Page 133 of Certified To Handle You 2

“Couture?” I called while lookin’ around the yard.

Nobody answered. I walked around the front of the car and checked the other side. The doors looked closed, and there still wasn’t no sign of him.

Then the car moved…

At first, I thought I imagined it. The back end gave the smallest shake, then stopped before I could fully process what I saw. I stood there frozen.

A few seconds later, it moved again. The sound that came out of me was halfway between a scream and a gasp. I slapped my hand over my mouth and backed away, but my eyes stayed locked on the trunk. Somethin’ was clearly inside it.

My whole body started shakin’ as I moved toward the driver’s door. I pulled the handle and found it unlocked. When I opened it, Couture’s keys was sittin’ in the seat.

That scared me more ‘cause it meant whoever left the car here wanted me to open it. Renza wanted me to see exactly what he had done.

I picked up the keys and stared at the button for the trunk. My thumb moved over it while every terrible image came back. I could press it and find Couture dead. I could see somethin’ I would never be able to erase from my mind.

The car shook again, harder this time, and I heard a low sound come from inside. He was alive, and that was enough to make me press the button.

The trunk popped open, but I couldn’t make myself walk around to it right away. I stood beside the driver’s door with my hand pressed against my chest, tryna pull enough air into my lungs to move.

“Couture?” I called, my voice breakin’ around his name.

Another muffled sound came from the trunk, so I forced myself around the car. The second I looked inside, my hand flew over my mouth again.

Couture was curled inside the trunk with his wrists tied behind him. Thick duct tape covered his mouth, and his clothes was wrinkled and damp from sweat. His face looked tired, pissed and lost all at the same time, but what hurt me the most was seein’ how vulnerable Renza had made him.

Couture was never a weak man. He carried himself with confidence, handled his business and always looked like he knew exactly what he was doin’. Now he was trapped inside his own car, tied up and left in front of my mama’s house like some package Renza wanted delivered.

The humiliation of it hit me before Couture ever said a word.

“Oh my God,” I whispered while steppin’ closer. “Oh my God, Couture.”

His eyes found mine, and the look in ‘em nearly broke me. He looked relieved to see me, but confusion was all over his face too.I could tell he had no idea why this happened, who did it or how he ended up here.

“I’m finna get you out,” I promised while reachin’ toward his face. “Just hold on. I’m finna get somethin’ to cut this shit.”

I ran back toward the house so fast that one of my sandals nearly slipped off.

“Mama!” I yelled as soon as I got through the door. “Mama, where the scissors at?”

She came out the kitchen lookin’ irritated until she saw my face. “What happened?”

“Just get the scissors,” I told her while lookin’ through drawers. “Please, Mama! I need some scissors right now!”

“What you cuttin’?” she asked while settin’ her cup down.

“Mama, just get ‘em!”

She finally opened another drawer and grabbed the big kitchen scissors before followin’ me outside. I was already halfway down the walkway when I heard her footsteps behind me.

Soon as she reached the trunk and saw Couture, she stopped so fast I nearly ran into her.

“Oh, Lawd!” my mama shouted while one hand flew to her chest. “What happened to that boy?”

“I don’t know,” I lied while takin’ the scissors from her.

My mama stared at me. “How you don’t know when he in our driveway?”

“I said I don’t know, Mama,” I replied while leanin’ into the trunk. “Just help me get him out.”