The Mafia's Mom

Chapter 10 Get out of here.

-Grace-

He runs up faster than I expect, and I hear that he puts his drink down. Within seconds he is with me. My dress is off and I am stuck to the bed while he goes crazy like a beast.

I can't do anything, I'm stuck and the only thing I can do is cry, my throat hurts, from screaming, not from pleasure, but from pain.

As always.. it starts with him, I have to please him, strip for him, dance for him, then undress him, make sure he comes.

Somewhere in between, he decides that I deserve a spanking. He ties me to a chain around my neck and if I do something he doesn't want to do, he pulls on it.

Always followed by the promise that he will come along to take the children to school the next day. I can put on a sweater with a high-closing neck and Marcel is right next to me as long as the scratches or sometimes even wounds are visible. So that I can't discuss it with anyone or show it to anyone.

The rope is burning in my wrists and my ankles. I'm sure I'm going to have scars on my back from his belt and its impact.

Then I see something in the corner of my eye and stiffen when I see who it is.

"James," I whisper, but loud enough for Marcel to hear it. He stops what he's doing.

"JAMES GO TO YOUR ROOM." He yells, but James is nailed to the ground with tears in his eyes.

"God James." Marcel sounds angry and I see how he picks up our son. I'm still stuck on the bed and have nowhere to go when my other son walks into the room.

"Mommy?"

"Thomas, go to your room I'll come in a minute." I try to speak softly and make sure Thomas goes before Marcel is back.

I hear my son James crying for me and Marcel is back but stops when he sees Thomas.

"Goddamn! Thomas, go to your room! Mommy is coming! GO. NOW!"

Thomas hangs his head and walks out of the room. I keep myself strong and try not to cry, but this is the moment I know for sure. I have to get out of here. Fast.

This was the last straw.

Marcel loosens me up. He gives me his shirt. I put it on and feel it stick to my back.

"Make them stop crying, tuck them both in, then I'll take care of you." He snaps.

I shake my head but run to James. He always does this.

"Mommy!" He clings to me.

"Dad hurt you. You said he wouldn't do that tonight." He’s starting to cry.

"Come let's go to Thomas." I can't lift James so with his hand in mine, he walks along to Thomas who also immediately clings to me.

"Mommy!!" Both of my boys are crying now. They are worried and I do nothing but hold and comfort them. There is nothing else I can do right now. Tomorrow we leave.

Marcel comes in a few times, but when he sees me sitting on the floor with our boys, he walks away. "Can I sleep here?" asks James and I nod.

If they are afraid, they often sleep together in a bed. Their age difference is so small, as is the difference in appearance.

When James is a bit calmer he slowly releases me and I turn my head to the bed and he climbs in. Thomas won't let me go yet.

"Mommy, I really love you." He whispers. I stroke my hand through his hair.

"I love you too, sweetheart. I always do." I tell him.

"Me too Mommy, I love you too."

"I know that James. I love you too and I always will love you. The both of you."

"I will never hurt you. I will protect you." James winds his finger around my hair.

"I know that sweetheart. Just lie down, it's over now, you have to go to sleep, you too Thomas, you lie down with James."

In the corner of my eye, I see that Marcel is standing nearby.

James takes my hand.

"Mommy? Why is Dad so mean to you? I don't want him to hurt you anymore." I sigh and kiss his cheek.

"ow sweetheart, sometimes-"

"Daddy is sorry."

I'm startled and James jumps out of bed in front of me.

"James, sweetheart, go back to bed," I tell him, but he shakes his head.

"No, Mom, because when I'm here, Dad doesn't hurt you. I'm protecting you from him." He sounds angry and Thomas also jumps out of bed and stands in front of me with his fists clenched. I look up carefully at Marcel. I see the ticking of his jaw.

But this here, what's happening now is why we're leaving. Tomorrow we leave.

I can't stay. That's not healthy for my boys.

"Sorry James, Daddy means it," Marcel answers him and he squats. James also balls his hands into fists.

"Daddy I mean it I'm going to kick you!" shouts Thomas. I grab Thomas and pull him onto my lap.

"Don't," I whisper and kiss his head. This is not right, My kids doing this. It shouldn’t be like this.

"Daddy won't hurt mommy anymore. That's why you guys have to go to bed now, then daddy can make amends with mommy." Marcel tells them and I do my best not to respond.

Until the next time I look wrong, don't have the right clothes on, James asks him something, Elisabeth cries too much, Thomas talks too loudly… you name it… and then I get punished all over again.

"To bed." He points to James and Thomas. James turns around.

He hugs me and whispers in my ear, "I will always protect you, mom. Don't be afraid.”

He takes Thomas' hand who keeps looking at Marcel very angrily.

"Sorry guys." Marcel sighs and extends a hand to me. He knows that I can’t easily go up myself. Not without showing how much pain I am in.

My back stings, my ass hurts, f**k my whole body hurts and I'm sure tomorrow everything will be blue. With large abrasions near my throat, my wrists, and my ankles.

That evening Marcel takes care of my wounds, as always when the anger is out. He has been able to let everything out and then he can be sweet again.

He gently washes my back clean and kisses my back, my neck, and my shoulders. He tends to the wounds on my back with a special oil, to make the scars less visible and then he helps me to bed.

“Grace..”

"No!" I answer when we are in bed. He on his side towards me, me on my stomach. Without a shirt, without a blanket, because otherwise, it will stick to my wounds tomorrow.

"Grace, you have to listen to me."

"Just say it, it's not that I have a choice anyway." I sigh and lie down when I look at him. I see the regret in his eyes, but there always is. Just like the lame excuses in which he is going to tell me that this is also my fault. AND all his excuses are temporary.

I know that and he knows that.

Because the next time something happens that he has no control over, it ends up this way again. He will never see, that if he does this, I cannot willingly love this man. I can’t willingly give myself to this monster.

.

The next morning, he's the perfect husband, as always. He helps me get out of bed because I have pain all over my body, he helps James and Thomas get ready for school and when we are all done he goes to work. Leaving me behind, because he has to leave too early to drop the children off at school.

"See you tonight sweetheart, I'll make amends." He promises and I know what those words really mean.

He bends forward and I turn my cheek towards him to kiss and I know he accepts it because James and Thomas saw us last night and both stand next to me now. Otherwise, this was a reason for him to lash out at me again.

As soon as Marcel is gone, James pulls on my arm.

"Mom, Thom, and I packed our suitcase."

"Why?"

"We're leaving Dad to protect you." Answers Thomas and with tears in my eyes, I grab my boys with me in a hug.

"Oh sweethearts, I wanted to leave today. How nice that you are helping."

I tell the boys to put their main toys in a backpack and I pack clothes for me and Lizzy, I check what the boys have packed and that is surprisingly a lot in the small suitcases they have. I pack the last important stuff. Lizzy is in a baby carrier on my stomach, half under my coat. Both boys have a suitcase rolling behind them, I have a suitcase with me and hold Thomas' hands. James didn't want a hand, because then he could walk better with the suitcase.

This is so not what I wanted for my children. If not what I granted my children and so much not how life should be for children. But I'm grateful that they are so strong and go along.

We take a taxi and I go to the only place I know that can keep me safe.

"Club F please," I tell the driver, and he just nods.

In front of the club, we get out, the driver takes all the suitcases out of the car, and when we have everything I pay him with the cash that I could find at home. I know Marcel is going to be furious when he finds out that I left.

I knock on the door of the club and a man I don't know comes out.

"This is not a place for children." He tells us, briefly and a little angrily.

"I'm looking for Roberto. He said he could help me if I wanted to get out. I need help, I can't go back." I plead. The man looks at me. He sighs and picks up his phone.

"A woman with three children... you could help her... she wanted to get out... I don't know... blond... Yes... No, not seen."

The man hangs up but says nothing else. The door of the club swings open and Roberto comes out running.

"God Grace, what has he done to you!" Roberto grabs my arm, I hiss and James kicks his leg.

"No one should hurt my mom anymore!" He yells.

"James, it's okay, Roberto didn't know I was in pain there," I tell him. My heart breaks for my son. Roberto shakes his head.

"I can fight too!" Thomas lets go of my hand and wants to kick Roberto too. But Roberto stops him. "Hey Kiddo, you're safe here, I'm going to help and protect mom too. Come on!"

"Matteo pack those suitcases, call Rossi and Bianca."

"Not Rossi," I answer.

Roberto smiles and puts an arm around me.

"You are safe Grace, I will take care of it, you and your children are safe. Marcel can't touch you here. Even if Rossi tells him you’re here. I won’t allow it."