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

  “Are you sure there are no cops around?” She walked beside him with a slight limp. Gravel crunched beneath their feet as they walked off the dock toward the conference building.

  “Positive,” he said. “Honey called in a sighting in Miami at the airport. All flights leaving the country have been shut down.”

  She frowned. That inconvenienced a lot of people. “But….couldn’t that be traced back here?”

  “Nope.” He held the door open for her. “I told you, no one can rival Honey when it comes to awesome computer skills. She rerouted the signal to come from the airport. On top of it, from what I understand, Detective Wallace is heading Kendra’s….” He trailed off. “Well, she was connected to you.”

  Cassidy had no idea how Honey had done that. She opted not to ask either. It would just make her brain hurt. She could investigate with the best of them, but it had been Kendra who had always been the hacker. It’s why Cassidy couldn’t get through the encryption. They’d made a great team. Her heart ached thinking about her friend, and Meredith. Neither of them deserved what had happened. It just made her more determined to nail Ivanov to the wall. No one else should die by his hand, not when two people she knew already had.

  A blast of cold air hit her as she walked into the conference building. Miguel said it was intended for people waiting for their boat to be fixed, or if the crew needed to hold a meeting, not unlike now.

  Honey and Ida were sitting at one end of the long table in plush leather chairs. They looked up when she walked in and grinned.

  “Hey Cassidy,” Honey gave a finger wave.

  Miguel nodded to her. “I’m going to see Cap. I’ll meet you back here in a bit.”

  “Sure.” Not that she was nervous about being around Honey and Ida, but Cassidy had only really been around Miguel for long periods of time. He winked at her and walked out.

  “Hear you got a flash drive for me to have some fun with.” Honey laced her fingers together and extended them out till her knuckles popped. Her brown eyes gleamed with an impish nature.

  “Um…yeah.” Cassidy walked over, pulling a Ziploc bag from her pocket. She’d put the flash drive in it to make sure it didn’t get soaked from the boat ride.

  Honey took it with well-manicured hands and slid it out, before popping it into the laptop in front of her.

  Ida pulled up another chair. “Sit down, girl. I doubt it will take too long but standing on a sore leg doesn’t seem like the brightest thing to do when there are plenty of good chairs around.”

  Smiling, Cassidy sat down, the pressure in her thigh easing. She leaned against the cool leather. “Thanks for doing this.”

  “It’s no problem. Seriously. This is like…” Honey trailed off when Ida cleared her throat. “Well, let’s just say I know what I’m doing.”

  All the more curious, Cassidy wanted to ask questions, to figure out just what went on behind the scenes here. Guns, hackers, ex-military. Most people would have left her at the hospital and Cassidy would have been locked away in a mental institution—or worse by now. This was a whole group of people helping her.

  Ida patted her arm. “Don’t you worry. Miguel is one of the best men I know.”

  Honey snorted. “She’s just saying that because Miguel flirts with her.”

  “Well that may be true,” Ida smirked. “But he just likes to make women feel good.”

  “In more ways than one,” Honey added as her fingers moved over the keys with expert precision.

  Cassidy’s heart hitched. The way Miguel acted, she suspected he was playboy, but it had only been speculation. “Oh?”

  “Oh my God, Miguel is suchhhhh a ladies’ man.”

  “Honey!” Ida gave her a look.

  “What?”

  She gave an exasperated sigh and Cassidy just looked back and forth between the two of them. Apparently, her instincts had been correct. Better to cut ties sexually with Miguel now rather than later.

  Ida looked at her, her gray eyes sympathetic. Probably in her early 40’s, there seemed something almost aristocratically southern about her. She had a slight accent, but nothing like Hunter’s. She held herself with confidence and Cassidy liked that about her.

  “Miguel has a good heart and a good soul,” Ida said. “Don’t let anyone, even him, make you think different.”

  “Very true,” Honey said. “He likes to joke and keep people at a certain distance. Not uncaring, just careful.”

  Cassidy had figured that much out herself. What she couldn’t understand was why they were telling her this now. Like she was some major influence in his life. “He’s been really nice to me. Doing all this, I mean.”

  No need for them to know about the sex. Cassidy flushed just thinking about his hands on her body, the way he’d pressed her against the wall.

  Ida smirked. “He likes you. Don’t for a second think he doesn’t. No matter what you hear about him, he’s a fine catch.”

  “I’m not...I mean, I’m trying to focus on this.” She gestured to the computer.

  “Well this,” Honey said. “Is going to take some time. Who encrypted this? Seriously, they’re good.”

  “Uh…my friend,” she said. “Kendra. She was good.”

  The embarrassment took a back seat to the ache in heart. Later, when this was over, Cassidy knew it would hit her worse—if she was still alive for it. Right now, it almost seemed far away, surreal. Like when they’d told her about Meredith. Cassidy didn’t believe it at first. She’d denied it, said they had to be wrong. Then they took her to the morgue to identify the body. Meredith had been laying there, bruised, gray, her hair limp, her body without life. Cassidy lost it then. They’d had to sedate her. It wouldn’t be as bad with Kendra—not that she didn’t care, but it wasn’t her little sister.

  Honey nodded. “Yeah. She was.” She glanced over. “We heard what happened. Sorry for your loss.”

  Cassidy picked at her thumbnail and looked at her lap. “Thanks.”

  Ida put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

  “But seriously, this is going to take a little bit,” Honey said as she leaned in to the laptop, squinting her eyes at the screen.

  Anxiety tightened Cassidy’s chest. “Are you sure you’ll be able to crack it?”

  Honey raised a brow and winked. “Oh sweetheart, don’t underestimate me.”

  From the gleam in her eye, Cassidy had no intention of doing so.

  Cap didn’t have much information on Ivanov, much to Miguel’s disappointment. They’d done some digging, but so far, the man and his businesses seemed legit. The boat parties showed questionable morals, but nothing illegal so far as anyone could tell. Most likely people had been bought and paid off to keep their mouth shut—or killed. The guy who’d gone after Cassidy twice was a ghost. Somehow, he’d managed to make it out of Kendra’s apartment before the cops got there. Definitely a cleaner. He knew how to make people and himself disappear when necessary. Miguel had no doubt he’d be back. He’d always be back until someone put him down. Miguel was starting to look forward to it.

  He rubbed his face, leaning forward on his knees. “Once Honey cracks that drive, hopefully we’ll have something to go off of.”

  Cap nodded and reached down to pet Swabbie, his service greyhound on the floor by him. “She’ll be able to do it.”

  “I know.” No one at the Crow’s Nest doubted Honey’s capabilities when it came to this sort of stuff.

  “Taking down Ivanov isn’t going to be easy, even if there’s damning evidence on that drive.”

  “I know.” Miguel said again.

  It seemed the phrase of the hour. Cap was just saying everything Miguel already knew. It was to make sure they were on the same page. Cap had been through hell in the SEALS, not that he ever said exactly what. None of them did unless they wanted to, and no one pushed. Every man at the Nest had seen combat in one form or another. They came from different branches, but they’d made their own unit here, and they all respected that.

  The
re was a knock at the door before Jax poked his head inside. “Uh, Miguel…”

  He raised a brow at Jax’s unease. The guy was young, and sometimes a little cocky. Unease wasn’t something Miguel had seen on him before. “Yeah?”

  “Your sister’s here.”

  Groaning, he dropped his face in his hand. Yup, that’d do it. Maricela had a way of making people uneasy, especially when she was angry. She took after their mother that way. But the difference was his mother only made people uneasy when she was angry. The rest of the time Mama Cortez was adored by all.

  That reminded him…

  Oh shit! He pulled out his burner cell and looked at the date.

  “Fuck!”

  “What?” Cap asked.

  “I’m going to need an unmarked car and a decoy.”

  “Why?”

  “Because if I miss Mama’s birthday, I’m not going to be able to take care of Ivanov. Maricela will kill me first.”

  Cap smirked. “Jax, get The Boat ready.”

  The Boat. An old Mercury Marquis that was basically indistinguishable from the hundred others driven in South Florida. A favorite of old folks, a leisure sedan that was not meant for high speeds or crazy car chases. The damn thing was too heavy and would hydroplane like a bitch. That’s why they used it for decoy situations. Practically anonymous. Chances are that the cops would be watching the house, so Cap said he’d have Honey put in a nearby call that they’d have to take. Miguel would be able to sneak in with no problems.

  If it were anyone else, Cap probably would have argued, but everyone at the Nest had met Miguel’s mom. They knew not to cross her.

  Miguel went outside to face his sister. Maricela stood near the front office, tapping her wedge clad foot. Her long, brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he knew behind those dark rimmed sunglasses his sister’s eyes were blazing with anger.

  She didn’t take a step toward him, instead, waited for him to approach her. Yup, she was pissed.

  As soon as Miguel got close enough, she slapped him upside the head. He barely flinched having been expecting it.

  “Where the hell have you been?” she asked. “Your face is all over the news with that blond girl. Mama is worried sick and it’s her birthday!”

  He cringed at that. In hindsight, he should have had word sent that he was okay, but that was risky. Hell, what he was about to do was risky, but it was his mom and he felt guilty for letting her worry.

  “Relax, Maricela,” he said. “I’m fine, and yes I’m going to her party.”

  Her features softened just a little. She had the same dark brown skin as him, but where he looked more like their father, she had the beauty of their mother when she’d been younger. In high school Miguel practically beat off the guys. By then, their dad had passed away and he was the man of the house. No way in hell was he going to let some pervy high school senior go on a date with his sister. Many of them learned the hard way, much to Maricela’s dismay. But in their family, they took care of each other.

  “What’s going on, Miguel? Why are you a wanted man?”

  He sighed. “It’s a long story. Just know that I’m not a criminal and neither is Cassidy.”

  She huffed. “Cassidy Fletcher. A rich white girl. Sounds like trouble to me.”

  Every woman sounded like trouble to his sister. As much as he never approved of the men she dated, Maricela was the same when it came to the women Miguel dated. They were highly protective of each other. It wouldn’t have mattered if she were white, Latina, black, or blue with purple polka dots. The same condescending tone would have rolled off Maricela’s tongue.

  Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t deny the trouble part. Ever since he fished Cassidy out of the ocean, they’d had one problem after another. Yeah. For sure. Sexy, smoldering, long legs full of T-R-O-U-B-L-E. It was hard not to think about those legs, or that ass, or those perfect, perky tits.

  Maricela snapped her fingers in his face. “Miguel!”

  “What!” He held his hands out.

  “Stop having pervy thoughts. Get your shit together and let’s go, yeah?”

  He heard laughter behind him and sighed. Of course, the guys were watching. Why wouldn’t they be watching? He and Maricela were putting on one hell of a show.

  “Miguel!” This time Honey’s voice rang out to him as she approached. She smiled at his sister. “Hi, Maricela.”

  “Hey, girl.”

  Honey looked back at him. “I like Cassidy, I really, realllllly do, but if you don’t get her out of my conference room while I hack this drive, I might strangle her, mmkay?”

  Before he could answer, she turned on her heel and stormed back. Cassidy stood outside the door with Ida, looking small and sheepish.

  Damn it! Everything about today was just going from bad to worse. The last thing he wanted to do was bring Cassidy home with him, but she was his responsibility. Besides, she was probably safer there. Ivanov’s men wouldn’t think to look for her at his mother’s house.

  Maricela’s lip quirked up and he pointed a finger at her. “Don’t start.”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You were thinking it.”

  Maricela laughed and Miguel sighed before looking at Cassidy. “Come on, Sirena. Looks like we’re going to a birthday party.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Cassidy’s blond hair was stuffed up under a blue baseball cap. She had no idea where they managed to come up with the frumpy jeans and shirt she was in, but somehow, she’d been buried in an outfit that made her look nothing like herself. If anyone was actually watching, they’d never think Cassidy was Cassidy. Maricela sat behind the wheel driving. At the last minute they thought it might be smart to split them up. Hunter would drop Miguel off in The Boat, and no one would blink at Maricela showing up with a friend to her mother’s birthday party. If Miguel showed up with her it might raise red flags. Cassidy still thought this was a stupid idea. Miguel could be endangering his mother, and he didn’t seem to care.

  Maricela hadn’t said anything to her in the car. She just drummed perfectly manicured nails on the steering wheel and cast scathing looks Cassidy’s way. Miguel must have spoken to his sister before they left, because Cassidy got the feeling Maricela wasn’t one to keep her opinions to herself—though plenty came across loud and clear via body language.

  She parked the car in the driveway of a middle class, two-story house with Spanish tiles and an off-white paint job. Other cars parked in the yard or on the edge of the street. It said something that Maricela got the driveway. No one had blocked her spot.

  “Listen up,” Maricela said as she put the car in park. “If it had been up to me, you wouldn’t be here. This is for family and friends. As far as I can tell you’re not a friend of my brother’s. You clearly have no problem with him now being a wanted man.”

  Cassidy flushed. Guilt made her sick. She hadn’t really ever thought of the consequences that this might be having on Miguel. She’d just welcomed the help—got him involved in something that could get him arrested or worse. If anything happened to him, it would be her fault. A sister would mourn him whether behind bars or from the grave. So would a mother—who had a birthday today and Cassidy was showing up when she had no business being there.

  “I—”

  Maricela held up a hand silencing her. “Don’t explain yourself. I don’t care. Miguel has been through enough and he worked hard to get back from a very dark place.”

  The more she spoke, the more of an accent washed through her words. Just like Miguel.

  “He doesn’t need to be dragged back down by you or anyone else. Got it?”

  Cassidy clenched her jaw. Something awful had happened to Miguel. The scars alluded to that. No one would out right say what. It made her even more curious.

  Maricela was right though, Cassidy shouldn’t drag Miguel down with her. But, without him and the others, she had no way of stopping Ivanov. That probably made her the most selfish woman in the world. And if C
assidy were honest with herself, it was more than just his protection. It was Miguel—the way his eyes smoldered when he looked at her, and the dimples that poked out when he smiled. Her heart thudded, just at the thought of him, and she had to clench her thighs to calm the deep need building between her legs.

  “Miguel is a big boy,” she said. “He makes his own decisions. If he doesn’t want to help me then he can just walk away.”

  Maricela shook her head, long dark hair swaying over her delicate brown shoulders. “No. That’s where you’re wrong. You don’t know my brother at all. If he sees someone in trouble, he has to do something about it. He can’t help himself. It’s always been his way. It’s why he joined the Marines. He wanted to make a difference. Serve his country. Save lives. He’ll help you. A total stranger — even if it means costing him his freedom or his life.” She pointed at the house. “We need him. His family. When we thought we lost him once, it nearly killed our Mama. What gives you the right to put him in a situation where we could lose him for good? You are no one to him or us. I’m sure he already slept with you. Don’t think too much of it. He sleeps with everyone.”

  Maricela got out of the car, slamming the door behind her, and leaving Cassidy sitting in the passenger side with flaming hot cheeks.

  Yeah, Cassidy had her suspicions, but in her bold and vicious way Maricela had said it confirmed it—and stabbed Cassidy right in the heart. The sex was just about sex. That’s how one-night stands worked, even if she wasn’t exactly an expert at them. She’d become a notch on Miguel’s bed post. Part of her must have hoped for more or else hearing it out loud wouldn’t hurt so much. Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them back. She would go to the party—when it was over, she would ask Miguel if he really wanted to help her. Maybe she could push him out of it. Make him stay away. Cassidy had planned to take Ivanov out herself. She still could.

  A plan didn’t exactly spring to mind, but she’d found out everything on her own—and besides Maricela was right. Cassidy didn’t have the right to take Miguel away from his family. Kendra had a sister too, and her parents were still happily married living in Port St. Lucie. Now, they were mourning the loss of a daughter and sister. That was on Cassidy. If it happened with Miguel, the guilt would gnaw at her insides. She already carried the guilt of Meredith, now Kendra. She couldn’t keep putting people in danger.