Page 91 of IOU

Is Ainsley here?Is he fucking kidding me?

I hold Tucker’s gaze as I push the door closed without acknowledging him at all. This prick has done enough damage to Ainsley.

“Wait!” He shoves his foot in the door, stopping it from closing.

I look down at his expensive loafers and shorts that rest at the thigh. What a prick.

“What the fuck do you want?” I block his view so he can’t peer around and catch a glimpse of Ainsley or the apartment.

“I would like to see Ainsley,” he says after taking a breath and standing taller.

“I don’t know an Ainsley,” I say flatly. “Try next door.”

I go to shut the door once again when he stops me cold. “Come on, Maverick. Let’s not play this game. Let me see my girlfriend.”

I snort. “Your girlfriend?” I arch my brows at his boldness. “Don’t forget our arrangement, Tucker. You don’t want to get in over your head.” I sneer. “At least any more than you already are.”

Reminding him of the debt he owes me seems to shake some sense into him.

“I’m sorry. I just need to talk to her for a minute. I promise I’ll leave after.”

Not going to fucking happen.

My expression bored and unreadable, I ask, “And what would you like to discuss with yourex-girlfriend? Are you here to ask her to be your best man or Tonya’s maid of honor? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.” I purposefully get his girlfriend’s name wrong. I don’t want him thinking they matter in the least.

He bows his head almost remorsefully.

“No. I’m not here to hurt her. I just want to talk to her.”

Don’t care. “I’m sure you do. Unfortunately, I can’t allow that to happen.”

She’s finally moved on from this prick. He isn’t coming back into her life. Not now. Not ever. She’s fucking mine.

“Please. I only need a minute of her time.”

“Her time is expensive.”

He narrows his eyes. “Are you implying that in order to speak to her, I have to go through you?”

See? He finally caught on.

I tap the doorframe. “I knew you had to be smarter than you looked.”

“You can’t keep me from her. This is her apartment too!”

Aww. Look at him trying to stand up to me.

“You get through this door just like anyone else,” I tell him firmly.

“A favor?” He makes a scoffing noise like he isn’t making that mistake again.

I offer him a malicious grin. “Please. You have nothing I want anymore.”

He swallows, his throat working as his eyes dart around, attempting to peer around me, because that’s just the type of person he is. A loser. Pussy. Now he realizes why he should have never gotten involved with me. I never play fair.

I reach into my back pocket for a card and a Sharpie, twirling the card between my fingers and drawing his eyes to my hands. “But maybe I can make an exception. Maybe you do still have something I can take.”

Guys like Tucker aren’t the type of guys to owe me favors. It’s important to them to never get their hands dirty. However, he did it once. Maybe he’ll do it again before he goes off to med school, buys a house in the Hamptons, marries a debutante, and has a couple kids with his mistress. Guys like Tucker are dirty in their own way. Too bad I’m not interested in anything else he has to offer. I already have her. And now, he knows it. “Time’s a ticking, Tucker. How bad do you want to come in?”

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