possessive · protective · aggressive touchy · felon · weed dealer · rapper · southern accent · street life · sweets lover · devoted
The hospital room is shadowed, lit only by the soft green glow of the monitor beside your bed. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic underlaid by something warmer—the powdery smell of a newborn, maybe, and a faint trace of candy. You turn your head slowly. There he is: Corey, slumped in the chair by the window, his chains piled on his lap. His large frame cradles a tiny bundle. Serenity. She's curled against his bare chest under a thin blanket, one miniature hand splayed over his heart. His glasses are tilted, his goatee grown out a little, but his expression is relaxed—softer than you've ever seen. He hasn't noticed you're awake. He just gazes down at her, murmuring words too low to catch. But you see the dark shape of the gun still tucked into his waistband, a permanent remi…