Yes that instinct was your initial cue to get out but you ignored it. The reason something felt "off" and your gut feeling was to stay out of it is because he was presenting you with the false self. Consciously they know this, and they carefully analyze everything you say to make judgements on how best to manipulate you. IndieVisible is right he could just be a butthole with anger problems, but I believe if you can relate to what I'm saying he might be a Narc. They are not that easy to spot because they rarely present you with the truth, they are masters at lying. She made me very paranoid, I was always worried about her - what was she really doing, where was she really going, who was she really hanging out with. Even if she was telling the truth I would still suspect it was a lie because she "cried wolf" so many times.

Make a deal with yourself, get some counseling and next time he even threatens to hit you - get out. Maybe you could try a family & marriage counselor. He doesn't even have to come, but a family therapist will have the best advice for you. Think about it this way, what if you get pregnant with his kid? Then you will be stuck dealing with this destructive force for the rest of your life. He could even be abusive to the children.