Alphahole (Alphahole Roommates 1)

“What was that last night about your laundry?”

I wince. “All my panties are missing. They’re not there. All the ones I wore, anyway.”

He shakes his head. “I didn’t touch them. I haven’t been in your room at all. Honest to Christ.”

I frown.

“What the fuck?” he mutters.

My eyes are wide and I’m chewing on my lip.

“There was a plumber here fixing the shower,” he says. “When we were both at work.”

Braeden is back.

“Put your shoes on, Braed,” Aiden instructs. “That doesn’t explain my phone, though. Wonder if it’s connected.”

“Your phone?”

“Someone screwed with my cell. It was cloned. I got that text sayin’ you weren’t to be trusted. But it was a fake text and we scanned my phone, finding spyware on it. Now someone’s taken stuff of yours? What the fuck?”

“Bad words Unco Ay-ben.”

“Sorry, pal. Carly, I’ll handle this,” he says. “I’ll talk to you at the office. Thanks again for watching him.”

“No problem. Congrats, Braeden. I bet you’re going to be an amazing big brother!”

“I am. Bye bye Car-ee.” He runs to me and jumps into my lap. I give him a hug.

“Backpack, Braed.”

He then reaches for the backpack on the table, zooms to Aiden, grabbing his hand as they go. I follow and lock the door behind them.

I stand there for a minute just dazed. There was something different about him in the past twenty-four hours. Maybe my brain is just addled by seeing a hot guy be so amazing with a toddler.

Maybe it’s part of him being somewhat contrite about the shit he pulled at the nightclub on Saturday.

I can’t be sure. I can’t totally put my finger on it.

I go grab a shower to get ready for my day. I am freaked out, though. Did the plumber that fixed my shower take my underwear?

Was someone else in the apartment in my stuff? Why would they steal my underwear? Nothing else appears to be missing. Yeah, it could’ve been the plumber. Better that it wasn’t Aiden; that eases my mind a little bit, but yuck. It’s pretty creepy, especially given my clean underwear are all accounted for as far as I know. I brought twenty pairs with me. Seth the Security Douchebag seems the most likely suspect, having never met the plumber.

I have a flood of panic and jump out of the shower and before even getting dried off, I dash to my lingerie drawer and start moving things around, looking for my grandmother’s tiara. It’s gone. No. No!

I feel sick to my stomach as I text Aiden, fingers shaking.

“I had a very sentimental and valuable piece of my grandmother’s jewelry in my drawer. I just checked and it’s gone.”

He phones me five minutes later.

“Hello?” I answer. I’m on the verge of tears.

“I have my PI on this. He’s slipping in today to put surveillance equipment into the apartment. There won’t be any in your room but with us bein’ gone, it’s a chance to see if anyone has been slipping in.”

“Okay,” I whisper.

“You alright? If we can’t find it, I’ll reimburse you.”