Patrick walked in the dark, hysterical laughter on his lips, arms open to embrace the night and the danger that waited in it. Let them come. Let them all come. Let Troy fuck him and rip his heart out and burn him. What did it matter? What the fuck did any of it matter?

He slammed into the bar and used the last of his money to drink himself into a stupor. When he lurched out into the street he could barely remember his own name, and he didn't care.

Summer thunder rolled ...