Yvonne huffed, "What do you want me to do about it? It''s not my problem!"


    Right now, all they needed to care about was taking ck Gate.


    If Dan wanted to sort out the ck Gate mess, he''d have to talk to Hull-or her brother, for that matter.


    Xander let out a sarcasticugh.


    Watching Yvonne, he couldn''t help but find her kind of adorable. She was hopeless at pretending-what you saw was what you got.


    Xander answered the phone. "Yeah?"


    "What the hell does Yvonne mean by this?" Dan''s voice was all clenched teeth


    and anger.


    Xander raised an eyebrow. "You''re asking me?”


    "Who else would I ask? You''re with her!" Dan was even more pissed now.


    The whole Yvonne-and-Xander-together thing was a splinter in Dan''s mind-one he''d wanted to yank out for a while, but his life had been pure chaostely.


    "Put Yvonne on," Dan growled. Just hearing Xander''s voice grated on his nerves -he had zero desire to deal with Xander, who he''d always seen as a snake, someone who''d take advantage when he was down.


    Xander nced at Yvonne. "He wants you to take the call."


    Yvonne threw up her hands. "Seriously, it''s not my call. Stop asking!"


    Her voice was all tied up in knots.


    Dan could hear it, and his mood darkened even more. "What do you mean it''s not your call? Put her back on-I want an exnation!"


    She''d pulled the whole Murray family into this mess, and now she was saying Susanna''s situation wasn''t her problem anymore? What kind of logic was that?


    Xander just shrugged. "It''s not her deal anymore. Go talk to Hull or Ronald." Dan was silent, fuming.


    Hearing that answer from Xander again was almost enough to make him blow a fuse.


    "Not her problem, huh? And what about you?"


    Over the past few days, Xander and Yvonne had gone after ck Gate harder than anyone-Dan would never admit tout loud, but he k they were a hell of a team when they worked together.


    And sure enough, after Yvonne''s "not my call," Xander chimed in, "Not mine, either."


    Dan ground his teeth. "Xander!"


    He was losing it now. What did they mean, not their problem? What did all the chaos at ck Gate even mean, then?


    Xander answered, biting off the words. "It''s just not our problem."


    The way he said "our" made Dan''s temper snap.


    "What the hell are you two ying at?" Dan exploded. "You stir up all this crap, and now you''re just washing your hands of it?"


    Xander just replied, calm as ever, "That''s exactly what I mean-it''s not our problem anymore."


    Dan was so mad he wanted to tear Xander a new one. How could he say something like that, like it was no big deal?


    Dan spat, "Not your problem? Fine. Then give back everything you took!"


    If Susanna''s business had nothing to do with them anymore, then all the things they''d taken from ck Gate because of her shouldn''t they give it all back?


    But Xander just said, "Can''t. And neither can she."


    There was a heavy silence on the line, broken only by Dan''s furious breathing.


    "Xander, for God''s sake, what the hell are you two trying to pull?” Dan demanded.


    First, he says Susanna''s gone from


    ck Gate. Then Xander and


    Yvonne say it''s not their problem anymore. But when Dan asks for their spots back they say it''s impossible? Who the hell does business like that? Who''s that shameless?


    Dan felt like he was about to burst a blood vessel.


    Xander''s voice came through, cool and steady. "Look, none of this is our problem


    anymore. But we''re not about to just sit here and lose out, either."