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

“Sure, change my racial identity for your own fancy turns of phrase. Arse,” he grumbled, and squeezed Ali tightly in a hug. “Forget it, okay? So your mother’s not thrilled about you being bent as Elton John in a tutu. Fuck it. Only people who have to give a shit are you, me, the doctor, and the lawyer. And really the lawyer doesn’t have a choice as it’s illegal to stop me leaving my stuff to you.”


“And you already lie to the NHS so you can donate blood,” Yazid teased.


Ali pinched him, mood starting to lift.


“Yeah, well, no reason I can’t. I’ve only been sleeping with you for, like, six years now, so unless there’s something you want to tell me…?”


“Well, I was going to keep it quiet, but me and Rafiq at work, well—wahey!” Yazid said, beaming.


Ali laughed, pinching him again before fisting a hand in his hair and kissing him sharply.


Chapter 52