Trust. Sometimes it is freely given. Other times it is hard-earned. Either way, it's is a fragile thing. Give it to the wrong person, and it just might cost your life.

The second volume of Ink Stains literary anthology series explores the complexity of placing your trust in another person and what can happen when that trust is betrayed.

Join authors Brian Becker, Cooper O'Connor, Marc E. Fitch, I. K. Paterson-Harkness, Daniel Henshaw, J.D. Kotzman, Melanie Marshall, and Douglas Andrew Smith as they deftly delve deep into the dark side of betrayal in a collection of literary tales.

From random encounters with strangers in the night to lovers turned enemies, from "I swear I didn't know!" to "Who's laughing now?" our authors dissect reasons betrayal is inevitable, no matter what the relationship, and the sometimes fatal consequences of such actions.

Ink Stains, a quarterly anthology published by Dark Alley Press, features gritty fiction. We are about shining a stark light on the shadows of life, exploring those dimly lit corridors, and unearthing those long-buried secrets.

We are about examining the human existence and the human psyche in its raw, delicate and dangerous state. We don't shy away from controversy, nor do we believe good will always triumph over evil or that someone will always be around to save the day. Sometimes all we have is ourselves. And the stories that keep us turning the page.