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

With that thought going through her mind, she went to join Theo.


“What the hell? They are myteam members; it’s up to meto tell them what to do!” Vance barely resisted the temptation to throw something. Preferably one of the weights he was using. Only the fact that he’d damage the wall of Rico and Roger’s workout room kept him from doing it.


“Calm down,” Rico told him. “It’s hardly the end of the world. If I’d known you were going to take it like this I wouldn’t have mentioned it.”


“How the hell did you think I’d take it, and why did you know about it and I didn’t?”


“Because I’m your babysitter?” he replied, trying to lighten Vance’s mood. He realized seconds later it didn’t work when Vance slammed the weight down on the floor. “All right, that’s enough,” Rico growled. “Ginna called me to let me know. She knew you’d be upset, and it bothered her they were doing this behind your back.”


“And she couldn’t have called me instead?”


Chapter 84