Page 56 of Storm Warning

“I’m going to take her up now. If you remember anything else, you can share it with me. I’m here to listen and help you figure it out.”

“Right. You’re the guy to help me get my memories back. And I’m here when you’re ready to talk about Cole.”

They made a great team. Except he wasn’t ready to talk.

This flight would take Hawk’s complete focus, but he knew this Agusta was good for it and his skills would get them through. The helicopter lifted and fought the wind. He focused on flying through the inclement weather and thought about next steps. He’d texted his buddy Gordo Bates, a former Weyerhaeuser helicopter mechanic who owned an aircraft salvage business. He had helped Hawk find and put together this bird. Gordo was going to leaveHawk a vehicle at the warehouse that he could use for a day or two.

After landing at Gordo’s salvage yard protected by a fenced and gated-off area, Hawk powered down and allowed the rotors to cool off before shutting down completely. The deep ache of exhaustion coursed through his bones, despite getting a few hours of sleep early this morning. Remi was getting dark circles under her eyes. They needed more rest and sustenance before taking one more step deeper into this quagmire.

Forty-five minutes later, he steered through an industrial section to a gated warehouse turned into a few condos and then drove around the back. They got out, and he led her up the steps to the second floor, where he pressed in the security code and opened the door to let her in, then reset the alarm.

“Where are we?”

“This is just a condo I bought six months ago, after selling my house. It’s sparse.” He’d been busy trying to track down his brother. Busy with his job. That was before he got fired.

Now he was busy with Remi.

One bedroom. One bath. Anything bigger would have been out of his budget because he spent most of his money on that helicopter. A guy had his priorities. He turned a few lights on in the kitchen and one soft light in the cozy den. Well, it was cozy now that Remi was in it.

“This is ... nice,” she said.

He chuckled. “You don’t sound convinced. I haven’t put up pictures yet. I’m not much of a decorator.”

“But why bring us here? I thought we were going to John Marshall’s.”

He released a heavy sigh. “We’re both exhausted. By the time we get to John’s, it’ll be late. I thought we could usea reprieve. Eat and rest. Head out tomorrow. Don’t worry, nobody’s going to find us here.”

“Not even your brother?”

He lifted a shoulder. “He doesn’t know about this place.”Yet.

“As far as you know.”

“Right.” He nodded. “For the last year or so, I’ve been looking for him so I could face off with him. Try to bring him back from the dark side. I’ve come close to finding him, but with his training, he’s a ghost. I figured he might pay me a visit one day because he doesn’t like me in his business. Never did. So, in case of any unwanted intruders—my brother or otherwise—I have security cameras in place.” His brother wasn’t his only worry. After taking out that terrorist—the incident that got him fired—he’d been threatened by the man’s associates in the terrorist cell. This condo had been a good move. But now he’d found Forestview and Hidden Bay. He might settle there instead.One day at a time, dude.“I know it’s small, but I’m not home that much.”

“Do you happen to have extra clothes I could borrow? Do you have a washer and dryer?” She looked down at her attire.

“I have some sweats and T-shirts you could wear if you really want to wash your clothes, but they’ll be too big on you.”

“That’s fine with me.”

“And I have these.” He pulled a couple of burner phones out of a kitchen drawer and handed one to her.

“Oh, nice. Thanks. You’re all kinds of prepared.” She smirked at him.

A friendly, teasing smirk.

He showed her the bedroom and the alcove with the stacked washer and dryer, then left her to it. Hawk snaggedsome clothes out of his closet so he could change too. When she emerged from the bedroom in a T-shirt and sweats hanging off her, he used the bathroom to take a quick shower, then pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt. He headed to the kitchen, where Remi stood at the fridge staring inside the freezer. She peered over her shoulder.

His stomach chose that moment to growl. “Well, what will it be? We have lasagna, lasagna, and lasagna, and—oh, wait—enchiladas. And chicken nuggets. Some frozen broccoli. What’s your preference?”

She left him to it and sank onto the sofa. “Whatever you make for you, make it for me too.”

He fixed a big plate of chicken nuggets and stuck them in the microwave.

Remi got up and moved around as if searching for a piece of Hawk in this place. She bent over, picked something up, then released a small gasp.

He peered over the counter. “You okay in there?”

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