Park holds his gaze a beat too long, something calculating flickering behind his eyes.
“You should also know I’ll be filing a complaint,” Luke adds. “A detailed one. I hope your paperwork is flawless.”
Park’s jaw tightens. He looks from Luke to Reid, then back again, weighing it.
“Fine,” he says at last, voice clipped. He jerks his chin at his team. “ID checks only. No physical searches unless you have cause.”
A few of the officers shift, some of the tension bleeding out of the room.
I hadn’t realized how tight my chest had gotten until it eases a fraction.
“Take me to your office,” Park says to Reid. “The rest of you—finish up here. The faster we’re done, the sooner we’re out.”
After Reid and Park disappear, the remaining officers move through the group, checking IDs, asking questions, trying to claw back some control.
They grow more irritated with every empty answer and every sarcastic comment thrown back at them.
By the time Park returns, his expression says it all.
Nothing.
In the end, Tal stays put in his outhouse, and the police leave with exactly what they came in with.
Nothing.
As their vehicles pull away, the guests erupt—cheers, applause, a forest of raised middle fingers.
“That’s right, assholes!” Kane shouts. “Run along.”
“I wouldn’t mind that Officer Park between my legs,” Key murmurs dreamily. “He reminded me of Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain.”
“Jesus,” Lacey mutters, patting his shoulder. “Aim higher. He’s a cop.”
With sleep now out of the question, everyone drifts toward the dining hall, buzzing with adrenaline and leftover anger. Luke disappears into the kitchen and comes back with snacks like it’s some kind of bizarre after-party.
Talon joins us soon after, confirming they found nothing on him either.
“Nice instincts,” I say quietly to Reid. He squeezes my hand before stepping forward to address the room.
“Thank you,” he says. “All of you. It means more than you know.”
“No problem,” Kane replies. “Nice to stick it to someone for a change.”
“I’d still like to stick it in that officer?—”
“Yes, Key, we heard you the first time,” Luke cuts in, dropping a bowl of popcorn chicken onto the table. “Eat something.”
Laughter breaks out, the tension finally cracking.
The day drifts by in a strange, quiet haze. A yoga lesson, a short walk, conversation with one or two of the other guests.
After lunch Reid says he has time to give me another Reiki session just before dinner, and I tell him I’ll go to my room to make some notes and then take a nap, and agree to meet him in the Reiki treatment room at six.
Once I’ve updated my notes, I give a yawn, realizing just how tired I am after all the events of the last few days. I glance atmy phone and see it’s just gone three o’clock, so decide to set my alarm for half-past-five, to give me time to get up and have a quick shower before my Reiki date with Reid.
I undress quickly, and get into bed, my muscles tired, my mind even more so. I let my eyes close, my body finally starting to unwind from the stresses of the last few days. It can’t be much later than nine thirty pm, but I am already beginning to drift into a peaceful slumber.
Half asleep, I hear my door softly open. Assuming it’s Luke, or maybe even Reid if he’d managed to get away early form whatever he’d had planned between now our planned Reiki session. I lie there, expectant, my eyes closed, anticipating the creak of the mattress, and a soft hand on my shoulder, followed by a delicate kiss.