Behind the Badge: Obsession in the Shadows

Parents

The air hung heavy and silent after Gregory's last words.

The only sound was the ragged pace of my own breathing, and the steady, deep rhythm of his heart beneath my ear. My dad's abuse, and their death six years ago, was a lie How could they disappear like that? Did my grandparents know?

I was so close to my grandpa that i called him dad because i was with them so much my parents were constantly out of town.

Thud
Thud

Thud
Thud

The intense heat of his anger had started to recede, replaced by a suffocating possessiveness that felt just as overwhelming. A crushing weight pressed against me.

I stayed silent, leaning against his chest not out of consent, but because his grip was still an iron band around me. Not wanting to do with his fiery hot rage.

My body felt drained, the adrenaline slowly giving way to a weary ache throughout my body.

I finally managed to push a strained word past the tightness in my throat.
"The binder," I whispered, the word shaky. "The pictures. My parents—" I say looking at my nail finally noticing the teardrops on his shirt that had fallen.

Gregory gently tilted my head back up again, his dark eyes searching mine. The intensity hadn't faded, but the aggression had morphed into something smoother, more controlling.

"We will discuss the binder later, baby," he stated, his voice now low and utterly devoid of question or unwavering possibility it was certainty. "But not now. Are you too emotional right now? You didn't listen and aren't thinking, Madison, and you need to process that first. That you disobeyed me and hit me.

He released his hold on my chin but kept one arm firmly around my waist, his hand resting securely on my hip, anchoring me to him. With his free hand, he reached for the binder that had fallen to the floor when he grabbed me. He picked it up with a single, fluid motion and placed it on a high shelf out of my reach.

And nods satisfied.

"The truth is difficult," he continued, watching me intently. "And I know the shock of it is why you reacted the way you did. You need to understand that all of this ; your parents, these secrets, it's dangerous. That's why I have to be in control you have no idea how dangerous your parents' enemies are. I can't let you run headfirst into something you don't understand." he remarks as he runs my back.

I felt a fresh wave of frustration and confusion. He was using the shock of the binder's contents to justify his actions, painting himself as the reasonable protector. Not some maniac who just spanked me.

"You don't get to decide what I'm ready for," I managed, my voice firmer this time, though still trembling slightly. "It's my life, Gregory. You can't just take that information away and expect me to trust you." I say just barely loud enough to hear.

He sighed, a sound of deep sound of thin patience. "You don't know there are things about this world that your parents kept hidden, things that can hurt you, and that I am the only one who has managed to keep you safe from them." For months I've watched you.

He smoothed my hair back from my face, his touch infuriatingly tender. "Let's focus on calming down. You need to clear your head. We can talk about the details later, when you're not letting pure emotion dictate your actions and you get yourself into more trouble."
He started to lead me away from the wall, his arm still around my waist he picks me up, a strange thing really.
"Come on up you go," he murmured. "Let's go sit down."
He led me toward the couch, maintaining his hold, and despite the turmoil inside me, he sat me down. I felt powerless, not just from the physical exertion, but from the sudden, jarring shift in his swift moods. He had taken everything this binder, my anger, my ability to choose, and now he was offering a twisted kind of comfort.