After a young life as a pirate evolved into one on a family merchant ship, Jon Holt is itching to become a captain in his own right. Tired of never living up to his stepfather’s expectations and withering in the shadow of Captain Hugh Digby, Jon's anxious to arrive home, where Hugh can retire and Jon can step into his dream of running the ship, Blessed Gun. He's sure that all he needs is a chance to prove his worth and his life will be smooth sailing. Adrift after the death of her twin sister, the deep ache of loneliness urges Effie to find an escape from the life of petty crime she’s lived among the scoundrels and thieves employed by her father. She finds hope in the form of Alexander Keightley, a sweet-talking pirate captain whose pockets are heavy with secrets and gold. When their relationship ends, she steals from Keightley, runs to the nearest ship, and boards Blessed Gun. Instead of being a refuge, each day they sail brings her closer to the wrath of Keightley. Trapped and out of options, Effie is more lost than ever. Until she meets Jon. Love might be strong enough to overcome all obstacles, but nothing is ever smooth or easy with vengeful pirates on the horizon and ghosts of the past haunting every step they take. Fate has brought Jon and Effie together, but luck has never been kind to either of them. Perhaps this time will be different, or will they lose their dreams, and each other, to the dangers lurking in their wake?

After his part in a mess that shifted the delicate treaty with notorious pirate king, Alexander Keightley, and losing the trust of his captain and family, Jon is sent with Effie and a small group of trusted sailors on a mission of redemption. They have started a war with the most powerful pirate on the seas, and they will need more than themselves and a battered schooner to win. Despite the rumored risks, Jon sends a message to the notorious Eastern fleet seeking aid in defeating Keightley’s fleet and saving Lil. Jon remembers the fickle nature of a man named Archer Li, and hopes the commander who responds with the same surname won’t share the trait. Instead, Commander Tala Li’s help comes with orders for a high, potentially deadly price—an impossible task. With Jon’s heart and future in her hands and the most feared pirate in the Western Seas gunning for him, death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a former pirate trying to find redemption. Failure is. Unfortunately, failing is the only consistent thing Jon’s done in his life. Maybe this time will be different.

Lil promised Captain Alexander Keightley that she would do anything to be off her uncle’s merchant ship. It’s a promise that presses down on her as she fights every day to stay alive and remain safe as a woman among the bloody work and ruthless company of pirates. Desperate for a safe place to land, she attaches herself to the only man aboard who doesn’t appear determined to frighten or harm Theo. Broken by months of abuse aboard Swallow’s Wing, Theo is hesitant to befriend a naive newcomer like Lil. It’s a waste of his efforts to get to know her, as she is destined to become as cruel as the rest of those aboard or die. But she is persistent in her goodness, and Theo is drawn to her light. Their friendship comes with its own risks. On Swallow’s Wing, even the smallest comfort can become a deadly weapon in the hands of Captain Keightley. Just when they can take no more and decide to leave, Keightley learns the lengths that Lil’s former love, Jon Holt, has taken to try to rescue her. The rage and scrutiny Lil and Theo have been so careful to avoid crashes down on them. Survival is no longer a secret game between allies, but a desperate battle of wills when the hope they clung to floats away.