Hard to Kill: A Sibling Spy Thriller (Unleashed Series Book 5)

Nathan and Aleasha are on the run, and they're nearly out of time.

They need to discover who sent them information only their dead father knew, and why. And they need to do it before Simon catches up with them and has them killed.

Can they achieve their goal with Drew constantly interfering? Can these sibling spies follow the clues that will show them who their father really was, why he trained them to be spies, and why Simon is out to kill the last of the Summers family? Or will their time run out, leaving Simon as the winner who takes all?

If you like high-stakes action adventures filled with mystery, intrigue, romantic suspense, and bone-cracking fight scenes, you'll love the 5th and final installment of the Unleashed thriller series.

Truce

#Aleasha

As we sit in the Black Chevy Silverado truck that Manny’s uncle loaned us, Manny glares at our group through the rear-view mirror. His deep brown eyes stare at each person for a long moment before moving to the next. First Drew, then Nathan, and over to me, who is in the passenger seat next to him.

I peek at the guys, too. Nathan’s changed in the year since the car accident our parents died in, and the A.G.E.N.C.Y. separated us, telling each sibling the other was also dead. I swear Nathan’s grown a foot while we were separated, and his blond hair has darkened a couple of shades. Drew has changed in the months he spent with Nathan. Now Drew's polished pretty-boy look has morphed into a rugged, bad-boy persona with a couple of scars on his face and a haunted look in his eyes.

What do I look like to them? I still have long brown hair and the same athletic build. I guess I’ve acquired a few new scars, too. Do my brown eyes look haunted when they look at me, too?

When none of us says anything, Manny nods. “Okay then, it’s a truce. There is a lot at stake right now. We need to work together, not tear each other apart.”

He puts the truck into gear and backs out of his uncle’s driveway. “I’ve gotta stop for some gas before we leave Kalispell. The drive should be less than a couple of hours. We can get some snacks on the way out of town, and maybe some food to get us through the next twenty-four hours while we’re hiking the Bob Marshall.”

As he drives, Manny rubs the spot where I fixed his wounds.

I chew on my lip and stare at his hand. “How are you doing?”

He gives me a sidelong glance, then looks at the guys behind us. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, touching his arm.

“Yeah. I had my uncle look at it before I left. He gave me some stuff to put on it later. I might need your help with that when it’s time.”

“I can do that.”

“Thanks.” He offers a relieved smile, then glances back at the guys again before turning into the gas station, pulling into a spot toward the end of the gas pumps.

I dig through the duffel bag at my feet and pull out several twenty-dollar bills, handing them back to Drew. “Can you go in and pay? Manny’s still injured, so I’ll pump the gas.”

“Do you want anything from the convenience store?” Drew asks me.

“Water, please,” I say. “Get whatever you think we’ll need for this trip. And can you get Nathan some snacks too? If I know him, he’ll be hungry five minutes after we leave town.”

“I can help pay,” Drew says.

“I can take care of it.”

Drew shakes his head. “But—”

I cut my hand through the air. “No buts. My brother. My responsibility.”

Nathan raises his hand. “If it’s that important, you can both buy me something. I’ll make the sacrifice and accept twice the love.”

I roll my eyes and Drew snickers, tugging Nathan’s arm. “C’mon.”

I watch Drew and Nathan walk to the gas station. Manny pulls his baseball cap over his face and leans back in his seat while I climb out of the truck and wait for the attendant to turn the gas on.

Drew has a limp. That’s new. It’s not big, but it’s enough that I notice. Nathan’s nearly as tall as Drew now. That makes him six feet. Sheesh. How did my fifteen-year-old brother get so grown up looking? Manny is definitely the bigger of the three guys. His months of working out and training have turned him into a Greek god with a Latin twist. Manny's tan skin, dark wavy hair, and Mexican accent take it to a whole new level.

The covered fuel pumps smell of gas and exhaust. It’s cool in the shade compared to the sun pounding on us as we drive. I close my eyes and take a breath, relaxing for a moment. This will probably be the last time I’ll rest until all of this is over. However long that will take. Hopefully not so long that I can’t graduate this year.

“Aleasha Summers, is that you?”

A jolt of recognition shoots through me and I whirl around, looking for the owner of that voice. Ben, the paramedic from the hospital, stands at another pump, fueling a black Jeep with roll bars. He’s got his hands shoved into his jeans and a white T-shirt under a button-down shirt. His blond hair ruffles in the breeze. When he smiles, his eyes crinkle.

My stomach flutters with excitement.

“Ben?”

He breaks into a grin and waves. “What are the odds?”

“I was thinking the same thing. What are you doing here?”

Ben points to the passenger in his Jeep. “I was taking Aunt Betty to see her grandkids at Lake Blaine.” He gestures to me and the truck. “Kalispell, Montana is a long way away from Walla Walla, Washington. Why are you here?”

I glance inside Ben’s Jeep, and Betty, the nurse from the hospital, waves at me, a grin on her wrinkled face.

“I was… uh.” Think, Aleasha! Think! I fiddle with the gas pump to give myself some time and glance at the convenience store to make sure the guys aren’t coming out. “I’m going camping with some friends.”

Ben walks over to my truck and stands next to me, a little closer than I expected. Normally, I’d be pushing the offender away, but Ben smiles down at me, and his face makes me warm inside.

“Is that why you missed our ice cream date yesterday?” he asks.

“Oh, crap.” The flutter in my stomach dies and sinks to my toes. “I’m so sorry about that. This came up at the last second…”

“And you thought it couldn’t wait a couple of hours?” Ben raises his brows, leaning in even closer.

I close my eyes and drop my head. “It’s not that. I haven’t seen my brother in over a year, and he just showed up and…” I look up at Ben, into his gentle eyes, and he shakes his head, an easy smile forming on his lips.

“It’s all right. Really. I wanted to get to know you, but there were no strings attached.” He holds out his hand. “Give me your phone.”

I fish my phone out of my back pocket and hand it to him. He types in his number. “Now you can get a hold of me anytime.” He flashes a thousand-watt smile. It makes me wanna melt into the ground because he’s being so stinking gracious about me bailing on him.

“Call me if you want, when you get back to town.” Ben hands me back my phone. “Deal?”

“I honestly didn’t mean to stand you up.”

“I’m just glad you’re not in another barn somewhere dying. I’ll take camping with your brother over death any day.” Ben grins again, then waves and returns to the Jeep where Betty is leaning over the steering wheel, watching us like a hawk. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was trying to read lips.

“Who was that?” Manny says from the cab, making me jump. He's got his hand on the bill of his hat where he shoved it off his face, and his brows are knitted together, a frown on his face.

The gas pump clicks off and I pull it from the tank. “That was the paramedic who saved me from the drowning where you saved me,” I say, concentrating on not dropping the gas cap. Hopefully, I’m not blushing as much as I think I am.

“He gave you his number?” Drew asks, walking up to the truck with Nathan right behind him.

I glance over at Drew. He has an eyebrow raised as if he doesn’t believe me. The way he cocks his head and holds himself denotes jealousy, too.

Something inside me bristles and I grind my teeth. “What is it to you, Drew? We’re not an item anymore, remember? I can talk to whomever I want.”

I whirl on my heel and stomp back to my side of the truck, where I get in and slam the door, glaring out the windshield.

Drew climbs into the back seat and hands me a bottled water and a snack.

“Thanks,” I mumble. Darn him for taking the high road.

We pull out of the gas station and I notice Ben and Betty watching our car leave. I force a smile and wave at them as our car passes theirs. I really hope Betty’s overactive imagination doesn’t get the best of her. I don't need her to convince Ben to follow us to make sure I’m safe. Especially with Simon who-knows-where. I’d hate for Betty and Ben to get mixed up in the crazy crap I’m dealing with right now.