Page 3 of His Dark Pact

Chapter One

The Unexpected Connection

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“EXCUSE ME?” AMY SIGNALEDto the young employee as the angry throb in her temple ached. “I can’t get this machine to work. Can you help, please?”

“Yes.” The teen looked at Amy as though she was a geriatric who needed to be euthanized as she sauntered over to assist. “What’s the problem?”

“I can’t scan this.”

Amy thrust the loaf of bread at the assistant, aware she was flustering. She’d been at the store self-check-out for far too long already and still had other errands to run before she took her purchase back to her underwhelming studio apartment. Cross that she’d forgotten bread and had been forced to drop into the store, she reached for her purse. Everything there seemed to be double the cost of her usual store, the additional expense amplifying her frustration.

“Here.” The adolescent took the bread. “Let me.”

Jonah’s request for money pinballed around Amy’s mind as she made space for the teen to scan the loaf. Her promise to her son had plagued her ever since their conversation. She’d agreed to help him take the revision program. What else could she do? She wanted Jonah to excel, but standing in the overpriced store, she still had no idea how she was supposed to fund his educational requirements.

Inevitably, even though Amy had attempted to scan the loaf half a dozen times, the teen managed the task with infuriating ease. The girl suppressed amusement as she turned back to her customer.

“Anything else?” She dropped the loaf into the open bag Amy had prepared.

“No, thank you.” Amy meant it literally.

The solitary note in her purse affirmed her tragic financial position. The loaf of bread was all she could afford.

“I’m happy to help.” Smirking, the teen sloped away, her sneering expression exacerbating the pounding in Amy’s head.

“I bet.” Muttering the retort, she slid the note into the machine. She held her breath, hoping the mechanism would work, process her transaction, and give her whatever change she was owed, but to her utter despondency, it only spat the note back at her. “Oh, come on!”

Why doesn’t anything work?

Exasperation flooded her system as she collected the cash. Tears threatened if she couldn’t get a grip on her emotions fast. Struggling with the self-service machines shouldn’t be a big deal, but she was so close to the edge emotionally, the slightest drama was liable to push her over the precipice.

Loath to have to call back the conceited teen, Amy glanced in her direction to find the girl talking to another customer.

Brilliant.Amy’s jaw tightened.No choice, then. I’ll have to resolve this myself.

Just like everything else.

The final line reverberated in her head, temporarily stealing her breath. Life had been hard enough before Graham’s death, but they’d managed to pay the mortgage on a small three-bedroom house. Once he’d gone, though, there was no chance Amy could sustain that lifestyle. She’d been forced into the rental market, the properties she could afford depleting from a one-bed house to her studio apartment.

At this point, life was nothing but a struggle. Every incoming bill triggered apprehension—hours of stress and sleepless nights. Increasingly, whatever she tried, none of them could be paid. She was finding it hard to even make the minimum payments anymore. She was—

“Mrs. Kendal?”

Her heart stilled fleetingly at the sound of her name, and spinning on her heel, she looked up to find a man towering beside her.

“Oh!” Startled, she tumbled backward, dropping the note and watching in what seemed like slow motion as one of his large hands reached out to save her.

“I’m sorry.” Warmth twinkled in his eyes as he steadied her, inadvertently pulling her in his direction. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, you didn’t,” she lied, tucking the loose strands of her hair from her face as she stepped away. The truth was her heart was racing, both from the shock of nearly falling and the handsome guy who’d played both antagonist and savior. Her gaze ran over his high cheekbones, the soft-looking stubble at his chin, and the mop of dark hair on his head. Probably around her age, he was tall and dressed in what looked like an expensive, well-tailored suit.

Who is this guy?

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