Duke got kicked with a wet shoe and clattered a shovel as he sprawled into a wooden repair bench. Two ride-on lawnmowers were parked in the back and the smell was cut grass and petrol.

‘What did we tell you about going near our brother?’ Kehinde demanded as he grabbed a wad of Duke’s Afro and used it to tug back his head.

‘How many warnings?’ Taiwo added, glaring down Duke’s ear. ‘Are these clogged with wax?’

Collins found a three-pronged hand fork on a shelf and held it to Duke’s throat. At the same time, Taiwo unzipped Duke’s backpack, spilling the contents over the shed floor and bending down to retrieve Duke’s phone.

‘What did we tell you?’ Kehinde repeated, then punched Duke fiercely in the kidneys.

But Duke was dazed from getting his head bashed, and his tongue sloshed around in blood.

‘You turned my cousin into a homosexual,’ Collins said nastily, pressing the fork hard enough to draw blood. ‘Our family runs this town, Duke. We could end you. Nobody would bat an eye.’

The trio exchanged satisfied smiles as Duke squirmed and dribbled blood. Collins got bored holding the fork and banged the point of his elbow hard into Duke’s back.

‘Like that?’ Collins taunted, then did it twice more.

Taiwo stepped around in front of the bench, holding Duke’s phone.

‘Huawei hunk of junk,’ Taiwo said, knocking the screen on a corner of bench but failing to smash it. ‘Open your mouth.’

Kehinde pulled Duke’s hair back harder and pinched his nose shut. As Duke fought for breath, Taiwo rammed the phone deep into his gasping mouth, making his jaw crack and pinning his tongue to the back of his throat.

The fight for air gave Duke the strength to buck himself free. He inhaled, gargled, then vomited blood, phone and lunch over the bench.

Kehinde backed up to avoid splatter. Duke’s shorts ripped as Collins tugged him off the bench and let him drop to the floor.

Duke’s tongue felt gaps where teeth had been as he choked and coughed. Collins and Taiwo landed brutal kicks as Kehinde grabbed a petrol can and started unscrewing the cap.

‘I say we burn the queer,’ Kehinde suggested brightly.

‘God’s work,’ Collins laughed. ‘Those who submit to shameful lusts will be cast into eternal flame!’

Duke eyed them defiantly from the floor.

‘Who asked you, homo?’ Taiwo snarled, then used the bench as leverage for a vicious two-footed stamp. Duke groaned as his chest made a fleshy crunch.

‘Oh, shit!’ Collins said, laughing madly. ‘That was his ribs!’

Taiwo was laughing as Kehinde drizzled petrol all over Duke’s uniform.

‘Any last words?’ Taiwo taunted. ‘Maybe for your boyfriend, Julius?’

‘Kiss my ass,’ Duke growled. ‘You’ll burn in hell, not me.’