His fist flew at me, but instead of it meeting my face, it caressed the locker next to me. My heart hammers in my chest, and it aches as I try to suppress it from causing the familiar feeling of a panic attack to ram through me.
I then let out a shaky breath, and glanced wide-eyed up at him in shock.
He leaned down once again, his soft plump lips grazing the crown of my ear, "The names Sawyer Walker, sweetheart".
***
Loyal Bailey has accepted her undeniable fate, as she carries a treacherous past no one knows about on her beaten shoulders. The pain her heart has held, the scars that litter not only her body but her mind, and the secrets that writhe on the tip of her tongue, but will never be told. She's been used, broken, stitched back together countless times, but you wouldn't be able to tell by just looking at her. She's an artist, she's dangerous and she's quick-witted. One of her biggest secrets are her numerous insecurities, like having intense panic attacks, but how long can she really hide them for?
Especially after meeting four notorious bad boys.
Sawyer Walker is supposedly the leader of the schools' blatant bad boys, and rumored to be in a gang. And a very powerful one at that. He follows his own set of rules, which literally translates to following none. He was what parents told their kids not to become. He's a tyrant and a delinquent, but everyone has their reasons and their pasts that make them who they are.
Most fear being in his presence, but what happens when Loyal surprisingly isn't? How does Sawyer handle not being feared?
What happens when they unfold her life, and discover every scar she tried to heal, only to rip them open again? How will they react when Loyal's true identity is sought out, and their lives all finally click?
Now as cliche as this is about to sound, we all know that the screwed up girl always falls for the bad boy, right?
The only question that's left without an obvious answer is, which one?
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.