Horribly abused by his mother, Van eventually goes in search of his father. When he finds him, his life is radically changed. His father works for the FBI, and has contacts to a covert group, run by the Old Man, that goes after the worst of the worst criminals. Van is recruited to join both -- and does. Van handles every job he's sent on with cold efficiency, letting nothing stand in his way of gaining the information he seeks and stopping his foes. Eventually, he's offered a team of his own within the Old Man's organization. He accepts, with one caveat -- none of them can be female. Because of his mother, the only woman he has ever trusted is his handler, Makie. His attitude takes a hit when he meets Ginna, a cop, while on a job for the Old Man. When it's over, much to the shock of everyone involved, he requests that she be added to his team if she's willing -- which she is, as long as the organization can promise to keep her young son safe while she's on assignments. Ginna fits in well with the team, and though she is appalled at some of the tactics Van uses to gain information, she finds herself attracted to him. Can she break through the walls he's erected around his emotions? If so, then what? Only time will tell.

A Shattered Life

“Where the fuck are you,” Rico growled as he paced his hotel room. He’d finally gotten away from a very angry and frustrated Romano, pleading the need to get some sleep if he was going to be any help whatsoever once they recaptured the man Romano thought was Ortega-Escobar’s enforcer.


He tried calling Vance again, as he had every fifteen minutes for the last two hours. Nothing.


Hearing footsteps in the hall he tensed and then shook his head in self-disgust as they passed on by his door. “Unwind,” he said out loud. “No one’s coming after you.”


He swung around to see Vance closing the room door as silently as he’d opened it.


“Shit! Damn man.” Rico re-holstered his gun and stared at his partner. “You look like someone ran you through a meat grinder. Is all that blood yours?”


Chapter 14