Chapter 24

“I have never,” he rumbled threateningly, “been so goddamn ashamed of you boys. You got differences, you keep private. You do not brawl in the middle of the road where women and children can see you!”

Luca grimaced. This was so getting back to Mamma.

“Explain yourselves.”

Luca scrubbed his sleeve over his nose and picked up his swimming bag. “Jack told me to quit swimming ‘cause he doesn’t want to change in the same room with a gayboy.”

Coach Cooper’s lips thinned. “Right,” he said. “Rest of you, inside. Get in the water and start doing laps. No wasting anymore time.”

He kept hold of Jack, though. Through the eye that wasn’t swollen shut, Jack shot Luca a filthy look, who returned it tenfold and reluctantly followed the tug of Aaron’s fist around his jacket sleeve.

“Mate,” Aaron said, “remind me never to fuck with you.”

Luca snorted.

“Did he really say that?”