Chapter One-Thirty-Three: The Rest of My Life

The beating of my heart seems to halt.

I cannot tell if my ears are ringing or if it is the effect of blood rushing from my head to settle in my gut.

Where did he get the name from? Me in the car or elsewhere?

My mouth moves to make an excuse, but none comes to mind. What does he know? How can I twist this?

"I was playing around with the name in the car. It’s nice. Are you jealous I do not appreciate yours in the same way?"

"I'll answer that when you try again; perhaps this time, put some effort if you intend on lying to me."

Shit.

"You've sent people to spy on me.”

It is not a question I ask, but a statement that he smiles after.

"Not well trained enough to evade the league security, but even gutter rats have their way."

Fuck, that's…not an answer.

“Are you referring to yourself as, said gutter rat?”

“The league is bigger than us, unimaginably so. I have received quite a few sanctions from my attempts to reach you; hence it has taken a year.”

Marko pauses to gesture with his hand tha