Overboard (A Crow's Nest Novel Book 2) Read online

  Cassidy still hadn’t figured it all out, but she knew in her heart, that despite Miguel going to Cuba to kill The Cleaner, that he was a good man. He wouldn’t ever kill anyone innocent. He would protect his family. And he would protect Cassidy.

  Now she just needed to him to keep his promise and come home.

  “You’re going to wear the skin off your feet,” Hunter said as he walked in from the kitchen with some chips and salsa. “Sit down and have a snack.”

  Sin followed with three beers. “And a drink. You definitely look like you could use a drink.”

  “I should be at the Nest.” She still paced, her feet not allowing her to do anything else.

  The sight of food made her stomach clench.

  “He should be back by now.” Despite the tender tips, Cassidy bit her nails again.

  Sin sat next to Hunter on the couch before putting the beers on the table. “He’s late. Men tend to be.”

  “Hey!”

  Sin chuckled and winked at him. That seemed to appease the cowboy because he tipped his hat before grabbing a chip to dip in the salsa.

  “Point is, Miguel will be fine,” she said. “The Cleaner doesn’t stand a chance. And you can’t be at the Nest right now, because there’s too much media coverage there. The vultures are waiting for you to step foot in public so they can get your story.”

  “I’m a reporter, remember?” Cassidy said.

  Sin shrugged. “You’re one of the good ones. The rest are mostly douchebags.”

  Cassidy sighed, wishing that people in pursuit of the truth didn’t always get such a cut throat, horrible perception. But it was true. Many reporters wanted a big break. Cassidy had some great bylines, but nothing of the magnitude of the ordeal she’d just been through.

  Which is why she planned to write her own story.

  But first, she needed Miguel to come back to her. She needed him there by her side. Cassidy couldn’t do this without him. Not after everything.

  A buzz sounded on Hunter’s phone. He picked it up to see who was at the front gate. A slow grin spread across his lips, giving Cassidy a glimmer of hope.

  “Well?” she asked. “Is it him?”

  “Sorry,” Hunter said. “Honey was just making her normal funny faces at the camera.”

  Cassidy let out a disappointed sigh. Honey did like to do that. She’d also get out and dance or do a cartwheel. Honey had the code, she didn’t have to wait for Hunter, but the woman was vivacious and breathing in every moment she could.

  How Cassidy wished she could do the same. But without Miguel, it was as if she couldn’t breathe at all. Slumping onto the couch in defeat, Cassidy dropped her head in her hands, wishing Miguel was there at that very moment so she could give him a piece of her mind. Cassidy wanted to strangle him for making her worry so much. For not coming home when he promised.

  Dark thoughts of what could have happened to him kept pressing against her imagination. She’d push them away, not being able to stomach the thought of those horrifying hallucinations becoming a reality.

  The front door opened.

  “Well lookie what the cat dragged in,” Honey said. “Or in this case, the Honey.”

  The bright tone of Honey’s voice did nothing to help with Cassidy’s ever-present anxiety. For once, she wished she had the anxiety medicine her doctors had prescribed her.

  Sin nudged her. “Hey, Cassidy? You might want to look up.”

  Cassidy’s heart jumped, just a bit. She wanted to believe but couldn’t. Slowly, she lifted her head enough to peek over the tips of mangled fingers. Standing next to Honey was the sexiest man Cassidy had ever seen. From the moment he rescued her and to the moment she took her last breath, there was no one who could compare to Miguel Cortez.

  Bruises and scratches covered his arms and face, but it didn’t matter. As soon as he smirked at her, everything inside of her warme.

  “Hello, Sirena.”

  Cassidy rushed from the couch, throwing herself into his arms, her lips finding his even as he grunted and stumbled back. For a moment, she hesitated, but he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him so she couldn’t break the kiss. He possessed her in that moment—the kiss going far deeper than just lips. It coursed through her blood, pulsed with her heart, and settled into the very core of her being.

  Miguel was home. And so was Cassidy.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  It had been a week since Miguel returned from Cuba. Cassidy stayed at Miguel’s family home for a few days before he had purchased a new houseboat. His mother had been so wonderful to her. The Latina woman had been warm and inviting, tending to Cassidy’s wounds, making sure she ate. In some moments, Cassidy envied Miguel and his sister, because she realized that a real mother supported her children no matter what. Cassidy’s own parents had all but demanded she be put in their custody, but somehow the order just…disappeared. Cassidy guessed that Honey had something to do with it.

  Maricela, though, made herself scarce the few days Cassidy had been there. There had been no scathing looks or harsh tongue lashings, but Maricela kept her distance. Mama, as she was made to call Miguel’s mother, reassured Cassidy that it wasn’t her fault. Maricela had things to figure out after everything that happened.

  Despite the reassurances, Cassidy wasn’t so sure. Miguel wouldn’t even mention Maricela’s name, and the tension had been thick in that house. Even with Mama’s sweetness, Cassidy was grateful when Miguel brought her to the houseboat.

  All the men involved had been arrested—except for Ivanov. Though he had been detained, his diplomatic immunity worked as everyone knew it would. They were going to deport him, and while he would not be allowed back on U.S. soil, he wouldn’t be persecuted in Russia either. What did anyone care about a few women who were less than upstanding citizens?

  He would live like a fat cat—in comfort, with a lazy, knowing smile on his face. And Meredith would still be dead. Cassidy bristled with the thought of it as she stared out into the Everglades.

  Miguel’s warm body pressed against her back as he slid his arms around her belly. A soft sigh escaped her as he kissed her neck, and she leaned into him, enjoying the peace around them. He hadn’t parked the boat in the same place—not that Cassidy would tell, but Miguel knew the Glades better than anyone, so she let him lead the way. He promised no one would find them this time. No one knew the location except for Cap.

  There had been bitterness in his tone when he’d said it, and Cassidy knew why. He felt the sting of what he thought was a betrayal, and it was, but an unintentional one. Maricela thought she was doing what was best for her brother, and Cassidy understood that. She’d forgiven her already.

  There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her own sister. Especially when Meredith had been in trouble.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  She turned her head, smiling up at him. In the dim sunset rays, his rugged features somehow seemed enhanced. Like he was a bronzed angel put on earth especially for her. Miguel had saved her in so many ways.

  “Better,” she said. “I was mostly exhausted.”

  “It’s to be expected.” He smiled back, his dark eyes sparkling with specs of gold from the fading light. “You went through a lot.”

  “Yeah, I did.” She nodded a bit. The memory of that night still clung to her, but not as bad as she thought it should have. She suspected it had something to do with Miguel, and she didn’t like looking a gift horse in the mouth. Maybe it also had something to do with finally knowing the truth about what happened to her sister.

  Even if Meredith wouldn’t get the justice she deserved. At least he’d been exposed. Cassidy still had other friends in the journalism industry, and they were all but happy to take her story and run with it. Cassidy had written the initial piece—and already the book deals were coming in, but her friends made sure the story went viral. Ivanov’s face had been plastered all over the news, Internet, and social media. The world knew what a sick bastar
d he was. That would have to be enough.

  After The Cleaner had stabbed Miguel, he thought he’d won. If Miguel didn’t have an abundance of scar tissue where the knife had gone in, it would have been worse. He’d been lucky, and as The Cleaner approached, Miguel took the knife from his belly and slit the other man’s throat.

  It had been a vivid image in her mind, but not one that bothered her.

  Cassidy turned in Miguel’s arms, clasping her hands lightly behind his neck. “But you brought me home.”

  Miguel’s soft smile turned into a bright grin. It electrified Cassidy directly to her core.

  “Home, huh?” he asked.

  Eventually, Cassidy would have to reconcile with her parents, and Miguel would have to do the same with his sister, but for tonight, it was just the two of them—and no one threatening to blow them up.

  “Yes,” she said. “Home.”

  His lips smashed into her in a possessive, claiming way. He left no room for any other interpretation. As her heart sped up, he pulled her away from the edge, and guided her down to the deck. Just as frenzied, she tugged at his clothes, wanting nothing separating them.

  Not the world, not the problems that had been in their past, and certainly not their clothes. As soon as the barriers were gone, Miguel slid inside her in one hard, stroke. Cassidy let out a gasp as he pressed his body against hers, so they were laying skin to skin, his lips kissing hers gently. He stayed motionless, his thickness deep inside of her.

  It was more than sex, more than even making love. Something at her core shattered, taking away the rest of the darkness, and it refilled with love—not just her love for Miguel, but with his love for her. It rolled off him as if it was its own forcefield.

  “Sirena.” He moaned against her, his hips moving ever so slightly.

  That slight movement drove her to the edge. She teetered there, a sound of need escaping her parted lips. “Miguel, please.”

  “Please, what?” he asked in a throaty voice.

  She tried to wiggle her hips, but his weight held her down, kept her from moving too much. “Please, baby,” she cupped his cheek. “I need you to make me come.”

  He roared, claiming her lips possessively again. As he moved onto his elbows, a sudden storm came with a crack of thunder. The sky opened up, the rain pelting against their naked skin as Cassidy gripped onto Miguel, her hips driving up to meet each of his powerful thrusts. Cries of pleasure escaped both of them, riding the howling wind and rapid storm. Lightning struck the water so close, it splashed up, and the electrical current rippled across the air. The combination of sensations made Cassidy clench around Miguel, her nails raking down his back.

  “Fuck!” Miguel thrust into her one last time, growing thicker and harder as she felt him release inside of her.

  He collapsed slightly to the side, just enough that he was still inside of her, but the weight of him wouldn’t crush her chest. Considering how hard she was panting, Cassidy was grateful.

  “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.

  Cassidy thought she couldn’t feel any fuller than she had a moment ago, but those words completed her. Turning her head, she stroked his cheek. “I love you too.”

  Epilogue

  Five months later

  Miguel smiled at Cassidy’s ever so slightly rounded belly. They were at Hunter’s, enjoying a fire pit, some music, and one of the very few cool days that South Florida had. Cassidy sat in a comfortable lawn chair, relaxing with her feet on a cinder block. She wasn’t so far along that any swelling or major discomfort was taking hold, but the cravings were definitely there, and she was already on her third s’more of the night.

  Cap and Honey sat, cuddled together in their own chairs, one of her legs draped over his thigh. He had his hand draped over her knee as he sipped on a beer.

  “No, seriously,” Honey said. “It happened!”

  “Suuure,” Sin said in a long drawl.

  Clearly Hunter’s southern ways were rubbing off on her. She even wore his cowboy hat—something that Miguel had been certain was glued to Hunter’s head for a time—as her significant other stood at the grill nearby, cooking up some steaks.

  “Might wanna tell those lies to someone who’ll believe you.” He chuckled before turning the meat.

  Noah just smirked from his seat on the other side of Sin. The man wasn’t one for many words, and Miguel didn’t know much about his history. No one did, except Cap it seemed. Hell, it was still a mystery as to where he’d gone off to a few months ago when Sin had been in trouble. But Cap trusted him, and Noah had helped save Cassidy. Every man had a right to keep his past private.

  The odd thing was Jason Cantrell sitting on the other side of the fire by Jax. Miguel didn’t know how things were going to play out with Jason. For now, he had a home at the Crow’s Nest—becoming the sort of unofficial little brother no one wanted but would put up with for now.

  Jason Cantrell had been a little bastard when they first met him, and granted it had all been an act because of the shit his father put him through, but Miguel wasn’t sure he could be trusted. He didn’t know where Jason’s loyalties lied. Miguel and the other Crows would do what they could for the kid. He just hoped Jason could get out of his own way.

  “Hey.” Cassidy brushed her fingers over his cheek. The edge of her diamond gently grazed the stubble on his cheek. “Where’d you go?”

  He took her hand and kissed it. “Just enjoying the here and now, Sirena.”

  “It is a nice here and now, isn’t it?”

  Considering how hard it had been to get there, Miguel had to agree. Cassidy’s parents had slowly come around, and her mother had even broken down, apologizing for not believing Cassidy. They had been so desperate to keep Cassidy safe, to not lose another daughter, that they would rather believe she’d gone insane than to let her go after a lead that could put her in danger.

  In a way, Miguel understood, but they had put Cassidy through her own personal hell—and some nights, she still had nightmares from her ordeals. He always soothed her back to sleep by holding her close, or they made love, chasing the nightmares away.

  They waited till after the wedding to tell her parents about the babies though. Twins. Miguel couldn’t believe it, but her parents had already set up trust funds and gotten baby clothes and cribs. As much as Miguel loved his houseboat, they wouldn’t be able to raise the babies there. Cassidy insisted he keep it though, so they could have their weekend retreats.

  Mama was just as excited, if not more. She pulled out Miguel’s old baby clothes, and the first family dinner with all of them—well really it had been Cassidy’s parents coming to one of Mama’s parties—had been awkward at first. At least for the Fletcher’s, but soon all the hugs and welcomes grew on them and they loosened up.

  Amazingly enough, Mama seemed to have become close with them.

  Maricela though…well, they were talking, but Miguel still didn’t trust her. He couldn’t. Maybe soon, but not now. She had broken his heart, and the only thing keeping it together now was his Sirena and the babies growing in her belly. He’d never deny Maricela family, but he just didn’t know if he’d ever be able to trust on the same level he once had.

  Hunter served up the steaks, and Cassidy practically tore into hers like a feral animal. Miguel tilted his head, watching her with amusement. The others had paused, faces frozen in various stages of disbelief.

  “What?” Cassidy said around a mouthful of steak. “You try eating for three.”

  Her cheeks flushed from the attention, and Miguel laughed kissing her.

  Perhaps, the hardest thing to overcome had been Ivanov. But three months ago, while he’d been sailing his yacht toward South Africa, a band of pirates attacked the yacht. There were no survivors.

  When Cassidy asked if Miguel had anything to do with it, he’d simply said, “I promised you that he wouldn’t get away with it.”

  That had been enough for her. She’d kissed him, and it wasn’t long after that, Cas
sidy found out she was pregnant.

  Miguel didn’t know if he deserved it, but he sure as hell was going to fight for it. Luckily, he had a whole damn family willing to do the same. His children, he knew, would be more protected than they could’ve ever imagined.

  The End

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  About the Author

  Natasha grew up as a tomboy hanging with the guys, getting skinned knees, and swimming under the South Florida sun. Tattoos, Jack Daniels, and lounging at the pool are three of her favorite things. She is a wife, a mother, has two fur babies who love puppy piles, and the status of her sanity is pending. To find out more, visit her website: www.natasharaulerson.com

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  Also by Natasha Raulerson

  The Crow’s Nest Series

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  Overboard

  Whispered Lies Series

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