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

Frankie limped over to do it for him with a comment about the blind leading the blind or some such. Then, he replied to Vance’s question with one of his own. “Where do you have friends?”


“Virginia I suppose, but I don’t want to live under Makie’s thumb. Wherever you guys live, but again I don’t want to be so close, if that makes sense. You all need to get away from the jobs without a reminder the next one could come up at any time. I know a couple of people in New Orleans who I guess are friends.”


“Yes, part of another team. Four people actually,” he added as he thought about it.


“Then it wouldn’t be such a bad place to settle.”


“Except for one thing, Ginna lives there, too, which presents the same problem as moving where any of the rest of you live.”


“That’s a bogus excuse in the first place and you know it,” Frankie told him as he eased himself down on the bed, leaning back against the headboard to take the pressure off his injured thigh.


Chapter 96