Page 1 of His Dark Pact

Part One

Life Before Kyle

Prologue

Bills, Bills, Bills

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Amy Kendal

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“DAMN IT!”

Sitting in a heap on the floor, surrounded by paper scattered in all directions, Amy’s head fell. It didn’t matter how many times she did the math; the calculations didn’t add up. There wasn’t enough money coming in to cover the enormous floods going out, and the latest demand from the funeral home was the frosting on a rather bitter cake.

Glancing around the tiny lounge of her dingy apartment, tears burned in her eyes as she recalled how she had come to her current penniless predicament.

Her two boys, who were now men, had moved away, but both had left her with huge expenses in their own ways. Her eldest, Seth, had gone off the rails as a teen and ended up in trouble with the law. His jail bonds had cost her ten thousand alone, despite the fact he’d gone on to re-offend and had ultimately ended up in prison. Unease twisted in her belly at the galling thought. She loved Seth with all her heart but couldn’t excuse his poor life choices.

Jonah had chosen a different path from his brother and elected to go to college. Amy had naturally thrown the full weight of her support behind the affirming idea, but an education—like everything else—cost money. She’d taken a second job and numerous loans to help get him there, and that money didn’t include the student debt she knew he’d accrued. The costs were a worthwhile investment in Jonah’s future, but that was little consolation when she hardly had enough to pay for food.

The final straw had been Graham’s death. The aneurism that had snatched him away had been sudden, taking his life rapidly, but the medical and cremation bills that followed had been protracted and expensive. Even eighteen months after his demise, Amy was left juggling the repayment plan she’d managed to negotiate with the funeral home. The manager there had gone to great lengths to emphasize her good fortune for receiving the plan, but it was difficult to appreciate that ‘luck’ when it only represented another three-figure sum to be found every month.

The ringtone of her phone jarred her from her woe. The device only symbolized another sum she struggled to afford, but she welcomed the distraction. Her heart swelled as Jonah’s name flashed on the screen, and grabbing the phone, she answered the call.

“Jonah!”

“Hey, Mum. How are you?” He paused, as if he already knew the answer to the question.

“I’m fine.”

She feigned contentment, hoping he’d believe her. The last thing he needed as he grappled with his upcoming exams was to worry about his mother. She wanted him to thrive and excel and that meant not fretting about their financial state.

“Are you sure?” He sighed. “You sound frazzled.”

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