

Sarah felt a flicker of annoyance. Why didn't he just pick up his television set and leave, she thought with exasperation. Didn't he realize that she had things to do?

She cleared her throat, quickly searching her mind for some phony excuse to get rid of him. «Well, I was just about to go out to do some grocery shopping, the supermarket has some good specials I can't afford to pass up. And it's much easier for me to shop without Jill.»

Her brother-in-law crossed his arms and gave her a long look. «Is that right?» he asked, a smug look on his thin face. «Well now, sister-in- law,» he drawled, his lips twisting into a smirk, «it looks like you're just gonna have to postpone that shopping trip for a while.»

The false smile left Sarah's face to be replaced with a frown. Who did Gene think he was anyway? «I'm sorry, Gene,» she said in a cold voice. «But I've already planned my day.» She walked over to the television set, lifted it and handed it to him in a gesture of dismissal. «Maybe you can come back sometime when Mike and Jill are here,» she told him. That way, Sarah could leave the entertaining of his younger brother up to her husband while she went about her business.

Gene took the TV set from her and set it down. «Oh, I don't think that would be such a good idea, Sarah dear,» he said, reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket. «Not unless you want your husband and daughter to see these!» His thick lips stretching into a sneer, he withdrew an envelope. His pale-blue eyes never leaving Sarah's face, the young man removed the contents of the envelope and held them up in front of her.

Sarah breathed a gasp of horror and her green eyes grew round as she stared, her mouth open and her jaw slack. For the brother-in-law she so despised was holding up copies of the four photographs she had received in the mail the day before! «Where did you get these?» she croaked, her cheeks flushing crimson.

«Down at my friendly neighborhood porno shop,» he replied, his sneer intensifying. «And they've got lots more. Why, dear?» he taunted, his sneer stretching into a mocking grin. «Did you want a set for your family album?» he asked, thrusting the lewd photos at her.

«You!» Sarah choked, clutching her throat as she held the pictures. «You sent the letter!»

«That's right, sweetie,» Gene said, unzipping his jacket. «My, you do catch on fast, don't you, Sarah?»

«What is it you want?» she asked, her voice a ragged whisper. «I … I can't give you much, Gene. Only about ten dollars a week!»

Gene tossed his jacket on a nearby chair, an unpleasant smile on his thin face. «Oh, I don't want your money, sweet Sarah,» he told her, unbuttoning his shirt. «That would be like stealing from my own brother, don't you agree? I mean, after all, whatever you get comes from him, right?»

Sarah's mouth felt like cotton and her heart pounded with fear. «You … you're going to tell Mike, aren't you?» she asked, her voice cracking.

«Not unless you make me, sweet Sarah,» he said, removing his shirt.

Sarah watched her brother-in-law fumble with his trousers and felt her heart skip a beat. «What do you mean?» she asked in a shaky voice.

«I mean, all you have to do is cooperate, baby,» Gene told her, unzipping his fly. «You know what a fun-loving guy I am, don't you, honey?» He let his pants drop to the floor, then stepped out of them, standing before her in just a T-shirt and jockey shorts. «And that's all I'm here for, sweetie, So you and me can have ourselves a little fun!»

As Sarah gasped in open-mouthed disbelief, Gene reached out to grab the lewd photos from her. «The same kind of fun you seemed to be having when these pictures were taken,» he added, returning the photos to his jacket pocket.

All the color drained from the brunette's face as the meaning of his words became clear. Her brother-in-law was blackmailing her, all right! But it wasn't cold cash that he wanted. Instead, he lusted for hot flesh and blood. It was her body, not her money, that he wanted!

Sarah took a step forward, her face beseeching. «But, Gene, you don't understand. I posed for those photos years ago! Before I even met Mike! Those pictures don't have anything to do with now!»

Gene lifted his T-shirt, his eyes cold. «That's where you're wrong, baby,» he told her pulling the undergarment over his head. «Those pictures have plenty to do with now. 'Cause if you don't play along with me now, I'll blow the whistle on you to my brother!»

The lovely brunette stared at her nearly nude brother-in-law with a helpless look on her pretty face. As she stood in front of him, pale and trembling, she felt trapped and frightened. Having sex with the man she loathed made her stomach churn, but Sarah did not know what else she could do. Mike trusted her, held her on a pedestal. Learning about the obscene modeling she'd done would surely destroy all feelings he had for her. If Mike should learn of her sordid past, he would be so disillusioned that the love he now felt for her would cease to exist! And Sarah loved Mike so desperately that she would do anything she could to keep their marriage intact. Including agreeing to Gene's sexual demands. Even though the thought of having sex with her brother- in-law turned her stomach, it was better than losing the man she loved.

Sarah's jade eyes dropped to the slight bulge between Gene's legs. «You mean,» she began, swallowing hard, «that if I do what you want, you'll keep my secret?»

«Sure, baby,» Gene said. «All you have to do is let me have my fun, okay? After all, you were willing to let those guys in the photos have their fun with you. And they weren't even related, like we are. Then once I've had my fill of you, I'll never mention those photos again.» He gave her a lascivious grin, his eyes traveling over the length of her voluptuous figure. «What d'ya say, honey? Is it a deal?»

Believing that Gene would keep his end of the bargain, Sarah nodded. «It's a deal.»

«Good, then that's settled,» he said, grinning lasciviously. «Now all you have to do is get comfy, dear sister-in-law. Just like I did.» When he saw the fright reflected in Sarah's jade eyes, he chuckled. «Take off your clothes, honey. All except your stockings and garterbelt, that is,» he added, licking his lips. «Keep those on.» When Sarah hesitated, staring at him with round eyes, Gene snapped his fingers. «I said strip!» he ordered, taking a step forward. Then his eyes darted to the radio on the end table and he smiled. «Or maybe you want to undress to music, huh, Sarah?» He walked over to the radio and turned the knob, a sudden blast of rock music piercing the air. «There,» he smirked, flopping down on the sofa. «That's better.»

Sarah's fingers moved to the buttons of her blouse while Gene sat back and leered at her. For some reason, stripping for her obnoxious brother-in-law was much more difficult than stripping for strangers had been during her brief modeling career. That had been just a job, one she was getting paid for. But following Gene's orders put things on a strictly personal basis and she felt embarrassed and humiliated.