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

Troy cracked the door open, scanning the hallway. All the offices he could see, including those of the company across the hall, were dark. By mutual consensus, they waited until one of the building’s security guards visited the floor before setting to work.


It took a bit longer than Vance liked, but they managed retrieve their gear from the janitorial closet at the end of the hall where they’d left it, and then get past the security system and into the front office of the company, before the guard came by on his second pass of the night


After that, they had plenty of time to find the information they’d come for. Eventually, Vance packed what they’d taken from the hidden wall safe into his bag and relocked it, while Troy checked the file cabinets in the main office to see if they contained anything of interest. When Vance had finished, he went to join Troy, asking, “You ready to leave?”


Troy nodded, turning to face Vance. He held a gun which he pointed at Vance’s chest.


Chapter 113