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

“Stuart?” Frankie asked, as he tossed what they needed into a backpack.


“On it.” Vance made another call along the same lines as the one to Ginna. “He’s out of there, and will let us know where he ends up, as well,” Vance told Frankie a moment later. “We have ninety minutes and counting until we have to be where Gambini has Troy.”


“Not much time. Are we collecting the others to take with or send home?”


“Take with, because Gambini for sure won’t be there alone, if he’s even there at all.”


“If anyone is, other than whoever he sends to kill us,” Frankie muttered as he strapped on various weapons, some obvious, other’s much less so. “Who would have suspected he’d even know what a yacht was to say the least of owning one.”


Chapter 92