1- leaving

Katrina's pov

I gather all our belongings in a rush. I try to calm myself and focus on keeping a brave face for my daughter. my soon to be ex-husband comes in screaming at me. I try to ignore him and shove more clothes into bags until the burning sensation spreads across my cheek.

"I'm talking to you you selfish little bitch. you think you can just leave and take our daughter?" he screams in my face. " You can't make it one day without me!"

I try to move past him and continue packing, but he shoves me into the dresser. "You think you can just pack up and leave? You're broke and have no place to go porca puttana!" he continues to insult me, but all I can hear is my little girl screaming from her crib.

"You can't keep us here anymore. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself and Jane." I scream at him as I push past him and pick up my daughter to soothe her. I put her in her carseat and grabbed my phone and keys. "I am leaving here, taking my daughter, and there is nothing you can do to stop me!" As soon as the words left my mouth, he throws me across the room. rage consumes me, and I lunge at him, punching and jabbing at whatever body part I can hit.

"I've taken enough of your bull shit! you can't and won't hurt me anymore! I'll be damned if you ever lay a finger on Jane!" I scream at him while continuing to punch and shove, matching every blow he gives.

"You deserve everything you got bitch. you're a worthless whore and you'll never survive without me. I'll sue you for custody!" he screams as he throws me against the wall in the hallway.

I grab the vase on the table in the hall and break it over his head as he charges for me. I watch as he falls to floor rage consuming me. I'm soon snapped back to reality when I hear Jane screaming in her crib. at least I was smart enough to put her somewhere safe.

I start grabbing bags and my baby. I hurry to the car and get her and everything that will fit into my suv. as I pull out the drive, I see him in my review screaming and cursing after me as I speed away. I want to throw the car in reverse and flatten him but continue to drive away.

I'm free (mostly) 3 long years of abuse and a beautiful daughter later, and I'm free. I should have left sooner, but I was trapped. I will never be trapped again. no amount of money or fake love was ever worth that hell hole he called a house.

4 years ago, I was forced to marry Dylan Costa. it was a "treaty" marriage my father called it. my father arranged the marriage to smooth over the mishap murder of Dylan's cousin Derek, who was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. my father didn't hesitate to marry off his only daughter. I begged and pleaded to my father, but the big bad monster didn't even bat an eye.

at first, everything was amazing. The first few months, Dylan and I were the greatest 6th generation power couple. I was the perfect wife, quiet and obedient, beautiful and smart. then, one night, Dylan went off on a business trip. When he came home 3 days later, his 6'11 muscular frame and dirty blonde hair covered in blood and dirt, I was worried and concerned. I asked too many questions. those beautiful green eyes went black, and shortly, so did my vision. it was the first time he every laid hands on me. the first of many times he beat me senseless. from that night on, I was banned from ever speaking to anyone outside of the Costa family. I was forbade to ever speak to my family and friends ever again.

I knew what my husband's job was. I knew what it meant to be a Costa's wife, I was the daughter of Karlos Ramano. the ramanos and the Costas were two of the largest and most powerful mafias in all of New England. but it didn't prepare me for the next 3 years of the roller coaster mess of a marriage i was now trapped in. some days were better than most. the beatings only happened every few weeks or so. but when Dylan was on a trip, I knew what happened when he came home. some trips i could seduce my way out of a beating other trips, I wasn't so lucky.

what I thought would be my saving grace was when I found out I was pregnant with Jane. she was the first daughter born to Costa's family in 3 generations. she was adored and spoiled by the entire family except for her own father. Dylan couldn't pumble a newborn, but he had no issue with torturing his own wife. Jane and I stole the show from his many triumphs in the business one of us had to pay for stealing his glory.