A criminal mastermind makes a bold move against a wealthy client to put himself in a position to retire in comfort. He has no idea what he's up against when a young widow, desperate to make ends meet, sets her eyes on earning the bounty set on his head. *** Newly widowed housewife Melody Scott needs to earn some major cash, fast. When her bright and busy children learn that a priceless ruby bracelet has been stolen and a six-figure reward is being offered, they convince her to try to do what the police, museum security, and the best private investigators have failed to do. Working against them is a notorious thief who has met people from around the world, but who has never once encountered a woman like Melody Scott. When the sweet innocence of the Scott family clashes against criminal forces more dangerous than they ever imagined, Melody is all too aware that a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do to protect her family. The Widow, Melody Scott is a 2021 Watty Award Winner! Content Warning: This story does contain depictions of stalking behavior.

After unknowingly saving a mafia boss from a botched bank robbery, Kiara accepts an offer to work for him as a translator, not realizing love may become part of the package. ***** Though Kiara Payne may be a genius when it comes to languages, what she knows of the real world largely comes from books and movies. But after foiling a robbery on her first day as a bank teller, Kiara finds herself thrust into a world of danger, her life resting in the hands of the infuriatingly sexy Italian mafia boss Milo Di Vaio. In exchange for her safety, Kiara agrees to serve as Milo's translator, accompanying him across Europe as he tries to clean up the mess his late brother left behind and save the reputation of the Di Vaio crime family. Cold, ruthless, and sinfully beautiful, Milo is hard to resist but even harder to love. As tensions rise and secrets are spilled, Milo and Kiara are both forced to question everything they thought they knew. Does love outweigh loyalty? And if so, is it worth dying for? [[Word count: 100,000 - 150,000]] Content/trigger warning: Contains mature themes and violence