“You fucking can’t do anything right can you” the blow to my face, knocking me off of my feet and landing on the hard tiles of the kitchen floor, Joe standing over me as I back away from him and I stumble trying to stand up. He lunges for me again, but I throw the fruit bowl at him from the counter and reach for something else, and my hand hits the knife block, my face on fire from the punches, and I can feel my eye swelling“Please Joe stop” I beg him trying to keep distance between us“You fucking dumb bitch, I have no fucking idea why I married your fat ass,” he lunges again, and I pull one of the knives out holding it out to stop him“Don’t Joe, I mean it, just stop,” he laughs lunging for me, and I’m just that tiny bit slow as he grabs my arm, pulling me to him and spins me around holding me to his body the knife now in his hand and at my throat“You think you can threaten me, huh,” he slides the knife across my chest, the burn from the blade slicing into my skin making me scream. I try to get out of his grip, but he holds me tighter, lifting the knife up, he slices my chest again this time deeper, and I hiss and cry harder. “Next time you hold a knife to me, you better fucking use it, cause I’ll fucking kill you bitch,” he pushes me away from him, and I fall to the floor holding my chest, blood dripping everywhere as he kicks me in the ribs hard. The air in my body exploding out of my lungs and I gasp on the floor trying to catch a breath as I bleed all over the floor. He laughs the whole time as he walks out of the door slamming it shut, that was the third and last time I left Joe going to the hospital. This time getting the evidence that I finally needed to divorce him.I run my fingers along the two-deep lines and look in the mirror, “You’re a survivor” I tell myself. From what a lot of the women at the shelter told me I got off lightly, a lot of women are murdered by their spouses yearly, and I knew I was never going to give Joe a chance to hurt me again. That wasn’t going to be me, I was going to live just to fuck Joe off to show him that he couldn’t break me that I won and he lost. That’s what these scars mean to me, that I’m the winner.I dress in my Grammy’s dress and pull my heels on not needing anything else really, maybe some tissues. I make my way downstairs, seeing guys standing around talking quietly and I make my way over to Gunner’s brothers “Morning Ella” Brian says, and I smile“How are you both this morning?” I ask them both and Mathew looks at me“Probably the same as you I imagine” I nod, giving his arm a squeeze“Have you had breakfast?” I ask them of both“Yeah, we already ate,” Brian tells me, and I nod“Ok, well, I’ll go get something, would you like a coffee or anything” they both shake their heads“Where both good Ella you go, you need all your strength,” Mathew tells me this time“Are you sure?” I ask them again“Go on, we're fine” I smile and head into the kitchen, as I sit at the table with a coffee Abbey, and Lena come walking in“Damn, I think my ovaries are going to explode,” Abbey says“Abbey have some respect,” Maggie tells her sounding annoyed“Damn Maggie, you know you can be a killjoy,” she says, sitting down across from me“Anyway, I’m going up to get dressed Abbey you're coming in the car with me and the kids,” Zoey says“Aren’t you going with Saint?” Abbey asks her, and the look on Zoey’s face is a guilty one“Shit, I didn’t even think, dammit,” she says, but Abbey smirks not looking too happy“Yeah, so I’ll be in the car with the kids,” Abbey says sarcastically“I’ll be with you,” I tell her trying to put her mind at ease“No Ella, you’re with Blaze,” Maggie tells me, and I frown at her“On his motorbike?” I ask, and Maggie smiles“Darlin’ this is a motorcycle club, and we all go to the cemetery on the back of our man’s back.”“But I don’t know Blaze, I’ve only spoken to him a few times,” I tell her feeling nervous for being on the back of a bike and being near Blaze, the man does all kinds of weird things to me“Do you want to go with someone else?” Maggie asks me“No, it’s I’ve never been on a bike before, and I’m in a dress,” I tell her stating the obvious