Driven Read Online Free PDF Page B

say, “then send me in there. I can handle it.”
    “I told you before. You’ll get your chance to prove yourself to Kolek. Later. And when the time comes, whatever happens, just make sure you don’t hesitate.”
    That stops me. My hand drops from the wall. “What do you mean, don’t hesitate?”
    Valac runs a hand through the waves of his blond hair. “When Kolek asks you to collect, don’t take your time figuring out whether or not you want to. Just do it. Later, you can agonize about it all you want.”
    “He’s going to test me.” A sick dread pumps into my stomach.
    Valac drops his hand and looks me in the eyes. “Yes. And I’d really prefer it if you passed the test, little bird.”
    “Because if I don’t…?”
    “He’ll tell me to kill you.”
    Valac sounds like killing me would actually  not be on his top ten for the afternoon. “You care,” I say sarcastically. “I’m touched.”
    Valac glares at me. “I’ll be happy relieve you of your life energy, Lirium.” His voice is cold, but there’s something underneath it. A flinch. It perplexes me. “But I really don’t want to explain to Ophelia how I had to kill her puppy.”
    I frown. “So, you do care. About Ophelia, I mean.”
    He looks away, pretending to examine the trinkets on Katy’s dresser. “I owe her,” he says with a sigh. “She saved me once.”
    “You have a funny way of paying her back.”
    He whips his head back to me. “She attacked me. In front of Kolek. I had no choice.” His chest is heaving, and I believe he means it.
    And that, at least, I can understand. “None of us have a choice, do we?” Maybe I can get Valac to help me after all. But his face hardens with my words and I’m losing my chance. I scramble after it. “What’s the story with you and Ophelia?” He looks away again, so I press on. “She told me to ask you.”
    He arches an eyebrow. “Did she? Why? Trying to warn you off turning out like me, the one Guppy she couldn’t save?”
    “Is that how you ended up here?” I regret it as soon as I ask.
    “I chose to come here.”
    “My mistake.” I try to sound contrite, but I’m immediately wondering what could send any collector to work for the mob voluntarily. I fold my arms and lean against the door frame. “So… what did Ophelia save you from?”
    He laces his hands in front of him, still half-turned away from me, then wrings them apart and picks up one of Katy’s frames. It fades from a picture of her smiling with her surfboard to another with her and a group of similarly perky friends. He sets it back down.
    Just when I think he’s not going to answer, he speaks, softly. “Do you remember when I said I had tasted death?” He looks at me, like he’s judging whether I believe him.
    I nod. I have no idea what he means, but this is something I need to know.
    “I meant that… literally.”
    I wait, but he seems to be struggling with it. “Did something go wrong with a transfer?” I guess.
    He shakes his head, but I’m not sure if he’s answering me or shaking off some thought that’s captured him. He glances at me. “I used to collect for Madam A.”
    I raise my eyebrows. I had forgotten, but she did mention it. “She said you worked for her in the past, but now you…” I hesitate to say it.
    “Now I belong to Kolek.” He gives me a wry smile. “She wasn’t too happy when I left.”
    “If you were working for her…” I’m trying to piece it together. Valac, lapdog for Kolek, Mr. I have no soul … helping Madam A and her sick kids? “What happened to you?” I ask.
    He takes a deep breath and lets it out slow. “One of the parents of the kids…” He stops. “He was special. When his son died…” Valac looks me in the eyes. “They all die. You know that, right?” He takes a step closer, like this is the most important part. Like it’s critical that I understand. “They all die. Some sooner, some later, but you can’t save them.”
    I can’t even get to the