“Where the diyu did that come from?” Mal asked, somehow not that surprised.

“I put it here earlier,” she explained, looking at him. “You really are a gullible fool.”

“So I’ve been told.” He crossed his arms. “So now you’re going to shoot me?”

“I’m thinking about it.” She glared at him. “I spent months in jail because of you, Malcolm Reynolds, and that’s something I want to pay you back for.”

“So all this was –”

“Two birds with one stone.”

“Fine.” He looked at her. “And now?”

“I’m still deciding.”

“If’n you’re gonna shoot, just do it,” Jayne said, materialising out of the darkness and grabbing Saffron around the arms. “Don’t stand there talkin’ about it.”

Mal pulled the gun from her hand. “Just in the nick of time,” he said to the big man.

“I aim to please.”

Mal smiled. “So … and how have you been, Saffron?” he asked conversationally.

The redhead was fighting to get free. “Let go of me!”

“Stop struggling, girl,” Jayne said, both arms firm. “Only hurt yourself, you fight like that. And I ain’t above hitting a woman.”

“Oh, he’s not,” Mal confirmed. “Chivalry and Jayne ain’t exactly words that go in the same sentence too often.”

She stopped. “Now what?” she asked.

“Looks like the boot’s on the other foot.” He shook the rain from his head and picked up the bag at his feet. “So this is worth a lot?”

“Mal …”

“Probably not as much as the Lassiter.”

“That isn’t –”

“I don’t want it.”

Saffron stood still, her mouth open. “What?”

“What?” Jayne echoed.

“I don’t want this. All I want is for you to turn up tomorrow in that courtroom and tell them I ain’t your husband. And that‘s when you‘ll get this back.”

“That’s blackmail.”

“Sure is.” He grinned. “Feels good, too.” He put his head slightly on one side. “Although I’m beginning to think that maybe it ain’t a good idea to let you out of my sight until then. Perhaps Jayne should –”

Saffron slammed her head back into the big man’s nose, loosening his hold long enough for