Every time before her mother left for work, Maria was appointed to baby sitting duties. And every time before she left, she would instruct her with five simple rules:
- DON'T open or answer the door for anyone.
-DON'T leave the lights on.
-DON'T put the others at risk.
-DON'T let anyone in the house.
-DON'T stay in the house unarmed.
Five simple rule, five ways to protect yourself. These could have been five things that saved her life.
But as fate would have it, a trustworthy call of desperation has her leaving the house unarmed and uncovered to the back garden. There, five men and a beast taught her the importance of following rules. They exploited, devoured, disgraced and dehumanized her all in one night, leaving her little and weak.
Her calls were never answered and cries never heard.
They took her innocence, but she held onto her pride.
Maria made an oath to herself. A vow to never let this happen again and to restore her honour.
An honour only a real woman can ever understand.
This is Maria's Last Tear...
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.