"Why was Luke so adamant on wanting to be by your side," Atchinson threw at Ashton, making his body tense as he kept silent. "I understand that Stockholm Syndrome is a very real thing, but the way you're explaining things to me, it seems like him staying with you was a life or death decision."

"Once we did the deal with Luke's dad, he was free to go," Ashton shot back at Atchinson, tired of his smug attitude. "I didn't want him to stay with me. I wanted him to get the fuck out of there because he didn't deserve to be there. I didn't care that it meant a 1.5 million dollar payday for me, I didn't care about anything that would happen afterwards. I just wanted him to get the fuck away from the toxicity that seems to fucking follow me."

Atchinson sighed, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose gently. "You can tell me that you didn't care about him," he deadpanned, "but I can read you on this. Even if you don't want to admit it to yourself, you loved him."

Ashton clenched his jaw again, tapping  his fingertips against the metal table, mulling over what to say next. "I don't know what it means to love," he eventually settled on, letting his eyes fall to his lap as he let out a sigh.

*   *   *

"Have you ever wanted to die," Luke asks quietly, his voice coming out broken and hoarse, making Ashton nearly drop the first aid essentials he was holding in my hands.

"What the hell are you on about, Luke," he asked in a quiet voice, setting the things on the table and turning to completely face him.

Luke shook his head slightly, but it didn't take Ashton's attention from the way his eyes filled with tears and the way his body shook slightly. "I never wanted to be a part of this life," he began quietly. "My dad wanted me to be in charge of his team when I was old enough, and, being the prodigal son I was back then, I told him I would do it and he immediately began preparing me."

Ashton watched as Luke took in a shaky breath, the older man's arms crossed over his own chest and his brows furrowed worriedly as he continued. "He taught me how to shoot a gun, how to break free from zip-ties, and how to make deals with other hit teams. Ashton, I," he choked out a sob, laughing bitterly as he spoke, "I touched my first kilo of fucking cocaine when I was eight. Eight, Ashton! I I was eleven when I first fucking shot someone and had to sexually manipulate a kidnapper to let me go when I was twelve." He began sobbing harder, shaking his head as his whole body leaned forward defeatedly. "I was twelve..."

Ashton turned off the camera again and walked over to the boy, not thinking clearly as he took out his pocket knife and began cutting his restraints. As soon as he was completely free, he almost fell forward out of his chair until Ashton dropped the knife and caught him in his arms, pulling him against his chest and just hugging him. Luke sobbed into the older man's neck and he patted the back of his dirt and blood matted hair, not allowing himself to choke up as he continued to wail about how he hated his father for what he did to him.

If only he knew how close in the same boat they were.

Ashton pulled away from him briefly, holding him at arms length as he looked into his eyes. "I'm going to go get you a change of clothes," he started quietly, watching as he nodded, "and I'm going to bring you another bottle of water and some food. You haven't eaten today at all, and you need to."

Ashton watched him nod again as he stood up from the floor and rushed up the staircase out of the basement, still locking the door behind him as he went to grab a set of clothes from his closet. He grabbed the bottle of water and plate of pre-made food as he passed through the kitchen and made his way back to the basement.

As he was rounding the corner at the bottom of the staircase, he had just enough time to see Luke pressing the blade of Ashton's pocket knife to his throat, causing the older man to drop everything in his hands and run to him, ripping the blade from his hands and tossing it before pinning his wrists to the floor underneath them. "What is the matter with you," he said loudly, noticing how his voice broke as if he were choked up. "Do you really want to die that badly? Huh!?"

Luke began sobbing harder as he rolled his head away from Ashton, his entire body shaking with the intensity of his sobs. "I just want it to be over," he choked out in between sobs, his body becoming flaccid under the man's hold - like he gave up. "I don't want to be here, I don't want to do this, I just.. I want it to be over."

Ashton felt his heart clench at Luke's words, something it hasn't done in a long time, before he pulled him up into his arms and began rocking him as he sobbed into his shoulder. "You said you wanted to stay with me no matter what the cost is," Ashton whispered frantically into his ear. "I'm holding you to that, Hemmings. You're not getting away from me that easily."

*   *   *

"The moment you admit that you care for someone, you become weak in other people's eyes," Ashton said, his glance still not facing toward Atchinson as he spoke. "Your enemies realize they have leverage on you, your work becomes less than adequate, and your whole life immediately begins to fall downhill. I refused to admit that I was beginning to fucking care for him because the moment that someone hurt him to try to get to me, it would've turned into a massacre. I wouldn't have stopped until everyone involved - even those not involved - were lying in pools of their own blood at my feet."

He was quiet for a second before speaking bravely. "Where is Luke?"

Ashton bit the inside of my cheek, shaking his head harshly. "I don't know."

The 'priest' leaned forward slightly, clenching his jaw as he did so. "Where is Luke, Ashton?"

"I don't know."

"Where is he!?"

"I don't know!"

Things were eerily silent after that, the two pairs of eyes boring into each other as the 'priests' jaw stayed clenched. A knowing smirk made its way to Ashton's lips as he scoffed softly, nodding his head as he called for the guards. "We're done here," he deadpanned, standing as the guards entered the room. "I have nothing left to repent for. Time to answer for my sins."

Atchinson clenched his hands as he kept his eyes on the table. As he was being led away, Ashton stopped briefly to turn back to him.

"By the way," he started, "I'm the only one left who does know where he is. So tell Andrew that once I'm dead, Luke might as well be, too."