No Way Out

by Ancelli

  “When you come over, I’ll tell you. See you in a few.” She hung up.

  Alicia trailed her fingers down his back to his ass cheek. “Is everything okay?”

  He nodded his head. “I don’t want to leave you, but Tiffany is worried about me.”

  She got up on her knees, wrapping her arms around his neck from the back. “I don’t want you to leave but she needs you. Tiffany was upset when Lorie hit you.”

  Perry caressed her arms, kissing her. “I can’t believe she did that shit in front of Tiffany. What the fuck was she thinking?”

  “She was thinking of this.” Alicia shifted her hands to his bulge. “That woman is obsessed with you.” She kissed his ear. “You are all mine.”

  “I’ve always been yours.” He turned his face to capture her lips, and passionately kissed her. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He stood, naked, and she followed him, pulling on her nightgown. They walked out to the living room and Perry grabbed his clothes and got dressed.

  “I’ll pick up Mia after I take a shower,” Alicia said, standing against the wall watching him.

  “It’s too soon to tell Tiffany about us,” he stated sadly. “However, I don’t care if anyone else knows.”

  “I understand,” she said softly.

  He took a few strides. “You and my girls will always come first.” Perry kissed her sweet lips. “I will never stop loving you, mami.” Perry touched her swollen bottom lip with his fingertips. “Before the ink is even dried on my divorce papers, you will become Mrs. Ortiz.”

  Alicia’s lips curled into a smile. “Are you sure?”

  He didn’t let her finish her question. “I was sure the moment you showed me how to lower a basket of French fries.”

  She chuckled. “You’re a nut.”

  Perry kissed her one more time. “I love you.”

  “I love you more,” she said, as he opened the front door.

  “I promise to keep you safe, no matter the cost.” Perry kissed her one more time. “I can’t wait to make love to you again.”

  “We have forever.”

  “I can’t take back the wasted time,” Perry touched the hickey on her neck, “but I can make it up with amazing memories.”

  “Looking forward to each one.” She strolled down the hall to her bedroom.

  Perry walked out the front door with a smile on his face. Last night had been a shitty night but turned out to be magical at the end. He had the love of his life back with him, and his daughters. He dug his hand in his front pocket for his keys, and out of nowhere, Lorie ambled up to him, holding a gun in her hand.

  “Where is she?” she yelled, her eyes contorted in anger. Lorie’s other hand was in a cast. The hand holding the gun shook.

  “Who?” Perry glared at her, stepping back and closing the door behind him. He would keep Alicia safe at any cost.

  “Don’t patronize me.” Lorie’s red-rimmed eyes narrowed at him. “Where is she?”

  “You’ll have to kill me before I let you get to her” Perry inched forward. “Do you really want to kill me?”

  “If I can’t have you no one will.”

  Her finger pulled the trigger back and the next thing he heard was the gunfire. It missed his shoulder by near millimeters and that was when fear set in, but it was too late. Perry felt his body jerk and knew a bullet had pierced his chest, and then he felt two more before he dropped to the ground. He couldn’t feel the pain of the three impacts, only distress for Alicia. He prayed Lorie would turn and leave.

  She stood above his body, aiming the gun at his head. “I’m so sorry, but I can’t let her have you.”

  Lorie placed her index finger on the trigger and was about to pull again when Dawn yelled.

  “Stop! I called the police! Oh my God, she shot him!” Dawn screamed louder, making Lorie panic as other neighbors came out of their homes. Lorie bolted to her car.

  “Call 9-1-1!” Dawn yelled, running up to him. “Perry, help is on the way, okay?”

  Perry nodded his head, feeling lightheaded. It was becoming difficult to breathe and all he could think about was his little girls and Alicia.

  “Alicia!” Dawn screamed at the top of her lungs as she applied pressure with her hands on his wounds. “Alicia!” Tears ran down her face. “Hang in there, do you hear me?”

  “Ali…” Perry’s eyes fluttered. Now the pain was taking over his senses. Alicia, he tried to yell, but no sound came out of his mouth. His breathing was short as Perry tasted something cooper on his tongue. He could feel his life leaving his body. It was the same feeling he’d had when he was knocked unconscious. He used all the strength he had left and grabbed Dawn’s arm. “Ali…”

  “Alicia!” Dawn shouted at the top of her lungs, and the front door swung open. Alicia’s body started shaking and she dropped to her knees and crawled up to him.

  ***

  Alicia heard a few loud bangs and then the tires of a car squealing as it drove off. She’d been in the process of taking off her nightgown before getting in the shower.

  “Perry!” She heard her neighbor Dawn scream, and then a car drove off. “Call 9-1-1 now, Alicia! Alicia!”

  Alicia grabbed her robe off the bed, and slipped it on. She ran out of the house and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Perry was lying in her driveway in a puddle of blood. Blood gushed out of his chest, and Dawn held pressure on two of his wounds.

  “Pe…rry!” She kneeled down in front of him. “Perry!” She started screaming, helping her neighbor. “Baby, I’m right here.” His breathing became shallow as he stared at her, with a single tear rolling down his face. “Did they call 9-1-1?”

  “Yes.” Dawn’s hands were covered in his blood.

  “What happened?” She rapidly took of her robe and applied it to his wound, pressing down with her palms.

  “It was that crazy woman from last night. She shot him three times.”

  “Ali…” Perry lifted his bloody fingers to her face. “Plea…take…care…of…Tif…” He coughed up blood, and she started to sob harder.

  “No…no…no!” Alicia leaned on top of him and applied more pressure. “Where the fuck is the ambulance? He’s losing too much blood.” She gazed at him, pressing down with both hands. “Tiffany will be okay. Don’t close your eyes…please…look at me.”

  “Pro…mise…you will…fight…” He swallowed. “I…can’t…breathe…”

  “I promise, baby.” She kissed his forehead. “Hold on…don’t let go…” Tears clouded her vision. “Don’t close your eyes.”

  His eyes fluttered a couple times, and the last words he said were “I love you…”

  Alicia couldn’t breathe as the paramedics ran up, taking over. They cut his shirt open like she’d seen them do on the hospital shows. Against her will, she backed away, praying that he would make it through. “Please…don’t let him die.” Three police cars pulled up and Officer Gram and her partner were the first ones to walk up the driveway.

  Alicia glared at the female cop and her heart raced faster than before. “This is all your fault!” she said, charging at Officer Gram. Dawn grabbed her arm, holding her back. “He told you! He told you she was deranged and dangerous, and you laughed in his face!” She cried out. “You didn’t give him a chance, but you let her free. If Perry dies, his blood is on your hands!” Alicia’s nose flared and her temples pounded in pain as she pointed at Gram.

  “Ma’am.” Officer Gram glanced at the paramedics trying to save Perry’s life. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Fuck your sorry!” Alicia huffed. “I don’t want you here! He’s a man, remember, that sweet, petite woman couldn’t have done this. Is that what you’re going to say?”

  “I—” Gram cleared her throat.

  “Get off my property.” Alicia pushed Dawn and rushed back to where Perry was being placed on a gurney. She heard the paramedics say that Perry had lost a lot of blood. “Baby, I’m right here. I won’t let anyone else hurt you…”

  A man dre
ssed casually walked up the driveway, “Gram, you need to leave the scene.” She started to talk back and the man raised his hand. “We’ll talk later about what happened here last night. If she doesn’t want you here, you need to leave.” He walked over to Dawn, and showed his badge. “I’m Detective Lorenzo. Did you see what happened here?”

  “His ex-wife showed up and just shot him point blank in his chest.” Dawn wiped her bloody hands on her shirt. “She said if she couldn’t have him, no one will, and then she shot him.” Her hands shook. “He didn’t stand a chance. After she shot four rounds, she aimed at his head and I started shouting as loud as I could, and she took off. His ex-wife is crazy. She attacked him last night in front of everyone and now she shoots him.”

  “Was that woman here at the time?” He pointed at Alicia.

  “Yes, but she was inside the house until I screamed for her.” Dawn stared at her hands. “He was such a sweetheart. Is he going to live?”

  “I pray that he does,” Lorenzo replied, watching as they placed Perry in the ambulance.

  Alicia’s hands were still shaking as they placed him on a stretcher. “Can I ride with him?”

  The paramedic looked at the clothes she had on. “You can’t ride with us, but you might want to change for heading to the hospital.”

  Alicia hadn’t even realized she was wearing her nightgown. It was covered in Perry’s blood. “Please.” She wiped her face. “Please don’t let him die.”

  “We’ll do our best.” They closed the door and pulled out.

  “Ma’am?” Lorenzo strolled up to her.

  “Alicia, I’ll take you.” Dawn held her hand. “Alicia won’t be able to give a statement right now, as you can tell. Please let me take her to the hospital.”

  Lorenzo stared a half-naked Alicia, crying and shivering. “Get her dressed, and I’ll drive you ladies to the hospital.”

  “I don’t want your help,” Alicia said, walking back to her house. The robe she’d slipped off her body last night when she’d given herself completely to Perry lay in his blood, and she broke down again in the arms of Dawn, her neighbor and friend. “Why would she do this?” Alicia sobbed. “Why?” She needed to get it together, Perry needed her.

  “She’s sick.” Dawn patted her back. “She is going to pay for this.” She hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear. “Come on, let’s get you changed.”

  Alicia rushed into the house and then to her bedroom, pulling off her nightgown and throwing it on her bed. She picked up the first clothing she saw and stormed back out of her room. “Let’s go.” She grabbed her purse. “Perry needs me, and everyone who loves him.” She dug for her phone and on the way out of the house, dialed. “Lola, I don’t want to tell you over the phone but I have no other choice,” she said between cries.

  “What’s wrong?” Lola asked concerned. “Is it Perry?”

  “Perry…” Her chest heaved up and down. “He was…shot…” She was having a hard time breathing. “Meet me…” She must be having a panic attack. Alicia took a deep breath. “The hospital.”

  All that was heard was screams of agony. “Not my Perry…oh God, no!”

  Alicia couldn’t take it; she dropped the phone in her purse as Dawn pulled away toward the hospital. She could not fathom all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She was finally going to be happy with the man who’d stolen her heart many years ago and never given it back. She covered her eyes and cried like she’d never done before.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Alicia’s mother held her in her arms as they waited for Perry to get out of surgery. He’d been in the OR for over three hours.

  “Father God, we come to you as one, pleading for our Perry. Please bring him through this surgery and grant him a speedy recovery.” Her mother and father held each other’s hands, praying for Perry.

  “I should’ve done more.” Marco paced the hallway. “I told him to walk away months ago, but he didn’t listen because he didn’t want to leave Tiffany in that house.” He took a deep breath. “He was finally free.” Marco clenched his jaw. “I should’ve reported it.”

  Milan was at home with the kids. They hadn’t told Mia what was going on, but she was suspicious. Mia had called Alicia a few times, but she couldn’t answer in her state. She didn’t want Mia and Tiffany feeling what everyone else was feeling. Perry was so much to those girls. How would she tell them that Daddy might not ever come home? Alicia wondered where Lola was. She’d dropped Tiffany off at her sister’s, hours ago.

  “Stop it!” Alicia stood in the middle of the small room. “We all had a part in this. We all should’ve done things differently but we didn’t.” Tears rolled down her face. “You were the outlet he needed. When everyone else laughed at him because his crazy wife threw things at his head or tried to run him over with his car, he had you to vent to.” Alicia swallowed. “And he told me himself last night how much that meant to him. You never once judged or criticized him. You were a friend. Marco, don’t blame yourself.” She wiped her face. “This is all Lorie’s fucking fault!” Alicia yelled. Her family just stared at her, letting her vent, and then Alicia ran when she saw his doctors coming down the hallway. All that was heard was her wails of agony. “No!”

  ***

  Perry had a small plastic tube down his throat, helping him breathe, and all kind of wires hooked up to his chest and leading up to the machine beside his bed. Alicia was numb, staring at his IV as the meds dropped from the bag. Perry’s beautiful face was bruised and pale from everything that he’d been through the last two days. “Why would someone who claims to love you, do this?” Alicia’s nose flared as she inspected his whole body. The stitches on the side of his neck and the bandaged hand she was holding made her cringe. “I should’ve done more…” How had they gone from making love to him fighting for his life? So much wasted time. “I’m so sorry…” she chanted over and over. “All this could’ve been avoided if I had just stayed. We had problems, but they weren’t severe enough for us to give up on one another, and that’s what I did, I gave up on us. Why did I give up on us?” Alicia waited for him to say something or to squeeze her finger, but nothing happened. “Open your eyes.” She leaned up, touching his chin. “Papi…open your eyes and tell me you love me…”

  Perry’s lips moved.

  Alicia rapidly stood. “I knew you could hear me,” she whispered in his ear. “Yo te amo hasta el fin del mundo.” She smiled. “I remembered, you told me you would love me until the end of the world and that is not tonight. We have so much to do together.” Alicia got on the bed and lay beside him. “I’m going to be right here when you wake up.” She wrapped her hand around his waist. “I hope I’m not hurting you. Tell me if I am.” This was where home was: with him. Alicia listened to his heartbeat, and sobbed. His beat was off, but it was still music to her ears because it was still pounding against his chest. She fell asleep.

  “Don’t cry beautiful… I will always love you…”

  Her eyes fluttered as soon as she heard his husky voice. She slipped off the bed and stared at him. “What did you say?” Alicia must have been dreaming, but it felt so real. She’d actually felt his breath on her skin. Someone knocked on the door, startling her.

  Miko entered the room first, holding Lola’s hand right behind him, and Alicia jumped up and wrapped her arms around Lola’s, neck crying.

  “How is he?” Miko asked.

  There was something in his eyes she couldn’t explain.

  Alicia was still covered in his blood, even though she’d changed her clothes. His blood was on her skin.

  “They don’t think he’ll make it through the night.” She stared at him. “Miko, he has always looked up to you. Please tell him to come back to me. We have so much to live for. Please.” She broke down crying. Her chest hurt from all the crying she’d done. As they both wrapped their arms around her, Alicia could feel the love between them.

  “My boy loves you.” Miko pulled away from the embrace and then left her wit
h Lola. Tears welled up in his eyes as he walked closer to Perry’s bedside, and kissed his forehead. “Why didn’t you come to me?” he whispered, sitting on the edge. “I would’ve helped you.” He took Perry’s hand in his, and squeezed. “You’re not supposed to die before me. Perry, you’re a fucking fighter. Don’t you dare throw in the towel on life. Fight like you’ve never fought before! You have so much live for: your beautiful daughters, and the woman you love. I heard she hasn’t left your side.” Miko smiled. “She’s still bossy. Alicia demanded that I tell you to come back to her, come back to all of us.”

  Lola wiped Alicia’s tears. “You need to take care of yourself, too. If something happens to you, he will never forgive me. Have you eaten anything today?”

  “I’m not hungry,” she answered, looking back at Perry. “I can’t leave him. I’m afraid—”

  “Shhh.” Lola covered Alicia’s mouth. “Don’t say it. Perry will be okay.”

  She nodded her head.

  “You’ve been a blessing in his life.” Lola cupped Alicia’s face, treating her like a daughter. “He was the happiest he’d ever been when he was with you.” She kissed Alicia’s wet cheek.

  Alicia finally looked the woman across from her. “Why do you have blood on your jacket? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, but that bitch is dead,” Lola said nonchalantly.

  “What?” Her eyes opened wide, surprised. “Lorie?” she blurted out.

  “I went hunting for that bitch.” she took a deep breath. Miko and Lola had rushed over to Lorie’s house, but she wasn’t there. When they turned the corner to her home, the cops were parked in front of it. Miko suggested they look for her at Perry’s apartment. They found her lying on his bed with a bullet to her head and a note that read: If I can’t have him neither will Alicia. I’m joining him, we’ll be together forever”

  “If she hadn’t killed herself I would’ve put her out of her misery myself,” said Lola, grimly, leaving out the remainder of the note and sharing only the part she thought Alicia should hear.