On Contract • Lashton AU

Part Two

It took twenty-three year old Ashton barely a few minutes of walking behind Luke before he made the effort of closing the distance.
The chilled air snapped at his fingers as he pulled his hands from his pockets. No weaponry at all was needed for this; Ashton needed to minimize the unwanted attention he received.
In the blink of an eye, Ashton's hand was resting firmly on the arm of Hemmings. The response gained was one of surprise, and then immediate, yet mild, fear.
"We need to talk," Ashton said, ensuring his voice was low.
"Concerning?" the younger boy asked. His blue gaze worked its way over Ashton, as if taking in every detail.
"Oh, you know perfectly well what this is about. Keep walking," Ashton spoke back, sustaining the air of authority around him.
Luke shut his mouth. He didn't know.
The odd couple continued for several minutes with an unbroken silence lurking between them.
Hemmings was the first to speak up after that, his voice one of fear melded with confused.
"What is it we need to talk about?"
"Be patient," was Ashton's blunt response.
Luke's pace quickened. So Ashton quickened his.
"Tell me why you're following me or I'm calling the police," The emotion in Luke's voice was almost completely fear now. It had become clear to Ashton that he had begun to join the dots.
"You're not calling anyone," Ashton calmly responded to Hemmings' threat.
"What makes you think you can stop me?" Hemmings retorted, becoming a little too cocky.
Unzipping his jacket pocket, Ashton pulled out his .44 firearm just enough for Luke to suddenly become aware of the extreme weight of the situation.