Freya stared at Flynn, almost waiting for the gun to evaporate, for him to say it was a joke in very bad taste, that this wasn’t what she thought it was. Only he didn’t.

“Drop it, Frey. I don’t want to shoot you.”

She glanced past him, seeing the reason for the scuffle she’d heard a few minutes before. Saffron’s two bodyguards lay on the floor, face down, still breathing but unlikely to be waking any time soon. Blood oozed from the mouth of one of them. They must have arrived back at the same moment, walking into an ambush. Just like she had.

“Flynn, don’t do this,” she said quietly.

“It’s too late,” he whispered, barely enunciating. “Put the knife down.”

“Fine.” Carefully, not taking her eyes from his face, she bent forward, letting the blade fall the last few inches to the thick carpet.

“Pity,” the man said behind Flynn. “I’d like to’ve seen what happened next.”

Freya’s attention flickered to him, then snapped into focus. “Aiden Lau?”

He smiled without humour. “So glad you remember me.” He pushed past, his black hair shining in the light as if it was on fire, a gun in his hand.

“You know him?” Saffron asked, holding her belly, Inara at her side.

“I wish I didn’t,” Freya said bitterly. Matty and Jolene’s wedding on Ezra, and the crew’s decision to go treasure hunting whipped through her mind. Then the Laus, taking the gold coins from the Kugelmann hoard off them. They’d barely escaped with their lives. “He’s a crook. Him and his brothers.”

“Mrs Reynolds,” Aiden chided. “Coming from you that’s almost a compliment.”

“Believe me, it isn’t meant to be.” She stood tall. “What do you want?”

“Not you, if that’s what you’re wondering. Until a little while ago I didn’t even know you were on board.” His gaze swept her up and down. “It’s someone else entirely.”

She wanted to shower, wash away just the idea of his touch, but contented herself with rubbing the palm of her right hand down her pants. “Who?” she asked, although she was certain what the answer wa