Novels by Angela Abigail

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the French countryside estate, painting everything in warm golden light. Jems sat at the breakfast table on the terrace, taking in the breathtaking view, rolling hills covered in grapevines, the distant mountains creating a perfect backdrop, and the air so clean and fresh it almost didn't seem real.Ethan emerged from the kitchen carrying two plates of perfectly prepared omelets, setting one down in front of her with a flourish."Breakfast is served, Mrs. Roderick," he said with a playful grin.Jems laughed. "I still can't get used to that name. Kiara Roderick. It sounds so, not me.""Well, you better get used to it," Ethan said, sitting down across from her. "Captain Miller was very clear. As far as anyone in this town knows, we're newlyweds on our honeymoon. You're Kiara, I'm Gerald, and we're madly in love.""That last part isn't even a lie," Jems said softly, reaching across the table to take his hand.Ethan squeezed her fi

7:00 AM, THE MORNING AFTERMira stared at her phone, watching the minutes tick by with increasing dread. The burner phone sat on her nightstand like a coiled snake, silent but threatening.She hadn’t slept at all. How could she? Jems was gone, on a plane to France by now, safe and unreachable. Which meant Mira had failed, and that meant Don Emilio would be calling any moment.She jumped when her regular phone buzzed with a text.Jems: We just landed! France is so beautiful already. I’ll send you pictures once we get to the house. Miss you already!Mira stared at the message, tears blurring her vision. Jems was safe, free, and beyond Don Emilio’s reach. And Mira was about to pay the price for that freedom.The burner phone rang.Mira’s hands shook so badly she almost dropped it. She stared at Don Emilio’s number flashing on the screen, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. She couldn't not answer, as that would only make things worse. With trembling fingers, she acc

Then subtle contouring was added to make her features more masculine, such as a sharper jaw and a stronger brow. A carefully applied fake mustache looked surprisingly real. Blue contact lenses changed her hazel eyes to sky blue, and finally, a complete boy's outfit was added, consisting of designer jeans, a hoodie, and expensive sneakers. It was the kind of thing a wealthy young man might wear for comfortable travel.When the artist was done, Jems stared at herself in the mirror and barely recognized the person looking back."Wow," she breathed."No one will recognize you," the artist assured her. "Even people who know you well would walk right past you."Emily came in with a passport, which was hastily arranged through some connections Richard had. The photo showed "James Timothy.”"This feels so surreal," Jems said"You'll be safe," Emily said, hugging her carefully so as not to mess up the disguise. "That's all that matters."At 5 AM, a car pulled up outside. It was not Jems' usual

Everyone went quiet, considering."Christopher could come too," Ethan continued. "Once he's recovered from his injuries. I'd cover all the costs, of course. My family has a house in the French countryside, very secluded and very secure. She could stay there until it's safe to come home."Richard and Emily exchanged a long look, having an entire conversation with just their eyes."I think that's an excellent idea," Richard finally said."So do I," Emily agreed. "Captain Miller, what do you think?""It's a solid plan," Miller said thoughtfully. "If no one knows where she is, Don Emilio can't get to her. And France is outside his usual territory. It would buy us time to build a case against him here.""Then it's settled," Richard said. "Jems, how do you feel about this?"Jems looked at Ethan, who was smiling at her with so much love and hope, and felt her heart swell."When would we leave?" she asked."As soon as possible," Ethan said. "Maybe tomorrow morning? That gives us time to arran

They walked back to the waiting area together, and the moment Emily saw them, she stood up. "Jems, I'm so sorry," Emily said, her eyes already filling with tears. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You've been through so much today, and I just—I was so scared, I took it out on you, and that wasn't fair—" "It's okay, Mom," Jems said, walking over and hugging her. "I know you're just worried about me. I'm sorry for being difficult about the bodyguard thing. You're right, safety is more important than feeling normal." Emily held her daughter tight, and they stayed like that for a long moment. OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL - 11 PM Mira stepped out into the cool night air, her hands shaking as she pulled the burner phone from her purse. She'd been waiting hours for a chance to check Don Emilio's message, but between Captain Miller's questions and everyone hovering around Jems, she hadn't had a private moment until now. She walked to a secluded corner of the parking lot and opened

He followed the direction Jems had gone, finding the women's bathroom at the end of the corridor. He could hear crying from inside, specifically broken, gasping sobs that made his heart ache.He positioned himself outside the door, giving her privacy but staying close enough that she'd know he was there when she was ready.Jems locked herself in a stall and let herself fall apart completely.The attack, the blood, the gunfire, Christopher's injuries, and her mother's yelling were all too much. It was way too much.Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely pull her phone from her pocket. She scrolled through her contacts with trembling fingers until she found Ethan's name.He answered on the first ring."Hey, beautiful! I was just thinking about—Jems? What's wrong? Are you crying?"The concern in his voice made her cry harder."Ethan," she managed between sobs. "I need, I need to hear your voice.""What happened? Talk to me. Are you okay?""Don Emilio's men, they tried to take m