A Pirate's Heart (St. John Series) Read Online Free

A Pirate's Heart (St. John Series)
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through the area frequently. He wanted to make sure she knew what was being said and how to interpret the sarcastic tones so she would know the actual meaning behind what was being said.
    Amelia died when Kristina was twelve. Her grandfather was heartbroken and took to drinking. Even with the alcohol in his system, he was still a kind and caring man. He insisted she continue to do her lessons. Alberto visited her for many hours every day until he died two years later. Upon his death she started hearing the rumors . . . that he was a pirate. The nuns began shunning her family even more after that.
    The nuns never liked Kristina’s family, but they disliked her mother most of all. Sophia was a proud woman who spoke her mind and insisted Kristina do the same. Despite this, the villagers loved her mother. Kristina assisted her mother on numerous occasions at mending the injured fishermen, their wives and the prostitutes in the village. Little did she know that the skills her parents taught her would help save her life on the day of their murders.
    Kristina could hear the bells from the mission ringing, signaling they had visitors. She sighed as she looked around the small room of the falling down structure. This had been her home, the place she grew up in until her parents were murdered five years ago. She was sixteen at the time and there had been a battle at sea. Several of the injured men washed ashore and were treated by the local fishermen. The injured sailors were only in the village for a few days, just long enough for their wounds to be mended and to regain their strength.
    Sophia and Kristina tended one of the men in their home. He had several small cuts and a large gaping wound running diagonally on his back. There was a menacing feel about him. He was tall with black hair and a black beard. When he spoke, his deep voiced caused a strange fluttering sensation deep within her. The few times that his eyes were open, they mesmerized Kristina. They were black as night and appeared to be looking into her soul at her deepest, darkest secrets. Despite his injuries and his menacing appearance, Kristina found herself fantasying about the man—even to this day.
    The nuns did not like the look of the man or his companions, and the abbess sent a messenger to the main city to alert the authorities of the possibility of pirates being in the village. Just as soon as the injured men were collected by their comrades, the British Navy arrived. They accused the fishermen of harboring the enemy and began attacking the village. When the British soldiers attacked, it was growing late in the day, the sun was in the early stages of setting, casting a red glow over the village. They attacked without warning, without inquiring of the circumstances of the villagers’ assistance to the wounded sailors.
    Kristina closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks, as she remembered that dreadful day. Her father had been protecting one of the older fishermen. The images of her father being run through with a sword and of her mother running to him and being beaten unconscious were burned in her memory. Kristina attempted to reach them, but soldiers kept blocking her path. When she did finally manage to reach the home of the fisherman, a man was exiting the hut. She would never forget him. She memorized every detail of his image, his short brown-hair, his amber-colored eyes. He was a little shorter than average, but he was stoutly built. She wasn’t sure of his exact rank, but the gold adornments on his navy coat indicated he was a ranking officer.
    She charged at him with a sword in her hand but was forced to retreat because of the number of men beginning to surround their commander. They chased her into the jungle. She stayed hidden for several hours until the navy left. When she emerged from the darkness, she entered the hut and saw her mother’s beaten body. No one had to tell her what had happened to her mother—Kristina saw the evidence.
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