Hauk scoffed at Caillen. “Sex isn’t always the answer, you know.”

“Bullshit,” Caillen said with a laugh. “You obviously ain’t never had a really good lay or you’d know better. Nothing clears the head faster or changes a man’s direction about where he wants to stay.”

Syn concurred. “I’m siding with Caillen on this one.”

“Me, too,” Jayne said.

Nero nodded. “Add me to that list.”

Hauk rolled his eyes. “You’re all morons.” He looked at Nykyrian. “You’re with me on this one, aren’t you, Nyk?”

“No. I’m definitely with them. There’s no one in this universe who can defeat or weaken me. But Kiara can bring me to my knees with one single pout, and when she takes me into the bedroom, nothing can pull me back out. I have absolutely no will where she’s concerned, other than to make her deliriously happy.”

“Well, that explains all the kids,” Hauk said under his breath. “Since I’ve obviously been doing something wrong—”

“Yeah,” Jayne raked him with a sneer, “lay off the cheap ’hos, and try finding a decent woman for once.”

Hauk started to respond, then he must have realized he was about to bring a knife to a blaster fight. “Fine. Maris, can you seduce him?”

That might work if Darling were gay. But…

It did get him thinking.

“Give me a couple of days to work on something, okay?” Maris cut the transmission as he drummed his fingers against his thigh while he thought through the one thing that might save Darling’s soul.

Zarya was the only woman Darling had ever loved. Before all of this had blown up, he’d been willing to die for her. To risk everything he had, even his beloved family, to claim her as his wife.

“Jayne, I couldn’t care less what you do with her so long as I don’t ever have to see her face again.”

That had been a harsh sentence Darling had handed down, but Zarya was the only member of the Resistance Darling had spared from death. He had torn the rest of them apart as soon as he located them.

Was it possible that Darling might still love her?

C’mon, Mari… he’s in enough pain. The last thing you want to do is add to it.

Don’t even consider what it is you’re thinking.

But what choice did he have? Maris knew no other way to reach Darling.

You’re a friggin’ imbecile. If Darling truly hates her now, he will never forgive you for returning her to his life.

It’ll end badly…

For all of them.

But it was all they had. I’ve tried everything else. Nothing had worked.

If anyone could seduce him, surely it was the woman who’d claimed his heart when no one else had.

Would Darling ever forgive her though?

Was it possible?

Maris had never taken a lover back after they’d broken up. But then he’d never been in love. Not really. Not the way Darling had been with Zarya.

It’s worth a try.