by Ancelli
NO WAY OUT
By
Ancelli
Kindle Version
Copyright © Ancelli 2017
All Rights Reserved
Cover Design by Angel Bearfield
Editor Rie Langdon
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the author.
This e-book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. This is an explicit and erotic novel intended for the enjoyment of adult readers only.
Dedicated to all the women and men who have suffered and lost their lives through the hands of the ones that promised to love and protect them. You are not alone.
No matter what you did, you don’t deserve to be emotionally, financially, verbally or physically abused by your significant other.
STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. If you need help call 1-800-799-SAFE
“No weapons formed against you shall prosper…”
To all the ladies from ARC, thank you for your support!
Chapter One
Perry Ortiz sat with his hands entwined as his friend went over the reason he was there. Marco didn’t ask about, or even mention the fact, that Perry’s right cheek was slightly clawed. When Marco had first entered the office, he’d stared for a few seconds and then continued like nothing was wrong. Perry knew he was going to bring it up later. He just listened to the same lines Marco had used at their last meeting. He didn’t feel like talking to a shrink, let alone Marco, but he needed an outlet. Everything Perry said to Marco stayed in the room. He couldn’t tell his other friends what had happened to him the night before: Lorie had tried to run him over with his car. Before that, he’d told his buddies she’d thrown a hot pot at his head, and they’d all laughed in his face, calling him all types of names. His coworker had even told him to man up and show his wife who was boss in their home, but no one knew what really went on in a home once the door to the house was closed. Besides, Perry wasn’t afraid of Lorie: he was afraid of himself and for his daughter if he did finally leave.
He combed his fingers through his shaggy hair. Anyone looking in could see that Perry was a big man, standing at six feet two inches and towering over his wife’s five feet six inches. And if they knew his past, they would assume the worst of him. How the fuck could she be abusive to him? Because he hadn’t lost control yet. She would scream and holler, and when that didn’t work she would destroy his stuff, and then she would strike him. Perry held her hands and pushed her away from him, and every single time, he just walked away. He knew his strength could kill her if he snapped, and because of that, Perry was a fucking joke, letting his wife treat him the way she did. If he was honest, he’d been living in a loveless marriage from day one because he couldn’t leave his three-year-old daughter alone with a woman like Lorie. Growing up, he’d been a force to be reckoned with. He used to talk with his fists instead of words, until he met Alicia Stone. Perry’s lips curled in to a smile whenever he thought about Alicia and his older daughter Mia. He still couldn’t shake the feelings he had for the mother of his daughter, even though their relationship had ended years ago. If he could only turn back the hands of time. Alicia had called him the night before because she’d needed to vent about a co-worker. Her voice made his bad days tolerable.
“What’s on your mind?” Marco leaned back in his leather chair, watching him closely. “Why were you smiling?”
Perry’s lips thinned as he stared at his friend. “Did you already start charging me?” he asked playfully. “You owe me money from the last session.”
Marco raised his eyebrow. “You know you can’t afford me.” He chuckled, teasing Perry. “You’re my pro bono case, and anyway I’m here as a friend first, and then when you’re ready, as your therapist. I’m just using my skills on you for free and raking in the benefit of a tax write-off.” He grinned.
“Whatever.” Perry closed his eyes for a few seconds. “I never saw my life like this. Why can’t I get some fucking peace of mind?”
Marco watched him through his eyeglasses. “Are you having a bad day?”
He just stared at the man. What kind of question was that, after what he’d just stated? “I’ve been having a lot of those lately, for the past year.” Perry played with his fingers. “I’m afraid of hurting the people I love.” He looked away. He was slowly losing himself with Lorie. She was making him have thoughts he shouldn’t have, like striking back and taking their daughter far away from her. “It’s getting worse.” He pointed at his face. “She’s challenging my manhood and I don’t want to hurt her.”
“Then it’s time to leave,” Marco stated. “Did you report it?”
Perry chuckled sarcastically. “Who would believe me?”
“I do, and Alicia does too.” Marco pushed his glasses up.
“Alicia only found out because Mia told her.” Perry was ashamed that his daughters were witnesses to some of the heated arguments he’d had with Lorie. He’d never wanted his kids to be in the middle of their mess. Alicia was pissed, to say the least.
“How do you feel about your daughters being exposed to this abuse?”
He combed his fingers through his hair. “That’s why I just get up and leave when she starts her tantrums, because I don’t want my daughters to ever think it’s okay to hurt the person you’re supposed to care about. I’m still in that house because of Tiffany.”
“Do you love your wife?” Marco wrote on his pad.
“I don’t…I’ve never have. It’s always been about Tiffany.” Perry whispered. “I’ve only loved one woman.”
“Does Lorie know this?”
“Yes.” Perry cracked his neck. “Lorie knows the only reason I married her was because she gave me an ultimatum. My child, or she would disappear.”
“Are you sure she knows?”
“She knows. Before and after Tiffany was born, she played with my emotions.” Perry sighed. “Lorie knew how hurt I was when Alicia took Mia to another state and she used that against me. She said if I didn’t marry her, she was moving to New York with her parents and I would never find her. I couldn’t let another child of mine grow up without a father.”
“You didn’t have to marry her.”
“You’re right.” Perry pinched his nose. “But I didn’t want to be a part-time father to another child. It was killing me being away from Mia and I just gave in.”
“And that was a sign that Lorie was manipulative. Why didn’t you just let her move in with you?”
“She refused, saying she wasn’t going to shack up with me. Lorie quit her job, showed me her plane tickets, and I finally had enough of her ultimatums and told her to leave. You know I have a problem with people telling me what I need to do. That’s why I didn’t join the military.”
“But you agreed?”
“Not at first, but after talking it over with Alicia when she’d calmed down from being angry with me, she said I should do the right thing by my child.”
“What about your child with her?”
“Alicia couldn’t forgive me after learning that I got Lorie pregnant the minute we ended our relationship,” Perry said, his regret obvious. “Alicia was done with me. She told me to move on. She was my weakness. If I couldn’t have the woman I loved, at least I could marry the mother of my other child.”
“Do you believe Alicia doesn’t love you anymore?”
“She loves me,” Perry said with confidence. “The love we have for each other will never go away. That woman and I have been through hell and back, and we will always ha
ve each other’s back. I would kill for her.”
Marco continued writing on his fancy notepad. “You said ‘have’, in the present.”
Perry wondered why Marco wrote on his pad when this wasn’t a real session, but didn’t ask the question aloud. “No other woman will compare to Alicia.” He placed his elbows on his knees. “But I’m not here to talk about her and my regrets.”
“Why not?” Marco crossed his legs. “Why don’t we just start from the beginning?” He looked at Perry, waiting for him to answer. “You were abandoned as a baby. You might have abandonment issues.”
Perry chuckled. “That was a low blow.”
“Being honest.” He leaned back in his chair. “Nothing said here—
“I already know…it’s between you and me,” he said sarcastically. “I was raised by a strong woman. Aunt Lola was my parent growing up. Technically, they didn’t abandon me, they blessed my aunt with a handsome baby.” He chuckled. “So why would I have abandonment issues?”
“Because she isn’t your biological parent.”
“Does that matter?”
“No, but are you mad at your parents?”
Perry shook his head. “I was, at one point in my life, and then I realized they did me a favor. I think I’m a better parent because of them. I could never just abandon my kids.”
“That’s a good outlook.”
“We didn’t have much, but we made it with what we did have. My aunt sacrificed a lot for me when she didn’t have to. I owe that woman everything that I am. My parents couldn’t give me what she did: a loving home. Tia Lola told me stories about her brother, and how much he loves me, but she didn’t really mention my mother. She claims she didn’t know her that well.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I have no reason not to.”
“Do you think your father loved you?”
“I can’t answer that question because I’m not him… I can only go by what my aunt says; however, she sees the good in everyone, except for Lorie. Aunt Lola hated her from the moment she met her. She never gave her a chance.”
“As I recall, your aunt hated every girl you dated.”
“Until she met Alicia.” Perry laughed, remembering when the two favorite girls in his life had met. “Alicia won her over the first time she came over. She helped my aunt in the kitchen and the rest is history. Why are we talking about my parents? Skip to the present.”
“Fine, since you said your life took a turn for the worse after you and Alicia ended your relationship…” He read from the notepad he had in his hand. “Why don’t we start when you met Alicia, and remember, everything we talk about here will not be mentioned to anyone. Not even my sister-in-law.”
Perry shook his head. Why did Marco feel the need to repeat that statement? Marco was married to Alicia’s sister Milan; they’d moved back a couple of months ago after Milan had suffered a stroke after having their son Carlson.
“I met Alicia when I was seventeen. She was my trainer when I started working at McDonald’s,” Perry said, his mind wandering back in time.
~~~
Thirteen years earlier
He’d been hired on the spot when he turned in his job application. The manager handed him two uniforms and asked him if he could start the same day. Perry missed the money he used to make illegally, but was happy to finally land a decent job to be able to help his Aunt Lola with the bills. Putting it on, he found the uniform was a bit too big, but he managed.
Perry watched the girl at the cash register. She looked around his age. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and her full lips were glossy pink. He watched the way she attended a grouchy older customer.
“Sir, I apologize for the mix-up. Let me get you some fresh French fries.” She turned, grabbing some steaming hot fries and placing them on a tray. She turned again and Perry finally saw her name on her badge: Alicia. “Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?”
“No.” The man grabbed the tray from her. “You people always mess up my fucking order.”
Perry took a step forward, about to tell the older guy to watch his mouth when talking to a woman, but Alicia just smiled at the customer.
“Sir,” she sighed. “Have a nice day. Hope to see you soon,” Alicia twisted to the side. “You people?” she said, under her breath, and then her facial expression changed from the fake smile to a frown when she saw Perry. “Are you just going to stand there?”
“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be doing,” he said, looking at the manager walking toward them.
“Give me a second and I’ll see who will be training you,” Alicia said. Another customer came up and her whole demeanor changed. The girl’s smile captivated him.
After she attended the customer, the manager informed them that Alicia would be the one training him.
“Why do I have to do it?” She followed the older man, asking with a little attitude. “I just started three months ago.”
“Alicia.” The manager turned around, facing her. “Yes, you haven’t been here long, but you’re one of the best cashiers I have. I want him to be trained right.”
“What about Neil? He trained me.” She tried getting out of it. “I’m not ready to do this.”
“You are training him, and you better make sure he is trained by the end of the week. Perry, you will be mirroring Alicia’s schedule for the rest of the month.” He marched to the back office.
She took a deep breath. “I work Thursdays to Saturdays from six to ten.” She walked away. “Are you coming?”
Perry followed her all throughout her shift, but as she taught him the ins and outs of being a cashier, he was admiring her. His aunt Lola warned him to stay away from black, white, and Hispanic girls because they were bossy and loud, but he couldn’t help himself. He’d learned at an early age that all women could be bossy and loud: it wasn’t a feature of only one particular race. His aunt was such a hypocrite: one, she was Puerto Rican, and two she was one of the messiest woman he’d met, but he loved her to death. He loved girls of all races, and the one standing before him was cute. She rubbed her almond-shaped eyes, and then scratched her button nose.
“Do you want me to lower the fries?” he asked.
She placed her hand on her hip. “Perry…is it?”
“Yeeeess.” He mocked her back.
“What do you think?” Alicia smirked.
Perry lowered the basket of fries and just stood there. “Do you like working here?”
“Nope.” Alicia walked over to the trash bins and grabbed the trays. “I guess it could be worse. At least I don’t have to ask my parents for money and explain why I want to buy a pair of sneakers, and then listen to them tell me why they aren’t going to give it to me.”
Perry stared at her. Alicia had it good if she got to keep her entire paycheck. He didn’t mind handing over his check to his aunt to keep the electricity and water on.
“But, I’m not working here for long,” she said, cleaning the trays with a wet cloth. “After I graduate high school, I’m going to join the military, maybe the Air Force,” she mumbled. “My mom doesn’t want me to join because she thinks I’m going to die in battle.”
“I was thinking of joining the Navy,” Perry said, shaking the basket. “I spoke to the recruiter already.”
“Can you swim?” She chuckled. “I heard that’s a prerequisite.”
“Yes, I was on the swimming team last year and in junior high. I had to drop it this year. Perry fixed his visor. “I bet you can’t swim.”
She covered her mouth with her hand, like she was shocked at the words that came out of his mouth. “Who told you I can’t swim?” Alicia smirked. “Sorry to disappoint you papi, but this black girl can swim. I’m on the swimming team.”
“Really?” he asked, surprised. “What school do you go to?”
“Ford High School.” Alicia leaned against the counter.
“Me too.” He watched her.
“Really?” Alicia watched him s
uspiciously. “And you were on the swimming team? I’ve never seen you.”
“Because you weren’t looking hard enough,” Perry said. He’d never seen Alicia in school, but he would surely be looking for her now. “Now you’ll see me everywhere.”
She twisted her lips. “You’re not that cute.”
“So, you think I’m cute.” Perry chuckled.
“I didn’t say that.” She walked out to the lobby. “Come on, let me show you how to change the pop machine.”
“Pop machine?” Perry raised his eyebrow.
She pointed at the fountain drink machine. “I meant soda… My mom has been calling it pop since I was little.”
He chuckled. “Where is your mom from?”
“She’s from St. Kitts,” she said, grabbing a stepstool.
Perry held the metal as she climbed up. “Where’s that?” He’d never heard of St. Kitts.
“It’s in the West Indies. It’s a tiny island,” she said nonchalantly, like he knew exactly where that was, but he wasn’t going to ask. Alicia began explaining how to change the drink and add ice as he stared at her ass. “Really, Perry, stop looking at my butt and watch what I’m doing.”
Perry didn’t even deny looking at her as his lips curled up into a wide smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
~~~
Present day
“That was the start of P & A?” Marco smirked. “I remember those days in high school.” He watched Perry. “When did you guys take the next step, from friends to more?”
“A normal therapist wouldn’t ask me these questions.” Perry eased back in the couch.
“You’re right,” Marco agreed. “Perry I was the nerdy black kid everyone made fun of, but Milan, Alicia, and her friends were always nice to me.” He smiled. “And that’s why I married Milan but I always thought you and Alicia would marry first.” Marco got serious. “I will never forget the time you intervened when those two football players were trying to beat me up for their entertainment.”
