My Dark Vanessa Novels & Stories

a voice in her head tried to assert her consciousness. Rina knows who it is, Lydia is trying to kick in her consciousness and take the lead. The woman refuses to let her being controlled by an unknown woman who only causes her misery. Her consciousness faded as soon as the voice in the darkness of her heart suffocated her. Scaring her from doing anything, her toxic suggestion drowned her. * * *

Probably afraid to cross too deep into neutral ground. I slowed. Chest heaving. Leaned against a tree trunk. Listened. Only wind and my own pulse. The words echoed in my head. Vanessa. Witches. Special poison. Damien’s plan laid bare. I pulled out my phone. Signal weak, but enough. Dialed Lucas. He picked up on the first ring. “Jax?” “Got gold,” I said. Breath still ragged. “Damien’s boys just confirmed it. Vanessa didn’t act alone. She hired three witches. Custom poison. Slow. Designed to look natural. Whole thing was to clear Evan so Damien could swallow Blackridge.”

The champagne, it turns out, is actually good, because Derek is footing part of the bar tab without telling anyone, a fact I only discover later from Lauren herself, who hugs him so hard he actually looks alarmed, arms hovering awkwardly for a second before he figures out where they’re supposed to go, and I make a mental note to tease him about it for at least the next decade. I’m three glasses in and laughing at something Nina said when I feel the room’s temperature change the way it does right before something goes wrong. Vanessa is standing by the entrance in a dress the color of old blood, and she is not here for the photography. “Well,” she says, drifting toward me like she has all the

“You said we could help each other. What do you want from me?” Vanessa leaned forward, lowering her voice. “I need someone who knows the Blackwoods. Someone who’s been in that mansion, who understands how things work there.” Evelyn frowned. “Why? What are you planning?” Vanessa smiled slowly, but her eyes were cold. “Let’s just say I have unfinished business. And I need someone I can trust to be my eyes and ears.” Evelyn tilted her head. “And what’s in it for me?” Vanessa slid a small brown envelope across the table. Evelyn looked at it, then back at her.

This was survival. “Where to, Miss Hart?” her driver asked. Vanessa’s fingers tightened on the report until the edges bit into her palm. She lifted her chin, her reflection in the tinted glass sharp and powerful once more. “Take me home,” she said coolly. Then, after a pause, her lips curved into a smile. “Actually… no. Take me to the Blackwood estate.” Her driver’s eyes flicked to the mirror, surprised but wisely silent. Vanessa smoothed her dress again, slipped the report back into her bag, and pulled out her phone. Her thumb hovered over Damian’s number. For weeks, he hadn’t answered. But soon, very soon, she wouldn’t need him to.

“Vanessa Thomas is not the kind of girl you can play games with, Nash. In all honesty, I think you fucked up when you picked her. She will be your downfall.” He wasn’t wrong. I had no doubt that she would be my downfall. However, the moment that she walked into JD’s bar last night, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was like a dark goddess walking into my life with the sole intent to drive a bullet through my heart. Her dark wash jeans hugged her curves in all the right places, and the way her thick breasts spilled out of her acid-wash tank top made my balls clench with desire.

Not tonight. Vanessa materialized beside him in a silver gown that clung to her like it was afraid to let go. She looped her arm through his and pressed close enough that every photographer in the room would assume they were together, which was the point. They weren’t together. Not really. They existed in some undefined space between convenience and habit, and Damien had never bothered to define it because defining it would mean admitting that he’d let his ex-wife’s sister fill a space she had no business occupying. "Smile, babe," Vanessa murmured, her lips close to his ear. "Channel 4 is at two o’clock."

“You see, Damien and I go way back. He’s not the man you think he is.” “Whatever history you have with him, it’s in the past,” Elena said firmly. Vanessa’s smile turned predatory. “Is it? Because I’ve seen how this story ends, Elena. You’re just another pawn in his game. And when he’s done with you, he’ll toss you aside, just like the rest of us.” Elena’s resolve wavered, but she forced herself to hold her ground. “That’s not for you to decide.” Vanessa took another step closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re out of your depth, darling. Walk away now, before it’s too late.”

Vanessa's dark eyes, calm face, and lips curled into a mean smile lit by studio lights filled the screen. My stomach dropped. “Good evening everyone,” Vanessa said sweetly. “I hope you’re all watching.” Adrian grabbed the remote and tried to turn the screen off, but no response. Nathan hit the side of the TV with his hand, but the video wouldn't move. “My name,” Vanessa continued, “is Vanessa Cross.” Leo’s grip on my hand tightened. “And today,” she said, raising her chin slightly, “the world needs to know the truth.” The room seemed to shrink around me.

she whispered. Win raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” Vanessa leaned in closer, her voice turning low and seductive. “You always liked Victoria, right? I’ll let you sleep with her. In return, you delete every single video and image you have of me.” Win stared at her for a moment, then laughed. “That’s a good deal. But how do I know you’re not bluffing?” Vanessa reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. She held it up in front of his face.