A few hours later, Thalia helped Ina put away what they ate while the three men were on the beach with Ina's son. For the duration of their dinner, Thalia silently observed the people who would be with her for a few more days.
Although none of the men were officially part of the military anymore, Tatum still stood out as their leader. She noticed that during their dinner because Tatum was always the one who gave them the last word, as if he was the one who really made the decision.
Pierre, on the other hand, was clearly at the bottom of the pack. At twenty-eight, he is the youngest of the three boys, and also has the lightest aura of the three. He's handsome, tall, charming, and he was like a matinee idol that used to be out of Tatum and Dean's character.
As for Ina and her little boy, she could hardly believe how Ina captured Tatum's seemingly cold heart, because she observed that the love between the two was really great. She also deduced that Rafael is Ina's son from a previous relationship because she heard the boy call Tatum 'uncle'. She really thought that Tatum was the father of the child because if he looked at them, they were like a real father and son.
And then there was Dean. As alpha and intense as Tatum, yet there was something more...sexual about him. He exuded raw masculinity, potent sex appeal, and every time she looked in his direction, her entire body grew hot and tingly.
Earlier in the room, she thought he was going to kiss her, but it didn't happen. When he'd walked away, she was really disappointed. Shocking isn't it? She should not think of foolish things like kissing, especially when she is in the mourning stage.
"Sweetheart, come out," Tatum called Ina. "We need you here."
Ina's eyes rolled and she put the food plates in the sink. "Hey, that man won't say 'please'," she said to Thalia. "I always teach Rafael about the 'please' word, but it looks like he's the bad example because he doesn't say that."
Thalia just smirked. She really likes Ina's personality, because she is easy to get along with and there is no doubt that they will get along well. Though she thinks she just can't match her sexy body and seductiveness. Her posture and aura are model-like, as if she has never had a child. She was pale in comparison to her. Not only is she beautiful and sexy, she also looks smart just like Dean's description to her before she met the girl.
"Sorry, sweetheart," Ina said to her future husband. "I didn't hear you very well."
Tatum's voice rose. "I said get out of here."
"What is it?"
"You go out." A pause. "Please."
Ina suddenly burst out laughing. "Okay, coming!"
Thalia was about to turn on the faucet so she could wash the dishes, but Ina stopped her. "Leave those here, Doc. We have more important things to talk about."
With a lack of enthusiasm, Thalia followed the other woman back outside. When they had dinner, thankfully they didn't talk about what happened in Esmeralda and Valera because she still didn't seem ready to talk about it. She knew decisions needed to be made, knew a plan had to be formulated, but she simply didn't have the stomach for any of it at the moment.
However, she sat down in the chair next to Dean, thankful that she wasn't out of place there because she was with the discussion. She knows that Tatum still doesn't fully trust her, but frankly, she doesn't care about that anymore. Because she has nothing to prove to the man.
"We need to find a reputable lab that can analyze the water sample that Dean brought," said Tatum to Ina when her fiancé sat down. "Preferably one that employs a lab tech who accepts extra cash. Because it can't be recorded."
Ina nodded in agreement. "I'll see what I can find."
"I might as well take it to Boston," Thalia spoke up, her jaw tight. "Didn't I tell you earlier that I know someone who can help us, and he will do so without many questions."
Tatum's lips curled in distrust. "Forgive me if I don't take that at face value, Dr. Ricafort."
It amazed her that he was still able to look so damn menacing even with a sleeping toddler draped across his chest.
"Who is that friend of yours?" Dean asked.
She shot Tatum a quick scowl before turning away from him. "Franco Matthews. He's a microbiologist and professor at Harvard. He works out of a lab on campus, mostly does research, development, taking on the occasional government contract." When the three men's eyes widened when she mentioned the word 'government', she quickly reassured them. "He's discreet, and he will not betray me. He loves me because I am like his daughter."
"We're just going to find a lab here," Tatum said sternly.
Thalia rolled her eyes. "Okay, you had to bribe the lab tech just to test the water sample and you had to trust the person you were going to bribe just to keep the result a secret. That seems like a better plan."
"She has a point," Pierre said cautiously, reaching for the beer bottle on the table.
"We can trust Franco," she insisted. "And he'd be helping out of a sense of loyalty, not greed. Maybe the lab tech you bribe will just sell the results to a second person who will give him more value."
Silence prevailed suddenly in those moments, Thalia stared at the sea, then she looked up at the bright moon. It was a warm night, the water calm, the breeze balmy. She breathed in the fresh, salty air, then realized that it had been many years since she had seen the sea again.
But she missed the commotion in their clinic. She also missed her patients. And her colleagues.
Her throat clogged, and she swallowed the lump of sorrow that formed there. They were all gone. The clinic was gone. Just so the military can proceed any inhumane experiments on innocent people.
*****
