Welcome to Hickstead, home to both Seven Oak Stables, and Blue Acre - two rival stables. Both offer opportunities for their clients to reach the highest level of excellence. Each stable differs from the other, so choose wisely and never forget, loyalty is everything... Meanwhile as the stables battle it out, there's trouble brewing at the university. Be careful, if you don't pick a side you may get caught in the cross-fire...
This is an chilled out rpg with a super friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Remember to sign up with your characters full name in all caps and don't forget to do your claims! Thank you and Welcome, we've been established since 10th March 2009 but unfortunately have had to close guest view of our boards due to multiple sites ripping off our hard work, such a shame! Come chat to us in Discord before joining if you like!.
Amber didn't know what to do with herself. She hadn't for the last couple of hours, ever since she'd found out Tristan's latest play. At first on hearing the news, she'd pounded several shots. More than several actually, enough to sink a good man's liver. Un-ironically, she had been sent home early. Not for drinking on the job as such, the bar had been closed by the time anyone had realised why Amber's pupils had blown up like bug eyes - but she was told to leave and sort her head out whilst they fixed up the place for the next day. Moni hadn't made a big deal out of it, she'd kept it from the boss and told Amber she understood. It didn't make her feel any less miserable. Following the drinks and leaving work, she'd spent some time walking. It sounded stupid but she'd needed time to think and the cold nightly October air had been a great shock to the system - particularly having forgotten her jacket at work.
Tristan had gone after Mik's work. Both of them. He'd twisted words, made complaints, turned ears. Mik was a good man, the best she had ever known, and she couldn't stand for this shit. He didn't deserve this. It hurt, to know that she had thrown his life upside down since admitting she loved him; all she'd done is fuck up the life he had made for himself. She couldn't do that to him anymore. Really, she did know what to do. It was just going to hurt like hell. She didn't think she would love someone like Mik. It sounded ridiculous, and impossible, but she'd lived through a lot in her young life and she knew she wouldn't feel like this for someone again. But she'd ruined it. Her past had caught up to her, as she had worried it would eventually, and she was scared at what it would do to Mik in the end. She'd imposed on Mik's life, thrown herself at him, moved into his flat, taken over his space, and then her ex had beaten the crap out of him, learnt about his hidden past, and now was trying to get him fired and ruin his reputation. It was too much.
She arrived home without any knowledge of the time, all she knew was that the door was locked, and that Mik was out. It was ideal really, she didn't know if she could do this if he was still home. She had to go. She had to get out of here and run. It was the only way. She needed to save Mik from herself, and if she went then she could lead Tristan away and Mik would be safe. That was all she cared about - not herself or what happened to her, not anymore. She had this coming. She deserved this. Grabbing her to go bag from the wardrobe, tucked beneath a load of her shoes, she started haphazardly shoving her clothes into it. Somehow she'd accumulated more things than when she'd first come to town, but she unceremoniously stuffed in each drawers worth of stuff, panic rising as she tried to choke down the emotions threatening to overwhelm and drown her.
Mik had been so happy to be able to return to work, but he was on "light duties", so he'd had to give up his night job, for now, and once the doctor was happy with his physical fitness, they would give him less restrictions. The bad part, was that Naomi was following every guideline she had been given and was watching him like a hawk - though the way he was getting side-long glances from everyone, maybe it wasn't just his health that had her watching him.
While he was supposed to be on shortened days, when an emergency had happened, and a Thoroughbred filly that Naomi had recently purchased off the track had colicked, Mik had put his hand up to walk Shamrock around the indoor arena while they waited for the vet to arrive, and it would mean he didn't go home to an empty flat with Amber working at the club.
"Just keep walking." He said softly to the filly as the flaxen chestnut tried to swing her head around to nip at her belly and he encouraged the horse along to make another circuit of the arena. The filly's registered name was Luck O' the Irish, so Shamrock was an easy barn name, and she'd got her name due to the fact that she looked like she could have been a palomino, though without the cream gene in either parent, she was simply a flaxen chestnut, but no one was going to hold that against her. She just hadn't been fast enough for the track, and rather than her being run into the ground to see if she would get faster, her owners had sold her cheap as a possible show prospect. She'd be a very nice looking horse, once she'd grown into her legs. The sudden upheaval and change in her diet though had resulted in colic, and to her being walked in circles to keep her on her feet.
He felt like he had been walking the mare for hours, losing count of how many circuits they had done, letting the youngster rest every now and then, so she didn't get too exhausted. He looked over as the door opened and he smiled when he saw Cara standing there. "The vet has arrived, and Mrs Clarke-Thorne says that it's time for you to go home." She said with a hint of a smile. "I'll keep her from rolling." Mik pulled a face, holding back any comments he wanted to make as he held the lead out for the young woman to take. "I'll see you in the morning." He knew that once the boss had decided he'd finished, there was nothing that would change her mind, and if he admitted it to himself, his chest hurt when he breathed too deeply.
It wasn't until he walked out to his vehicle, a charcoal grey Isuzu D-Max, that he realised how late it actually was, maybe he had been walking the filly around for hours. He laughed as his stomach grumbled as he unlocked the door and climbed in. With a shake of his head, he started the engine and headed home.
Pulling into his parking spot, he frowned as he looked at the building. "My Spidey senses are tingling." He gave a half smile as he jumped out and locked the vehicle, ignoring the twinge of pain from moving too quickly, as he figured that his senses were just telling him that Amber was home, and he made his way up to their flat.
He paused at the door. It was quiet, too quiet. Letting himself in, he toed his boots off and walked through the flat to their bedroom. He leaned on the door frame, silently watching, brows dipping in worry. "Are we both packing, or is it a solo holiday?" His tone was light, slightly amused.
It was wrong of her, awful of her really, to have hoped that she could have been packed and out the door - gone - before Mik returned. After everything, he deserved much more than that - then again, he deserved much more than her in general. Sometimes, she wish she'd never caved, that she'd moved on before the feelings had hit her, because it would have saved him so much - he deserved a nice girl, with a good family and a good heart who didn't have this shady ass past trying to ruin his life. It wasn't that she didn't love him enough, her heart ached with how much she adored this boy, this man really. His only faults being that he tried too hard, that he was too good of a guy. It was why she had to go, to save him - it was all for him. And once she was gone and she'd taken Tristan away, he could meet another girl who would be able to give him everything he needed.
Of course it was too much to hope for, fate intervened and she cursed as she heard the front door. He didn't call out, which was a little unusual - did he know something was wrong? Perhaps work had told him what was going on, that things were being questioned when they shouldn't be. Maybe he was mad at her? As he should be. She didn't dare stop or look up, even as her body screamed at her to stop, even as she felt him behind her in the doorway. "Are we both packing, or is it a solo holiday?" She nearly crumbled right then, she loved him too much to run away - right? But that was why she was running, because she loved him so much he needed to be saved from her. She swallowed hard as she finished stuffing her stuff into the bag and spent a minute trying to zip it, giving up for a second as her shaking hand made her angry and incapable of completing the simple action.
"No, it's just me." She swallowed again, past that heavy lump in her throat, but that only made it worse. Her eyes burned hot as tears threatened. She straightened up and turned to look at Mik, then away - unable to meet his eyes. "I'm going to go." Terrible way of explaining things, but how could she do this without the hurt? "I need to leave, Mik. So, I'm moving out and I'm going to leave Hickstead." Simple sentences, that was the best way.
He frowned as he watched her. He knew that she knew he was there, her body language had given that away, but she hadn't stopped her packing, so he figured he'd wait it out right where he was.
"No, it's just me." He nodded, as he'd kinda been expecting that answer. "I'm going to go." His brows rose. "I need to leave, Mik. So, I'm moving out and I'm going to leave Hickstead." He gave a snort of laughter, not that he had all found her inner turmoil amusing, and stalked toward her. "No." He said as he took the bag from her hands and threw it across the room, he'd clean it up later, then took her hands and walked her over to the bed. "You aren't my prisoner, you've always been able to leave whenever you wanted. However, don't let that piece of pond slime make you run." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. "He's having way too much fun destroying you by messing with me." He gave a bitter laugh as he quirked an eyebrow. "I'm thinking he's at it again, from the looks I've had at work, and the fact that I'm not often left alone." Even while walking Shamrock, there had been someone constantly checking in on him. "However, love, if you run, you're letting him control you all over again. Don't give him that power."
She stopped for several seconds, managing another glance Mik before she turned back to the bag, once again trying the zip, trying to steady her shaking hands as her eyes misted. His snort of laughter caught her by surprise though, and she paused, frowning as she looked at him - why was he laughing? What the hell was that about? He was moving toward her before she could realise, and she tensed, knowing he was going to try to persuade her against it. "No." And then the bag was gone from her hands. She couldn't help it, despite knowing Mik would never hurt her, she flinched. In that moment the way he stalked, the throwing of the bag, it took her back to before, and she fumbled a step back from him before she even knew what she'd done. This was Mik, gentle, sweet Mik who would never...
"You aren't my prisoner, you've always been able to leave whenever you wanted. However, don't let that piece of pond slime make you run." She let him take her hand, watching him kiss the palm. "I thought about it before." She admitted, "This is not a light decision." She needed him to know that. She had never lied to him about her feelings, about what she wanted. She loved the man, she actually saw a future with him, but that couldn't happen with her ex always a step behind. "He's having way too much fun destroying you by messing with me. I'm thinking he's at it again, from the looks I've had at work, and the fact that I'm not often left alone." So he hadn't heard yet then, it made her feel worse, "He's working on getting you fired, I don't know exactly what he's done but there were rumours of inquiries at work. It's bullshit, Mik. He's not just having fun, he's ruining your life! I am ruining your life." Her voice caught, snagging on the words and she swallowed hard again.
"However, love, if you run, you're letting him control you all over again. Don't give him that power. She shook her head, "He can have it," She shrugged, she no longer wanted to have to fight so hard just to have a life - it was exhausting. "I can't stay here and let it carry on, you don't deserve this, Mik, you deserve better. At least if I leave, it'll take him a moment but he'll move on too, he'll leave you be and you can move on with your life. I'll be fine, I've been here before. I should have known better, should never have settled in this damn town."
Her flinch made him pause, and Mik pulled his emotions under check. He was angry, but that anger was in no way directed at her, and she didn't deserve his moodiness.
"I thought about it before." He nodded with a soft smile, the thought that he'd return home from his day job and find her gone had always been there. "This is not a light decision." That was a good thing, because then he'd have to question their feelings for each other, and that wasn't happening. He knew how he felt, and Amber's current actions made it clear how deeply she felt for him. "He's working on getting you fired, I don't know exactly what he's done but there were rumours of inquiries at work. It's bullshit, Mik. He's not just having fun, he's ruining your life! I am ruining your life." He nodded, as it made sense. "My locker key for BA was on my keyring, I wouldn't be surprised if a few expensive things that I don't own turned up in my locker." The jocks at school had done it enough times to those lower on the pecking order when they needed a reminder of their place. "Maybe it's time to take my life back." Dropping his cover would be a quick way of clearing his name.
"He can have it," He shook his head, wanting to shake her, needing to snap her out of this. His woman had a backbone, and he needed to remind her of this. Amber had helped pull him through the darkness of getting back on his feet after the attack, making sure he took his meds while not letting them control his life, and making sure he took it easy when he was supposed to be resting, not matter how much he wanted to push the boundaries. "I can't stay here and let it carry on, you don't deserve this, Mik, you deserve better. At least if I leave, it'll take him a moment but he'll move on too, he'll leave you be and you can move on with your life. I'll be fine, I've been here before. I should have known better, should never have settled in this damn town." He gave her a gentle kiss. "You are my life." He had never intended to settle in this damn town either, but here they were.
It felt like there was a moment of stillness as she looked at him, practically seeing the way he brought himself under control. She'd never seen him angry before, she didn't know what to do with it, or how he would respond to things. It was new territory for her and she felt her stomach clench in worry. His soft smile made her worry less though, despite the ache to know that he had expected her to run. "The fact that you knew that... what kind of person does that make me?" She scoffed and shook her head. "A not very nice one, clearly." She rolled her eyes. You don't run out on the people you love, although the irony was that is what she was doing right now. It still didn't make her feel better about herself.
"My locker key for BA was on my keyring, I wouldn't be surprised if a few expensive things that I don't own turned up in my locker." She shook her head slightly, "I don't know what he's done, but to bring you under question? The golden boy? How he's done it I can't imagine but if that's true he's not just trying to get you fired, he'd trying to get you jailed. Fuck," She raked her hands through her hair, even leaving Mik would still have to clear his name. "Maybe it's time to take my life back." She could feel herself spiraling, it felt like she was losing her mind, or her emotions, she didn't know how to hold onto it. "And the only way you can do that, is if I'm not here, fucking it up anymore for you."
His gentle kiss was heartbreaking, and her eyes filled with tears, spilling in quick succession as his words followed. "You are my life." That wasn't fair, how was she supposed to argue that. Amber trying to take a step back, needing space from him. It was too easy to cave when he was right there. "I shouldn't be. I'm not deserving." And he was hers. He was her entire life, and leaving him would break her but she couldn' see another way out of it.
"The fact that you knew that... what kind of person does that make me?" Mik arched a brow, waiting for her to finish. "A not very nice one, clearly." He grinned with a shrug. "I've been ready to run at a moment's notice since I moved in here. We aren't that different." Hell, he had a go-bag in the boot of his vehicle at all times.
"I don't know what he's done, but to bring you under question? The golden boy?" He gave a snort of laughter at that. "How he's done it I can't imagine but if that's true he's not just trying to get you fired, he'd trying to get you jailed. Fuck," He pulled an amused face. "There are now enough cameras around the barn that I think they'll know it wasn't me putting the stuff in the locker. And how did I become the golden boy?" He had no worries about clearing his name at work, if nothing else, he'd just ask them to prove that it was him, as he'd been away for a couple of months. "And the only way you can do that, is if I'm not here, fucking it up anymore for you.""This isn't on you." He gently took hold of her hands just in case she started to try pulling her hair out. "I was thinking more along the lines of no longer hiding from my past. If that douche really wanted to ruin things for me here, as he obviously knows everything about me. He could have just dropped to the media who I am." Sure, it might be a bit hard to explain why he wanted to muck out stalls and be the under-dog once people knew who he really was, but it might take some wind out of Tristan's sails.
He used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "I shouldn't be. I'm not deserving." He sat on the bed, wincing slightly as that tightness was still there to remind him the extra hours he'd worked, but he quickly pushed it away, and patted the spot beside him. "I've got an idea. You're totally going to hate it, but it's an idea." He'd bee throwing around ideas in his head since the memories of the night of the attack had surfaced, and he'd settled with a couple that might work, and one of them wouldn't get blood on either of their hands. The other was a tad messier. "You need to call him, and arrange a meeting."
"I've been ready to run at a moment's notice since I moved in here. We aren't that different." She shook her head sadly, "You are different. You wouldn't be thinking about leaving the person you love all the time." And yet didn't have the guts to do it half the time - selfish, because she wanted one more day with him, because she wanted to get to keep something she wanted for a change, because she knew she should go so that he could find someone else who deserved him and yet she was only now trying to leave - when everything had already gone to shit and his life was slowly falling to tatters around him. She glanced at the bag he'd thrown, but a part of her was too scared to go for it again, even if she knew it was irrational.
She shot him a look at his laugh, frowning. "You're laughing at me now?" She didn't understand him and what he was thinking. "There are now enough cameras around the barn that I think they'll know it wasn't me putting the stuff in the locker. And how did I become the golden boy?" Amber shook her head, thoughts coming so thick and fast it was hard to push them back. "Because you're the shining star, the one that can do no wrong. If you think he doesn't realise they'll be camera's... he'll have found some way around it. He's not as stupid as he looks." At least a little stupid but he had a few more brain cells than she liked, it was why she'd struggled to get clear of him for so long. "This isn't on you." She didn't know when it happened but suddenly he had her hands, and she looked down at them. "Yes, it is. He would never have come here otherwise, and he'd never have targeted your life."I was thinking more along the lines of no longer hiding from my past. If that douche really wanted to ruin things for me here, as he obviously knows everything about me. He could have just dropped to the media who I am."
She shook her head adamantly and tried to pull out of his grip. "No, see if you go and do that, then I've fucked up your life again." How he didn't see it, she couldn't figure out. "You haven't told anyone else that secret, and you didn't intent to, doing that will just ruin everything, and it'll be all my fault. That's why this is the only way. I have to leave." Amber felt his thumbs on her cheeks and she turned her face down, once again unable to look at him. Even now, so sweet, to try and comfort her. She shook her head when he sat and tried to get her to join him. She didn't trust herself not to be drawn into him, to forgo her plan to save him. "I've got an idea. You're totally going to hate it, but it's an idea. You need to call him, and arrange a meeting." Amber frowned, pausing for a moment in her crisis to try and figure out his words. "Why the hell would I do that?" She would lead him away but she had no intention of letting him catch her whilst doing it.
"You are different. You wouldn't be thinking about leaving the person you love all the time." Mik gave her a soft smile. "You may have thought about it, but this is the first time you've acted on it." He said softly. "And the fact you were in the process of doing it, tells me how much you care."
"You're laughing at me now?" He pressed his lips together as his eyebrows shot up and he shook his head. "Because you're the shining star, the one that can do no wrong. If you think he doesn't realise they'll be camera's... he'll have found some way around it. He's not as stupid as he looks." He pulled a face. "I think the jury's still out on him being as stupid as he looks." He shrugged. "I'm just saying that with the cameras, even if he's wearing a cap and hides his face from all the cameras, our body shapes are different enough that it will be enough proof that's it's not me." He was confident enough about this that it was already sorted in his mind. "Yes, it is. He would never have come here otherwise, and he'd never have targeted your life." He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. "He targeted me because I have something he wants." He wiggled his brows. "We could almost take it as a compliment, that he feels so threatened by us."
"No, see if you go and do that, then I've fucked up your life again." He released her hands, the last thing he wanted was for her to feel trapped right now. "You haven't told anyone else that secret, and you didn't intent to, doing that will just ruin everything, and it'll be all my fault. That's why this is the only way. I have to leave." He shrugged. "I haven't told anyone who I am, because I'm hiding from my parents." He said. "Who cares if they know where I am? I'm an adult, it's not like they can tell me I have to come home." He looked at her and arched his brows. "This could have actually been the push I've needed for a while now." He rose to his feet again, as sitting hurt more than he wanted to admit. "Why the hell would I do that?" He gave a dark grin. "Because, love, you're going to offer him a good sum of money. I was thinking somewhere around five grand, cash. Maybe the idea that you could throw the ring he is so keen on reclaiming into the offer too could tempt him. Yes, I know you've sold it, but can you describe the ring enough so that we could get something made?" Sure, no one kept that much cash on them, but it could be plausible that he had a bag of cash in the back of his car, and that was taken on the night of his attack, which Mik had only remembered about now as he was sorting out his new vehicle.
"You may have thought about it, but this is the first time you've acted on it. And the fact you were in the process of doing it, tells me how much you care." Amber looked at him a little like he was nuts, she couldn't help it, her impatience was showing. "Of course I care! It's why I have to do this... we're just going around in circles now." She sighed and glanced at the bag again, "If I go to pick that up are you going to throw it again?" Her nerves were shot and she didn't think she'd be able to handle the anger, even not directed at her in the first place.
"I think the jury's still out on him being as stupid as he looks." Amber frowned, "He's gotten what he wants so far, he's been a step ahead the whole time." Like hurting Mik and getting his keys in the process, getting Amber out of the house so he had it to himself to search. "I'm just saying that with the cameras, even if he's wearing a cap and hides his face from all the cameras, our body shapes are different enough that it will be enough proof that's it's not me." Even that logic wasn't enough for Amber to believe it would be fine, misery had set in - with the idea of what she was doing, of how much she was going to lose. "He targeted me because I have something he wants. We could almost take it as a compliment, that he feels so threatened by us." Amber gave Mik a hard look. "Why do I feel like you're not taking this seriously at all? Is this just a joke to you? My feelings are a joke??" She felt like a fool, standing there terrified and heartbroken and Mik was cracking jokes about taking it like a compliment.
"I haven't told anyone who I am, because I'm hiding from my parents. Who cares if they know where I am? I'm an adult, it's not like they can tell me I have to come home." She shook her head, "I care. Because you're only doing this because of me. This hasn't come off the back of your own choice." She didn't want him to be forced, that was awful. "This could have actually been the push I've needed for a while now." She shook her head but his dark grin caught her off guard, wary as to what he was going to come out with. "Because, love, you're going to offer him a good sum of money. I was thinking somewhere around five grand, cash. Maybe the idea that you could throw the ring he is so keen on reclaiming into the offer too could tempt him. Yes, I know you've sold it, but can you describe the ring enough so that we could get something made?" Amber's brow furrowed. "I told you, I can't take your money." They'd had this conversation before after all. She was going to cut him off there before he could get ahead of himself.
"Of course I care! It's why I have to do this... we're just going around in circles now." Mik bowed his head in agreement. "If I go to pick that up are you going to throw it again?" He slowly lifted his hands up, palms toward her. "I just wanted to talk it through." He said softly as he took a step backwards, and throwing the bag out of reach seemed to make a hell of a lot more sense than playing tug-of-war with it.
"He's gotten what he wants so far, he's been a step ahead the whole time." He nodded, it was strange how Tristan knew as much as he knew. All Mik would need was five minutes in a dark alley with Amber's ex, and he'd have all the answers he needed, but then Mik didn't really want blood on his hands, it wouldn't help the situation any. "Why do I feel like you're not taking this seriously at all? Is this just a joke to you? My feelings are a joke??" It was his turn to drag a hand through his hair. "Call it a knee-jerk reaction." He sighed. "When I was growing up, situations never seemed as dire, or punishments as painful, if I acted like it was all a game I was part of. Your feelings have never been a joke, even before I admitted to my own." It was also easier to hide his emotions behind a smile.
"I care. Because you're only doing this because of me. This hasn't come off the back of your own choice." He nodded, knowing that reminding her that this wasn't on her wasn't going to win him any arguments, he'd already put his foot in it enough. "I told you, I can't take your money." He drew in a deep breath as he tried to work out what he needed to say, and closed his eyes when his ribs protested. "We can get the money back though." He said and then pressed his lips together. She'd said it herself, they were going in circles, and he had a feeling that no matter what ideas he put on the table, she was going to leave to protect him.
She watched him raise his hands, looking at the cautious way he held his palms out to her. "I just wanted to talk it through." She looked at him for a moment and then nodded, not making a further comment. She got it, at least he hadn't hurt her.. and then her mind reminded her that that was not Mik, he didn't do that to her. She carefully picked her way over to the bag and picked it up, finally managing to finish zipping it up properly, hesitating. Now she had the bag and most of her stuff, she felt a bit stuck. Did she just... walk out? They were still in the middle of talking, she didn't feel like she could just leave. It would have been so much easier if he hadn't come home yet.
As she watched him drag his hand through his hair, at least maybe she'd finally gotten through to him that she wasn't playing, that this wasn't some silly joke to her. This was her life, and his as well. "Call it a knee-jerk reaction. When I was growing up, situations never seemed as dire, or punishments as painful, if I acted like it was all a game I was part of. Your feelings have never been a joke, even before I admitted to my own." She nodded again, deflating a little with his explanation, her head was coming back down from the heavens but instead, other emotions were settling in. Dread, fear, depression of the idea of being apart from him. "I know you have a sense of humour, it's one of the things I love about you, but this isn't a game." Her voice softened slightly, a strange sense of calm settling over her. She knew what she had to do.
She noticed the slight sign of pain on his face and she bit her lip, wanting to go to him but torn by her own inner turmoil. "We can get the money back though." She frowned, a slight shake of her head. "I don't understand, how are you going to get it back?"
Mik watched her with the bag, there was a part of him that wanted to take it again, the caveman in him wanted demand that she didn't leave, but the rational side of him knew that would be the stupidest idea he could come up with and he remained where he was, the words 'please don't go', on the tip of his tongue. He'd asked her to move in to keep her safe, not keep her from leaving.
"I know you have a sense of humour, it's one of the things I love about you, but this isn't a game." He scrubbed his hand through his hair again. "I know it's not a game, love, and I'm making a mess of trying to explain my method of handling things to you." He closed his eyes and blew out a breath, shaking his head, as he didn't want to make this about him. "I'm sorry. I am taking this seriously, I just have a warped way of demonstrating that."
"I don't understand, how are you going to get it back?" He gave a small smile. "You know how they use microchips on animals so that they can find their way home if they get lost? Well they have something a little like that for personal property too, they're called DataDots, invisible to the eye and unique, like DNA, to the owner. All we'd have to do is spray some on the bag you hand to him, and on the money itself because we both know he'll ditch the bag the first chance he gets." Sure, it would mean having the tell the police everything about himself, and why he'd been carrying that much cash in his vehicle, but that would be easy enough.
"I know it's not a game, love, and I'm making a mess of trying to explain my method of handling things to you." She watched him take a breath, she'd rarely seen him frustrated, they didn't tend to argue and she didn't often see him get mad at the club - he had eternal patience, but then she guessed he probably cracked jokes instead of doing what she did and fly off the handle. "I'm sorry. I am taking this seriously, I just have a warped way of demonstrating that." She considered it for a second and gave a small nod, it wasn't what she was used to. The anger was, that bag throwing had been something she'd known how to handle - you made yourself smaller, weaker, so that they might not hit you this time. They normally did. But it worked better than to puff out your chest and talk back. But jokes and chuckles she didn't quite get, especially when she did know he loved her. No words came in response, she didn't know if there was anything left to say.
"You know how they use microchips on animals so that they can find their way home if they get lost? Well they have something a little like that for personal property too, they're called DataDots, invisible to the eye and unique, like DNA, to the owner. All we'd have to do is spray some on the bag you hand to him, and on the money itself because we both know he'll ditch the bag the first chance he gets." She felt stupid as she shook her head to his question, not being an animal person she had no idea what he was talking about. The closest she could get was from a few movies she'd seen when the money had ended up being stained, or something to that effect. "That sounds too simple. Give him money with some spray on it, and then what.. call the police?" It couldn't be that simple. Things didn't work like that in her life. Running, or just running him over with a car still seemed like her easiest options.
Something flipped inside Amber again as she tried to work through it, tried to understand the angles, and what Mik was talking about, and her brain just couldn't handle it anymore. She burst into tears. They had already threatened plenty, and some had escaped, but all of a sudden her eyes were flooding, and they were pouring down her cheeks and she couldn't stop them as great heaving sobs came out of her chest. Too much. It was all bloody too much. The bed was right there but she dropped the bag and sank to the floor where she was, her palms going to cover her face.
