When Veronica imagined a pirate captain, she thought of a man with a beard and an eyepatch, not a slender blonde woman with green eyes and a sensual curve to her lips.
"Welcome to my ship, Mrs. Kindred," the captain—La Rouge—said. "I understand you threw something of mine away."
"It wasn't yours. Your people stole it." Veronica knew what she said would only make the situation worse. But she was tired of people trying to force her to do things, to control her actions and her future.
"Ah, but it was. Lautrec, show her what happens to people who take what is mine."
The burly pirate who had escorted Veronica to the captain put a knife to Luc's neck.
"I can carve him up right good, Miss. Or maybe take 'is other eye."
"No!" She held out her hands. "Fine. Yes, I threw the painting in the oc
