When it came to making tough calls, Xander never took orders from anyone— except Ronald.


    So when Ronald said it was time to go hard on ck Gate, Xander was all in. "You sure you want me to go rough on Dan?" Xander asked, eyebrow raised. Yvonne shot him a look. "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "I''m warning you now-once I go in, I don''t hold back. Don''te crying to meter," Xander said with a cocky grin.


    Yvonne''s lips twitched in annoyance, and she raised her hand to smack him. "Who do you think you''re calling a crybaby?"


    Xander caught her cool hand mid-air, brought her fingers to his lips, and kissed them gently.


    His warm breath sent shivers up Yvonne''s arm—a ticklish, electric feeling.


    "You... you''re impossible," Yvonne stammered, her cheeks pink.


    "Maybe you didn''t cry, but I remember someone bawling their eyes out back in the day," Xander teased.


    "Shut it," Yvonne snapped, her mood darkening.


    She hated when anyone brought up the past right now.


    Yeah, Dan died right in front of her-died in her arms. Who wouldn''t fall apart after that?


    Back then, she''d really loved Dan.<fn7a89> This update is avable on find{n}ovel</fn7a89>


    For a long time after his death, Yvonne couldn''t stop crying. The whole Quinn family had been worried sick, and her mind was fragile, breaking over and over. She''d had a line of therapists trying to help her through it.


    But now-now that Xander brought it up-it all seemed like some sort of cruel joke.


    "You jerk," Yvonne muttered, genuinely angry.


    All that deep love, and Dan turned it into a bad punchline.


    Xander tugged her closer by the wrist, pulling her into his arms. "Let me go," Yvonne protested, struggling a little.


    "Yvonne, listen to me for a second, Xander said, suddenly serious. His


    make even battle hardened


    eyes were sharp, s).


    Yvonne''s heart skip a beat  s


    He held her wrist with one hand, his other arm wrapped firmly around her waist, pulling her so close their breaths tangled together.


    "You''re my wife now. Everything we do about Dan-that''s just cleaning up old messes, you got it?"


    Yvonne''s eyes widened. "What?!"


    "It''s over. Come home with me,


    (e)


    yeah?" Xander said, his voice rough, possessive. The word "home". sounded different heavier when said it.  s


    Yvonne swallowed hard. "Did you forget our marriage is just a business deal?"


    She knew she shouldn''t bring it up


    now, but it felt like Xander had


    forgotten


    or maybe he never


    nned on sticking to the


    arrangement at all.


    to s


    Xander let out a lowugh. "A deal, huh?"


    "That''s right. I help you take care of—"


    "If it''s just a deal, then go find Susanna yourself and hand her back to Hull." Yvonne froze. Wait, what?


    Before she could react, Xander''s grip tightened and he pulled her down, so she was leaning into him.


    His lips found hers-soft but demanding. Their breaths mixed, heat coiling in the space between them.


    Yvonne''s mind went nk.


    She tried to push away, but against Xander''s strength, it was pointless. The more she fought, the deeper Xander kissed her.


    Only when she was breathless and dizzy did he finally let her go.


    Yvonne gasped for air, and her first instinct was to p him right across the face.