Addicted to the Duke (Imperfect Lords #1)(74)

She looked at Alex in disbelief. He merely shrugged his shoulders. “Like I said, sometimes we don’t have a choice. It’s too late, he found me. And if you want me to beat him, you’ll give me peace of mind and be safe on shore.”

Hestia jumped to her feet, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. “I’m only prepared to go because I want you to be totally focused on beating him and safely return to me.”

With that Jacob took her by the arm and began pulling her out of the room. She gave Alex one long, lingering look. He could see the fear and the love shining in her eyes. “I promise I’ll be careful.” And he meant those words. He followed the pair up on deck. He took Ned aside and said, “Once you get to Costa, he’ll supply you with fresh horses. Don’t waste any time. Start heading inland. Head for Corfu Town and her father. If we are successful, the Angelica will meet you there. If we are not, then get Lady Hestia and her father onto a ship and heading back to England as soon as possible.”

“Aye, Your Grace.”

“Good lad.”

Then he turned to Hestia. “Go with Ned and promise me you’ll do everything he says. He’ll take you to your father. It will be a hard two-day journey, but the farther you are from the sea the safer you will be.” He put a finger to her lips to stop her rebuking him. “I will see you in Corfu Town. I have too much to live for to let Murad win again.”

“I shall be waiting. Always waiting.”

Alex stood watching as the rowboat was lowered into the water and headed back through the narrow passage. Only when it was finally out of sight did he turn to face his nemesis. His enemy’s ship was almost within striking range. He looked around at his men. Cannons were at the ready, and with the Angelica already in full sail, he hoped his ship had the power to win.

He had to win. He desperately wanted a life with Hestia. It was as if a lightning bolt had illuminated the thoughts in his head. It wasn’t revenge that would heal him. It was her love. Love was more powerful than hate, because you could never kill it. Even if Murad succeeded in killing him, he would live on in Hestia’s heart.

Buoyed by grim determination, Alex strode to the helm. He nodded at Jacob, standing down on the poop deck. Jacob yelled out, “Fire,” and the loud explosion of cannon fire disturbed the tranquil setting. This time he would take the fight to Murad. And this time they would win.





Chapter 22


The battle was over almost before it began. As soon as the first cannonball flew over the bow of Murad’s ship, a white flag rose up its pole.

“What is he up to?” Jacob asked as he chewed his bottom lip.

Alex didn’t trust the Turkish pirate, and coldness seeped into the pit of his stomach. Murad was neither foolish nor stupid. “Whatever he’s up to, we have to listen. He never does anything without a reason.”

“You’re not going to meet him?” Jacob asked incredulously as they saw a rowboat being lowered over the side.

“You know the answer to that. Of course I’m going to meet him. But he can row to the side of the Angelica and he will converse with me safely on this deck.”

Jacob merely nodded at that before yelling at one of his men to raise their white flag in response. For now they would have a truce, but Alex and Jacob knew they had to be ready for anything.

While he stood waiting for the small rowboat to draw closer, he tried to analyze Murad’s strategy. With a good rifle, Alex could put a bullet right through Murad’s cold heart. Sweat began to dribble between his shoulder blades as the urge to pick up a gun grew. Murad knew he risked death, and that meant he had a plan. A plan Alex was pretty sure he was not going to like.

“Alex, at last we meet again. I never thought I’d have the pleasure of seeing my altin kole—my golden slave—again.”

“You’re beginning to repeat yourself; perhaps that’s a sign of old age. I remember you greeting me with those same words four years ago on the island of Mykonos. And look how that turned out. You ran away like a whipped dog.”

Alex knew better than to taunt the pirate but he enjoyed it. Murad’s face turned a deep red.

“You’ll regret those words. I would be a bit more pleasant if I was in your position,” Murad replied.

“From where I’m standing, it is you who should be on your knees begging me not to put a bullet through your evil heart.”

“Still the braggart, I see. Come now, Alex.” Murad opened his arms wide. “I am not a man to make foolish mistakes, unlike you.”

There was not a lot Alex could say to that. He had made mistakes. His biggest mistakes had always been to underestimate the man standing in the boat below him. That is why Murad was not dead already.

“What is it you want?” Alex asked through gritted teeth, dreading what the reply was going to be.

“Why, you, my boy. You know I get very displeased when my toys go astray. You are the only one who escaped my clutches. I want you to return with me so that I can make an example of you.”

Alex threw back his head and laughed. “That doesn’t sound very inviting at all. In fact, I would rather pummel your ship with cannon fire and see it sent to the bottom of the sea, preferably with you in it.”

Murad’s sly smile sent Alex’s alarm bells ringing. “The fact you haven’t done just that indicates you understand me better than you think.”