'Just listen,' Aaris says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel. I open my eyes wide now. I sit up as much as I can. And I listen. 'Stay,' he says.
Orange flames lapped at the cold air throwing sparks up into the night sky. The firelights flickered across a wasteland of ragged grass. A pair of white lights appeared in the distance, heralding the approach of an angel, not an angel but Him!!
For seventeen-year old Badr, surrounded by a wonderful family, friends and her dear and only brother, decisions seem tough, even when they're all about a future full of harmony and love, a future that's brimming with hope.
But life can change in an instant.
A cold February morning ... a snowy road ... and suddenly all of Badr's life are gone. As alone as she'll ever be, Badr must make the most difficult choice of all.
Haunting, heart-rending and ultimately life-affirming.
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.