Under His Protection (SAMPLE- Available in eBook & paperback)

1

Sorrow engulfed Rita. She bowed her head and said a prayer for the woman.

"I have your Tylenol, Miss. Benson," Frank said, returning with a cup of water and the pain reliever.

"Give her a minute," Jack said quietly.

Rita finished her prayer, took a breath, and raised her head. She accepted the water and pills from Frank, thanking him. She popped the pills in her mouth and downed them with a drink of water.

"Do you know her name, the victim?" she asked Officer Peterson. "Did she have a family?"

"At the moment she's a mystery to us," he responded. "So is her attacker."

"Is that him?" Jack inquired, picking up the sketch pad.

"Yes," Rita muttered.

"Will you require a copy?" Officer Peterson asked.

"I will," Jack replied.

"I'll have it to you tomorrow."

Jack nodded. "Is Miss. Benson free to leave?"

"She is." Officer Peterson glanced at Rita. "I'll be in touch. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call."

Rita got to her feet. "I'll do that."

"Let's get you out of here." Jack placed his hand on the small of Rita's back and guided her out of the room. "Your father is waiting for you."

"I want to go home," Rita stated.

"I'm sure you do," Jack said. "Nevertheless, your father would like for you to stay at the mansion."

"I'm sure he would, but it's not what I-"

"Please, Miss. Benson," Jack interrupted her. "It's been a long day and you've just witnessed something traumatic. Let me take you to the mansion so you can rest."

"All right," Rita sighed. "I'll need to stop by my apartment and pack a bag."

"It's already been taken care of," Jack said. "Everything you need is waiting for you at the mansion."

Rita arched an eyebrow. "What if I had refused to stay there?"

"I think we both can agree that refusing your father's orders is not an option," Jack said, smiling crookedly. "What he says goes."

He was right.

"Sweetheart." Mr. Benson gathered Rita close and kissed the side of her head. "Are you all right?"

Rita closed her eyes, taking comfort from her father's strong embrace. "What do you think?"

"I think you're numb to what happened," he said. "It hasn't hit you yet. Do you need anything?"

"Yes." Rita moved out of his arms. "I need you to bring that poor woman back to life. Sadly, you're not that powerful."

Eyes a lighter shade of blue than hers were cold as ice. "I can't bring her back, but you can be damn sure the son of a bitch that took her life won't take yours." He jerked his head toward Jack, who was standing silently near the front door. "Jack will make sure you stay safe until the bastard is caught."

Rita frowned at her father. "Do you honestly think he'll come after me?"

"Officer Peterson told me you and the killer came face to face." Mr. Benson touched her cheek. "You saw his face, sweetheart. You're able to identify him. That puts you in a very dangerous position. Like I said, Jack will make sure you stay safe until he's caught."

"You know I'm not comfortable with putting his life in danger," Rita said, fidgeting. "His life is just as important as mine."

Jack stepped closer, his hands tucked in the pockets of his dress pants. "It's my job, Miss. Benson. It's what I do. I know the risks involved. I'm willing to take those risks to keep you and your family safe. You are not to worry about me or my team. We'll look out for each other while we're looking out for you."

"Well said, Jack." Mr. Benson pecked Rita on the forehead. "I had Ann get your old room ready for you. Try and get some sleep. We'll talk more in the morning."

Rita wished them a good night and headed upstairs.

Mr. Benson waited until his daughter was out of sight before turning to Jack. "Meeting in the morning, ten o'clock. Notify the team and tell them to be here."

"Yes, sir." Jack scratched his whiskered jaw. "What do you want to do about Miss. Benson's fiancé? You know he's going to make my job more difficult."

"If he becomes a problem we'll take care of him," Mr. Benson answered. "He's out of town until Sunday. You have a few days before you have to deal with him."

"Do you require anything before I do a sweep of the property?" Jack inquired.

"No," Mr. Benson replied. "Good night, Jack."

"Good night, sir."

A/N: Thank you all for your support. I appreciate it. :)