Hey readers! There are a few of you who have been messaging and emailing me about the Incarcerated and Inevitable series and where it stands. First, thanks for your support and patience. 

Just a quick note before I get into the preview of Indelible. I am working hard on the book and the deadline for the editor has been set! However, I am not releasing the release date until the book is in the final stages of editing. Why? Because LIFE. Ha! It can get crazy and hectic and there are so many things are happening in this stage of my life that sometimes writing has to take a back seat. That used to worry me and I used to apologize for it, but I can't any more. All I can do is my best to make time to write the best story I can write. And that is what I will do.

**Important Notice**  

18 and up due to language and adult situations

This piece of work is lightly edited. Dates, names, and places are all subject to change.

     Trent crossed his arms over his large chest and took a deep breath as he observed both men. How in the fuck did they not know about the woman and all of the ruckus back on the lawn?  He glanced over his shoulder spying the large crowd of rich kids all surrounding the woman in white. From where he stood, he couldn’t see her bruise and battered body, yet he had the sense to tell that something wasn’t right over there. Were Logan and Trent that clueless as to what was going on or had they been dipping their dicks and just ignoring the commotion? That shit didn’t seem like Logan since he was the do-good type who always had some shit to say about whatever shit was happening around him. Turning back he watched as Logan leaned against a tree, eyes focused on the house, no doubt wishing to be back in the fray of whatever woman had been keeping him company. When he swung his gaze over to Jake who stood with a shit-eating grin smeared across his face, Trent no doubt knew that man cared nothing about anything other than dipping his dick. Trent watched both men yaking about fuckin' and took a bit of pleasure in interrupting them, but he was not thrilled with the news he was about to give them. Pointing over his shoulder, Trent said, “Some girl was raped.”  Both men froze and shut the hell up. Well, that’s stopped their hooting and hollering about chicks and getting laid. Trent’s stomach clenched once again at the news. That shit was not right. No woman should have her choice taken from her and the mere thought of it had Trent’s anger bubbling to the surface. If he ever got his hands on the man…Trent sense Logan’s reaction before he even saw the man move. His fury seemed to heat the air around him and Trent observed as the slow burn of anger turn to outright rage.  Logan took a few menacing steps toward the crowd, as if his hotheaded anger could not only kick the rapists ass, but unrape the poor girl as well.

            Logan seethed and started to increase his pace nearly making it past Trent. “The fuck do you mean raped?” Teeth clenched, back ramrod straight and fist balled at his sides Logan was aching for a fight. Trent from experience knew where this shit was headed which was nowhere good and fast. Sensing Logan's intent, Trent shifted his stance and threw out his arm. Trent had just come from over there and the man who'd hurt the woman was long gone, and Logan’s presence was not needed. Hell, the last thing that woman needed was another raging bull headed towards her.

            Trent’s arm acted like an unbreakable band, stopping Logan in his tracks. When their eyes met he shook his head. “She came out of the house crying, bruised and with ripped clothes.” He made sure he had Logan’s full attention as he added, “She doesn’t need you, brother. She’s in good and safe hands right now.” Logan’s eyes narrowed, no doubt wondering at the certainty in Trent’s words. “Trust me,” Trent could still see Faye’s expression of determination as she made her way through the crowd. “She is in good hands for now.” Jake’s movement caught Trent’s eye. He dropped his arm sure that Logan would back down. They’d built a trust over the years and Trent wouldn’t lie to the man, well, at least not about this. His past was a different story.

            Jake pulled an abused toothpick from his pocket and stuck it back in his mouth. “Shit, maybe she just likes it rough.” Both Trent and Logan turned to the man disgusted by his indifferent attitude to the situation. The words of his sister’s ex blasted through his mind as he remembered watching her limping through the house black and blue. Meanwhile, her current POS of the week spouted similar shit.

            Trent couldn’t control his need to hurt Jake, he moved before his brain knew where he was headed. He ended up in Jake’s face with a fist full of his muscle shirt and yanked the man to him. “You saying that girl deserved what happened to her back there?” Trent could sense the growing unease settling in around the men. Logan had gone stock-still, tensed and ready for action. He’d seen Trent like this before and knew from experience this situation would go only one of two ways—Trent breaking Jake’s face or Trent attempting to break Jake’s face while Logan held him at bay. Though what Trent hadn't expected was Jake’s laughter. The little piss ant had found humor in his situation. His glee at the woman’s abuse hit Trent’s ‘off’ switch. His manic laughter gave Trent pause and he released him.

            Jake stepped back and used his car to support his weight while he wiped tears from his face. “Dude, I am kidding with you, but let me ask you this,” Suddenly his laughter had ended, his tone now severe. “If she were raped,” In his peripheral, Trent watched Logan move closer and place his arms over his chest. He wasn’t feeling Jake’s bullshit either. “Why aren’t the cops here? Why didn’t she run out of that house and demand the cops be called.” Jake pushed himself off the car and straightened his shirt. Trent glanced back over to the crowd that had thinned a bit. Noting Jake’s observation that there were no red and blue lights flashing, no cops busting up the party and not one male rounded up to sit on the curb to be interviewed. Had Trent not seen the battered crying woman himself, had he not looked into her eyes—eyes just like his sister’s after a beating— he to, would wonder at the validity of his statement. Before Trent had a chance to say this, Logan spoke.

            “Nah. Just cause the cops ain’t here doesn’t mean something didn’t happen.” Trent eyed his friend showing his support of the statement. “And honestly, maybe we should be the ones to call the—“

            Jake lurched forward. “Fuck that. I ain’t calling the law!” The vehemence in his voice had Trent swinging back around to eye the man. “I am not getting involved with that shit,” Pointing in the direction of the crowd he added, “And honestly, we need to leave. Shit this is just like that night that chick said Poe Boy tried to rape her.”

            Trent shoved a hand through his hair and laughed. “Well, we all know how that turned out.” Trent only found the situation funny because the chick had never accused Poe Boy of rape. Poe Boy joked about how he liked to wake his woman up with his face buried deep between her legs and it’d been misconstrued into rape some way. That’s what happened when you ran your mouth about the girls you were currently fucking around girls you’d recently fucked over. Trent relaxed a bit. “Poe Boy’s problem is he can't keep the Jim Beam out of his system and enjoys talking about who he likes to fuck in the shop around women he’s thrown to the curb seconds after he’s cum.”

            Logan guffawed. “Shit, I remember that night.”

            Jake coughed and turned his head to spit. When he turned back to Logan and Trent, his earlier jovial expression had morphed into a contemptuous sneer. "No, that mother fucker’s problem is that he likes his women like he likes his liquor." Trent's brow bowed in confusion, as did Logan's. Trent shrugged ready to ignore the joke when Jake cursed again.

            Trent snapped his fingers. “I got it. Strong and free?” He kept going, each time watching as Jake’s annoyance grew at his wrong guesses.

            He’d gotten to cheap and dirty before Jake exploded. "Fuck, you dumb or something, boy? You do all this talking bout being part of the KKK, yet you don’t get a joke about coons when one’s made?" Trent sneered at the sniveling puke wishing he could wrap his fingers around the man’s throat for calling him out. He didn’t have a fucking answer for Jake, and it didn’t escape his notice that Logan had gone silent. Trent didn’t dare take his eyes off of Jake long enough to gauge Logan’s expression. There’d been a few nights out with the boys where loyalties to the Brotherhood were tested. Some men passed, while others failed. Though Trent had always passed, he’d always made sure the game was rigged. Was he going after a black man for the sole purpose of the color of his skin? No, but did he go after the men who had hurt his sister? Fuck, yes. Still, no one, not even Logan knew about Trent’s past and that he’d fallen in love with a black woman. He’d made sure to keep to the left of the train tracks that separated the “haves from the have not’s” and had never looked back. The tense silence seemed to go on forever. One wrong word and Trent would break Jake into bit sized rich boy pieces.

            A smile spread across Jake’s smug face. “Ah, man, I’m fucking with you.” His saccharine smirk did nothing to ease Trent’s irritation, but Trent allowed his anger to ebb while glaring at Jake waiting for him to speak.

            Jake gave both men a long suffering sign before he added, "He likes his liquor like he likes his women, cheap and brown..." Jake’s belly laughter made Trent roll his eyes. Sparing a quick glance at Logan, Trent’s eyes narrowed as he noted a hint of disgust in his buddy’s expression. Was he offended by the joke or was he finally realizing what a piece of shit Jake was? Poe boy liked black women and made no excuses for it. Still, with Trent's past fresh on his mind he was in no mood to talk race. On top of that, he wanted to get back to Faye.  His need to be close to her again fueled his impatience.

            Trent shrugged. “Fuck I care what color the bitch is that he is fucking when I’m over here talking with you two fuckers, yet not getting fucked?” He glanced at Jake, “You dipped your dick and Logan over here was close to dipping his and I’m over here waiting to get some.” Avoidance was the only way to get Jake off this race issue. And avoidance was a tactic Trent could specialize in. Though the circle he ran in was of the racist variety, he spent his time trying to hide the fact the only hate that consumed his heart was for those who believed the number in their bank account counted more towards their worth than actual integrity. Hell, maybe Trent was a fool. Just maybe in the world he lived in men like Jake would rule and men like Logan and Trent would spend their loves shoveling shit, but tonight Trent wouldn’t deal with those narcissistic fuckers and that included Jake. There was one place he wanted to be and as Jake shrugged and said, “Whatever, let’s ride.” Trent walked away hoping to never see Jake again.