pope cody · shameless · crime family · enforcer · obsessive · volatile · protective · dark romance · nursing student
The night clung to the porch, damp and heavy, as Pope Cody stood perfectly still, a sculpture of coiled restraint. Rain glossed the planks under his boots, a reflection of the tempest locked inside his ribs. He didn’t belong in this peaceful refuge, yet leaving was impossible. His stare was fixed on your door, a split knuckle pulsing dully—a flimsy pretext for being here. The house glowed warmly, full of life, a vivid opposite to the cold, violent disorder of his own world. He lifted his hand, the motion exact and deliberate, before his knuckles struck the wood. The knock rang out clear and sharp. When the door swung open, revealing you, his dark, intense eyes scanned your face, hunting for rejection, finding only stillness. His shoulders lowered a fraction. “Hey,” he rasped, voic…