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Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Copyright
  3. Author's Note
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
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  42. 37
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  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
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The answer to the last question was easy.

“We want adventure.” I picked up a brass spyglass and absently spun it on the desk. “We need the prize.”

“What prize?” Ashley crossed his arms over his chest.

“Any prize. The harder the raid and greater the danger, the better the reward.”

Reynolds shouted a huzzah from the table and hoisted his bottle of rum.

“You want a challenge? Very well.” Ashley exchanged a look with Jobah.

Then he presented a proposal that made my blood at once sizzle and chill.

Priest and Reynolds straightened, their expressions as uncertain and piqued as my thoughts.

What Ashley proposed would change our purpose, our business. But not our hearts. No, our hearts were already in this fight, and mine thundered to dive in.

I peeked at Priest and caught the smile curving behind the rim of his rum glass.

“All right.” I grinned. “Put it to the crew for a vote.”

56

March 1722

St. Christopher, Leeward Islands Colony

St. Christopher. To anyone settling here, it was a dazzling island of beauty and opportunity. To anyone except the African slaves who were barbarously shipped in and forced to work in the sugar cane fields.

Then there was me, the bastard daughter of noble blood, willing to lead a band of seafaring ruffians into a war against those more evil than I was.

“Starboard batteries, target the mainsail!” My breaths cleaved as I jumped onto the gunwale and held the spyglass to my eye.

Fifty feet away, iron guns protruded from the slave ship’s bows, belching smoke and hauling in for reloading.

“Aim high and true, gunners!” My hand clenched around the glass, my heart pounding. “If you hit her belly, I shall seize you up by your pissers and dangle you from the yard-arm!”

We were here for the precious cargo in her hold. If we lost those innocent lives, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.

A crack of cannon fire erupted from Jade’s starboard. The volley of shot hissed across the turbulent waves, and the slave ship’s mainsail erupted in flame.

Yes! The metallic scent of gunpowder burned the air. A few yards away, Priest caught my eye from behind the smoking bronze snout of a gun. He held a lit wick and flung me one of his roguish smiles, flirting with the rhythm of my heart. Viciously handsome man.

I grinned into the choking smoke. “Jobah, bring her about! Hard to starboard! Keep her as tight as you can.”

My helmsman grunted and strained against the tiller, driving all his strength into turning the arm.

“D’Arcy and Saunders!” I spun, scanning the fray of whooping and hollering pirates as they flew to the sheets. “Haul your arses to the helm and help Jobah with the rudder. Lively now, lads! Throw your weight into it. We can’t board that ship from here!”