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

Vance shrugged. “I was able to cajole it out of them.”


With a nod, Roger asked, “How did Ms. Smith handle herself?”


“Very well, actually. She’s a good addition to my team, I think.” He smiled slightly, adding, “She survived her first kill, only losing her lunch. She doesn’t know I know though.”


“Which is a good thing,” Rico said. “I mean that she got sick. Only a psychotic wouldn’t feel something the first time they killed someone, even an enemy.”


Vance just nodded, not willing to admit that he hadn’t been bothered one iota with his first kill, or any of the others. But then, he was a self-professed psychotic and still able to maintain without going over the edge too far. Or so he hoped.


“Then you’re keeping her around?”


“Absolutely. As a matter of fact she came back to town with me, and before you start reading something into it, her son was being cared for by Bain’s secretary while we were gone.”


Chapter 77