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

“You, me, August, Italy. The lakes in the north, private villa, little pool.”


Ali’s grin widened. “Are you suggesting pool sex in Italy?”


“C’mere,” Ali said, tucking the tickets back into their envelope and reaching across the table to squeeze both of Yazid’s hands. “Seriously, though, how did you cough up for a Rolex and a break in Italy?”


Yazid shrugged, and a tiny smirk started to form.


“I had a five-minute meeting last week with my boss at the pub.”


“The company want me on full-time.”


Ali…shrieked briefly, cutting himself off by clapping a hand over his mouth, but—he still shrieked. “Yaz! Oh my God, Yaz, that’s great!” And then Ali kicked him under the table.


“It was only last week, and I wanted it to be a surprise,” Yazid said, rubbing his shin. “Jesus. Violent boyfriend, much?”


Chapter 38