The Pirate Prince by Connie Mason

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An exiled Turkish prince must choose between his plan to save his mother from the hands of his enemy and the love of a beautiful Englishwoman who is also the object of his enemy's desire.

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The Pirate Prince

Dorchester Publishing

All right reserved.

ISBN: 0-8439-5234-2

Chapter One

The weather was perfect; a brisk breeze filled the sails,
sending the REVENGE scudding across the water. The frigate
extended two decks high and was well equipped with forty
cannon, employed for a good cause.

The ship rode high in the water, hunting prey and riches to
fill her hold. Turkish ships were particularly vulnerable to
Dariq's brotherhood of pirates.

Though Dariq had fled Istanbul to escape certain death, he had
managed to slip in and out of the city several times during
the past two years to contact friends loyal to him. He had
risked his life more than once to inquire about his mother's
welfare and to learn what his brother Ibrahim was up to, but
he also used his clandestine trips into Istanbul to bring his
men's loved ones out of the city to their stronghold on the
island of Lipsi, forty miles off the southern coast of Turkey.

Dariq's nostrils flared. He looked like a demon bent on
mayhem. Thick black hair, tousled into curls by the damp sea
air fell over his forehead. His jutting jaw was strongand
dark with the beginning of a beard, and every visible muscle
in his face and neck were pulled taut. His tense body and
well-developed form were hardened by hard labor. Nothing
about Prince Dariq looked soft.

Dariq wasn't the same man he had been two years ago. The
murder of his brothers had turned him into a vengeful man with
dark depths, a man on a mission to avenge those cruel deaths.
A man who refused to rest until his innocent brothers had been
avenged and Ibrahim made to suffer.

"'Tis said the treasure Ibrahim expects is extremely
valuable," Mustafa mused.

Dariq nodded. "Valuable enough, I hope, for the loss to annoy
Ibrahim. He fears me, and with good reason."

"The men are eager for a good fight, Prince," Mustafa said,
gesturing to the motley crew of pirates who had followed Dariq
from Istanbul into the Brotherhood.

"So am I," Dariq replied. "We fight now to survive, to rob
the OTTOMAN of his riches, and to protect our loved ones."

"They would gladly die for you, Prince. You brought their
wives and families to Lipsi and created a safe haven for
them."

"They followed me into exile when all seemed lost," Dariq
replied. "'Tis the least I could do."

Dariq tensed as an expression of watchful anticipation slid
over his handsome features. "Hand me the glass, Mustafa."

Mustafa placed the spy glass in Dariq's hand. Dariq held it
to his eye, adjusting it until an object came into view.

"There she is!" Dariq shouted gleefully, "the OTTOMAN. Bring
the REVENGE about, Mustafa. We will lay in wait for her."

Mustafa took the wheel and brought the ship about. After a
shouted order from Dariq, the deck erupted with activity. As
the OTTOMAN approached, the REVENGE'S guns were being primed
and readied for battle and weapons distributed to eager
pirates.

"She's using evasive action," Dariq bit out. "She'll never
outrun us. Pile on the canvas!"

Wind whipped into the sails, sending the REVENGE crashing
through the waves at top speed. It didn't take long for the
ship to overtake the slower, clumsier OTTOMAN.

Once they were in range, Dariq shouted, "Bring her about and
fire a warning shot across the OTTOMAN'S bow!"

Dariq's crewmen acted spontaneously, having done it many times
in the past two years. Piracy was their game and they played
it well.

The first volley of shots sailed over the OTTOMAN'S bow, but
she didn't stop. She tacked to the left, but it soon became
apparent that she couldn't escape. The REVENGE was relentless
in its pursuit.

"Fire the port cannons!" Excitement bit deep into Dariq's
gut. The mysterious treasure would never reach Istanbul or
Ibrahim if he had his way.

A volley of shots from the portside snapped the OTTOMAN'S
mizzenmast. Utter chaos reigned aboard the OTTOMAN. Dariq
could see crewmen scurrying about to repair the damage done by
the REVENGE'S guns.

"Bring her about, Mustafa," Dariq ordered, "then give the
wheel over to Omar. Break out the grappling hooks and ready
the boarding planks. I want them in place the moment we come
abreast."

Mustafa hurried off to do Dariq's bidding while Dariq
continued to watch the drama taking place aboard the OTTOMAN.
He was acquainted with Captain Juad, the master of the
OTTOMAN, and hoped he would surrender his ship and give up the
treasure without loss of life.

The OTTOMAN made a half-hearted attempt to fire its starboard
cannon. The shot went wide, and then it was over. The
pirates secured the grappling hooks, bringing the two ships
together. Dariq was the first to leap atop the boarding
plank, feet wide apart and sword at the ready. Mustafa was
close behind him, towering over Dariq, while pirates from the
REVENGE grabbed lines to swing aboard the OTTOMAN, eager to
share in the plunder.

"Surrender!" Dariq shouted as he jumped down upon the rolling
deck of the OTTOMAN.

Captain Juad raced across the deck toward him. "I want
bloodshed no more than you do, Prince Dariq."

None of the Turkish sailors seemed eager to meet the Pirate
Prince in armed combat, and Captain Juad was wise enough to
realize his crewmen would fight a losing battle against
cutthroat pirates, who lived and fought for the promise of
riches.

Dariq watched through narrowed lids as Juad seemed to wage a
battle with himself. Dariq knew the captain to be brave and
honorable, and that he valued the life of his men, but Dariq
wondered if the good captain valued the treasure he carried
more than his own life.

"Do you promise to spare my men?" Juad asked. "I know what it
is to have my decks run slippery with blood."

"Surrender your ship and your treasure and you may leave with
your lives intact."

Juan eyed the pirates lined up behind Mustafa with distrust.
"Will your men obey you?"

Dariq threw back his head and laughed. "My pirates always
obey me. All they care about is the treasure you carry."

Juad's heavy dark brows shot up. "What do you know about the
treasure, Prince Dariq?"

While appearing to be relaxed, Dariq was drawn taut as a
bowstring. "Not a great deal, except that its arrival is
eagerly awaited by Ibrahim. He will not have it, however, for
I shall claim it."

"Come to my cabin," Juad invited. "We should speak in private
about the treasure."

"Do you surrender all to me?"

Juad laughed. "Oh, aye, the treasure is yours, such as it is.
I wish you joy of it."

Captain Juad snapped out curt orders to his men, informing
them that he was surrendering the ship and its treasure to
Prince Dariq. The reaction was not what Dariq had expected.
Some men laughed outright while others sent him sly smiles.
While there were a few grumbles, most seemed relieved to be
rid of the OTTOMAN's treasure.

"Secure the ship," Dariq told Mustafa. The knot of men parted
as Dariq followed the captain to his cabin. Some of the
OTTOMAN'S sailors clapped him on the back while others wished
him good luck. A few even asked to join the Brotherhood.

"Down with Ibrahim the murderer!" a Turkish sailor shouted,
followed by a chorus of ayes.

Dariq entered the captain's cabin and closed the door behind
him.

"Sit down, Prince," Juad invited. "'Tis been a long time
since we have spoken." He sighed. "The days of the great
Murad's rule are long past. I must answer to Ibrahim now,
whether I like it or not."

Dariq took the seat Juad offered. "I hoped you would
surrender, Juad. I have naught against you personally and
would have spared your life for my father's sake, for he loved
you well."

"I am glad to hear that, Prince. I but do Ibrahim's bidding.
I consider myself lucky to have avoided you on the high seas
thus far. Ibrahim is a murderer; few of his subjects hold him
in high regard. He is nothing like his father. He even tried
to convince the Grand Vizier that you had a hand in killing
your brothers. Selim did not believe him. You are admired by
all for your courage and perseverance against your brother's
evil machinations."

"Thank you for confiding that to me, Juad." He pushed himself
out of his chair. "That said, I still must relieve you of
your cargo. What is it? Gold? Silver? Aye, tell me what my
brother is so eager to possess."

Juad straightened his turban and cleared his throat. "The
treasure is not what you think, Prince."

Dariq's face settled into harsh lines. "Describe the treasure
to me."

"Better yet, I will show you. Come, my friend. Follow me and
you shall see for yourself the treasure Sultan Ibrahim is
eagerly awaiting."

"I know how greedy Ibrahim can be when he wants something,"
Dariq said, following Juad out the door, "so I'm quite anxious
to see his treasure. Depriving Ibrahim of something he
desires is my sole purpose in life. 'Tis the reason I turned
to piracy."

Juad sighed and shook his head. A frisson of disquiet slid
down Dariq's spine. Why was Juad being so evasive? Perhaps
there was no treasure and he had been deliberately misled.

He stopped abruptly and hauled Juad around to face him.
"Something is wrong, Juad. Is the treasure aboard another
ship?"

Juad shrugged. "There is treasure and there is treasure. You
must judge its worth by your own standards."

Dariq's scowl deepened. He was beginning to worry now.
Captain Juad was talking in riddles. A treasure was a
treasure no matter what a man's standards. Dariq was hoping
to take something from Ibrahim that he valued, something he
desired, but Juad's attitude was making him intensely uneasy.

Dariq followed Captain Juad down a narrow companionway. He
expected to be taken to the hold, where cargo is usually
stored, but obviously this treasure was too valuable to be
left in damp quarters. That thought raised his spirits a bit
but didn't entirely ease his misgivings.

Juad stopped before a door at the end of the companionway.
Dariq's dark brows rose when he saw a burly sailor standing
guard. "You keep Ibrahim's treasure here, under guard?"

"Aye, you will see why in a moment."

Juad dismissed the guard and opened the door. "Behold
Ibrahim's treasure, Prince Dariq. Make of it what you will
for it now belongs to you. Truthfully, I am glad to be shed
of it. It has caused me a great deal of trouble."

Somewhat wary, Dariq stepped inside. He ducked just in time
to avoid a missile that sailed past his head and crashed to
the deck.

Then, with shock and a great deal of dismay, he saw her.

Ibrahim's treasure.

A woman.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Pirate Prince
by Connie Mason
Copyright © 2004 by Connie Mason .
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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