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

“Ow!” Yazid yelped, then those dark eyes met Ali’s, and his face softened. “Hey.”


Ali glanced down at the flowers in his hands. “Thank you.”


“I…” Ali started, then—to his horror—felt the lump rising again. “I…”


“Hey,” Yazid murmured, dislodging the cat and slipping out of bed. He shut the laptop, the sound cutting off abruptly.


Ali took a shaky breath and put the flowers aside to meet him halfway, clutching at the sleep-warm flush of his skin like it was raw, tangible comfort.


“I’m sorry,” he said, resting his lips against the top of Yazid’s shoulder.


Chapter 45