"I would not even begin to consider that unless my life depended on it."
"Well, Avery, your life depends on it now."
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It started with a red balloon. Then another and another, until over the course of one week, Avery Steele had received seven red balloons.
Then came the letter.
The six words that changed sixteen-year-old Avery's life forever: I can see you from here.
That night is the night that Avery's face shows up on all the media, newspapers, and TV stations under the headline "Local Teenager Missing."
Several miles away, Avery is locked in a real-life fishbowl: a high-security, entirely glass enclosed, circular two-level room, the bottom half of which is filled with water. There, she meets a boy who has been reported missing for two years, Hunter Mackinnon. He tells her the disturbing story behind their kidnappings, enraging Avery.
Overwhelmed with anger and frustration, she comes up with a seemingly foolproof plan to escape. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned, and getting out of the "fishbowl" is much more complicated than either Hunter or Avery could have ever imagined...
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.