I yelped, grabbing my forearm as searing pain burned into my skin. Pain blinded my vision, causing black spots to dance across my eyes. Slowly and hesitantly, I gingerly lifted my hand, and nearly screamed from the shock. A symbol showing two knives crossed together was now etched on my skin. My head snapped up instinctively, meeting the gaze of Karen, who merely smiled. Through gasped breaths and wheezes as the pain slowly began to subside, I asked, "What happened?"
"You, my dear friend, have been marked."
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Some of us will turn to extreme cases to save our families. Ethan Crawford's mother is slowly dying from a disease, her health slowly withering away like the petals of a rose. Without much time, he desperately needs a lot of money. And there's only one way he can think of-impostering.
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.