If you could save someone's life, would you? Anyone's? Ali's older brother has a swastika tattooed on his knuckles, a prison ID number for nearly beating an immigrant to death, and spent his teenage years ruthlessly persecuting Ali for being gay. Blood may be thicker than water, but Ali has spent most of his life desperate to prove he is nothing like Tony. A committed vegetarian, charity-supporter, and blood donor, Ali would do anything for anyone. Ali may share parentage with Tony, but he’s determined not to share anything else if he can help it. So when Tony contracts leukaemia, and Ali is the only match for the urgently-needed bone marrow transplant, Ali is caught between two equally awful choices: to refuse and condemn a man to death, or to donate. And in donating, save the life of the man who nearly murdered Ali's Iraqi boyfriend?

Thicker Than Bone

“I’ll be outside when you’re done here,” he murmured, the hollow gravity leaking away from his tone, and Ali squeezed his elbows before letting go.


And then Yazid was gone, and the doctor was drawing the curtain around.


“I’m afraid it’s not good news,” he said.


When Ali emerged from the hospital, Yazid was sitting sprawled out on a bench by the entrance, looking as languid and relaxed as a man waiting for a bus to the local pub. He was texting someone—possibly Harry, but more probably Kevin—and the way he glanced up under his eyebrows was like nothing was wrong in the entire world. Ali’s heart, bruised by the doctor’s frank admission in Tony’s cubicle, yearned to simply be with Yazid for a while.


“Where’s Phil?” he asked hollowly as he approached the bench.


“Gone to get a coffee then heading back up to nab your mum,” Yazid said, squinting up at Ali in the hazy sunlight. “You okay?”


Chapter 13