16.

Aiden's POV

I watched Lily Collins walk away from me, her hands gripping the whitewashed walls of the hospital as she hobbled away. It was clear that the effects of the morphine hadn't worn off completely, and she was still weak.

The sight of her, so fragile and yet holding her head up, stirred a host of unnameable emotions within me.

I turned to the guards who were gathered around me. "Follow her closely," I ordered. "Ricardo could still be in the vicinity."

"Yes, boss." They all replied in unison, then turned and followed Lily.

Quietly, I tagged behind the guards, keeping my eyes on her every single step of the way. The stunt that Ricardo had pulled played over and over again in my head.

I gritted my teeth almost convulsively, as the sheer memory of how he'd held her to his side stirred my anger again. I had felt utterly powerless at that moment, as immobile and as useless as a piece of wood carving.

And that was because I'd remembered the business that Ricardo and I had together.