The Heart Left Behind (Cole and Yvonne) novel Chapter 146

Lorraine eyed the wounds on my body and sighed.

"You didn't have to step in, to be honest. He would've let me go once he received the money." The man's goal wasn't to kidnap or hurt anyone; his goal was just money.

He only had Yvonne get in the car because he was afraid of not being able to get away after the exchange.

I frowned as I listened to Lorraine's words. "What matters is that you weren't hurt." These injuries were worth it as long as she was safe and sound.

"But these injuries shouldn't have happened in the first place," Lorraine commented.

I understood what she meant. She was blaming herself for what had happened.

I reached out to hold her wrist and met her eyes as I slowly said, "I knew he'd eventually let you go, but I couldn't take the risk. Even if there was just a 1% chance he wouldn't, that uncertainty would've destroyed me."

I watched as Lorraine lowered her head and knew what she was thinking, so I continued, "You don't have to feel guilty about it. You brought Jonas back, and I don't know how to thank you enough."

Lorraine's expression turned slightly uneasy at the mention of Jonas.

I hadn't seen Jonas since regaining consciousness. Knowing he was still asleep somehow felt like a relief.

"How is he? Mentally…" I dared not finish the question for fear that Lorraine would suggest sending Jonas to a psychiatric hospital in her next sentence.

For a child who wasn't even ten years old to experience such a thing would mean an increasing mental burden. I pictured Jonas alone in the dark, tormented by his nightmares. A sharp ache tugged in my chest.

"His condition is better than I expected, but it's still not great," Lorraine said. She didn't elaborate, but I could imagine Jonas' small figure curling up tightly. In my mind, his eyes were peeking out like a frightened little animal as he cautiously observed the outside world.