She’d worked so hard to achieve the dream that had killed her mother. She’d staked her career, her savings, her entire life on finding Star’s End.
Her hands fell to her side. Now she had nothing. Just like that horrible day when her world had been torn apart.
“Dathan, you need to reconsider.” Niklas slashed a hand through the air. “This is just like you. You finally have a chance to go after something that really matters and you wimp out.”
Eos felt the energy in the air amp up. She saw a glint in Dathan’s eyes as he rounded on his brother.
“You need to shut the hell up.” Dathan’s voice held a hard edge.
Niklas shook his head. “I’m sick of staying quiet about this. I can never work out if you’re trying to prove him wrong or prove him right.”
Eos didn’t know who they were talking about, but Dathan’s gaze turned lethal. The hairs on the back of her neck rose.
Then Dathan launched himself forward.
He tackled Niklas’ larger frame like a VelocityBall linebacker. They crashed to the ground.
She watched wide-eyed as they rolled across the concrete floor. When Niklas landed a punch to Dathan’s face, the thud of flesh on flesh made her wince. Her homeworld was a matriarchal society. They didn’t solve their issues with violence.
Zayn pushed past her. Good, he was going to break them up.
When he dived into the fray, she gasped.
Unbelievable. She felt the burn of anger now. She needed these three supposed professional treasure hunters to help her.
She watched Dathan pummel his younger brother. One of them was cursing like a space freighter handler.
“Stop it,” she called out.
No one heard her. With a huff, she strode forward and nudged—she thought it might be Niklas—with her boot.
When they continued to fight, she reached down. Suddenly Niklas shoved Dathan hard. He flew back, his elbow striking her cheek.
With a cry, she fell, Dathan’s heavy weight crashing down on her.
“Shit.” He shifted off her and into a crouch. “You okay?”
She was fine, but eyeing the horrified look on all their faces, she realized the best way to stop the fight. “I’m…not sure.”
Dathan pressed a finger to her cheek. “There’s a bit of swelling. Nothing broken.”
His hands were so gentle. She’d expected him to be rough. His face was serious, the fire draining from his eyes. His left eye was swollen and was going to bruise.
He wrapped an arm around her back and helped her up. “Come on. I’ll sort that out.”
“I think you need medical attention more than I do.”
He touched the corner of his eye. Winced. “You might be right.” He shot a nasty look over his shoulder. “When we get back, my idiot brothers will apologize.”
Niklas and Zayn were silent and looked chastised.
Dathan kept one strong arm pressed to her back. The heat of his body seeped into her clothes—he was just so…intense. “You started the fight.”
He shrugged one muscular shoulder. “There’s always a fight around here. We don’t keep track of who starts them.”
She shook her head. “Why do you fight? They’re your brothers?”
He looked down. “You must be an only child.”
