It's the 19th century on the Gulf Coast, a time of opportunity and lawlessness. After escaping the Texas brothel where she'd been a virtual prisoner, Lucinda Carter heads for Middle Bayou to meet her lover, who has a plan to make them both rich, chasing rumors of a pirate's buried treasure.

Meanwhile Nate Cannon, a young Texas policeman with a pure heart and a strong sense of justice, is on the hunt for a ruthless killer named McGill who has claimed the lives of men, women and even children across the frontier. Who — if anyone — will survive when their paths finally cross?

As Lucinda's and Nate's stories converge, guns are drawn, debts are paid and Kathleen Kent delivers an unforgettable portrait of a woman who will stop at nothing to make a new life for herself.