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

“‘Fraid I’ll try to force answers from them?” Vance asked with a grim smile.


“I think you’d be hard pressed to do that but if you’re right then I, we, want to know what’s going on too. We’ve taken everything they said at face value because we trust them.”


“And so far we’ve never had reason not to,” Roger pointed out. “They’ve always played by the rules even if they are their own ones.” He paused and then smiled. “Twenty to one they’re sitting there waiting for us to come back.”


Rico cracked a smile himself. “So you think they wanted us to go through all this speculating?”


“Why would they?” Vance grumbled though he had to admit the men might have a point.


“Because this way they have us hooked into helping them find this person, assassin or not.”


“Oh, she’s an assassin and don’t ever forget it or drop your guard when you finally find her,” Con told Roger and the others.


Chapter 51