Page 156 of Broken Vows

My stomach twists.

“Levi told him not to say that again.”

I look up despite myself.

“Maverick said it again.”

Of course he did.

“That’s when Levi knocked his tooth out,” Drew says. “Maverick was a lot less talkative after that.”

I stare at the floor.

“For however much you hate him,” Drew says after a moment, “I promise you, it’s not half as much as he hates himself.”

My throat tightens.

“He’s always been like that,” he adds, rubbing the back of his neck. “Never understood why. He’s a miserable prick, obviously, but he’s not…”

He trails off, searching for the word and clearly hating the process.

“He’s not bad.”

I look up despite myself.

Drew’s expression shifts, uncomfortable now. “He got me off the streets when I was a kid. Kept me alive.”

I stare at him as the realization moves through me.

Drew is the boy Levi was talking about. That night he told me about his mother, he said there was a kid he should have put on a better path. At the time, I hadn’t understood the shape of that guilt. I didn’t know he meant he dragged Drew into being a hitman.

“You don’t hate him for that?” I ask quietly. “For how things turned out?”

Drew looks genuinely confused. “No. I have a sweet life. Have you seen my wife?”

Despite everything, I blink at him.

“Beats being some pencil-neck middle manager who talks about ‘circling back.’” Drew shudders. “I’d have lasted six minutes.”

I just stare at him.

He shifts, suddenly uncomfortable. “What?”

I should shut my mouth. I don’t.

“Maybe you should tell Levi that.”

His brow furrows. “Why?”

“He thinks he ruined you.”

Drew goes quiet for once.

“He doesn’t think that.”

“He does.”

“He’s an idiot,” Drew mutters.