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’re buttering me up,” Yazid accused.


Ali rolled his eyes before shuffling over and sliding both arms around Yazid’s waist. “Oh Jesus, what’d you do?” Yazid demanded, even as he lifted his arm and allowed the sideways hug.


“I called Mum this morning,” Ali said. “She’s trying to get me to go over for Christmas dinner with the family, but it’s our first Christmas, too…”


“I’ve told you, I don’t really do Christmas.” Yazid shrugged. “It’s fine, go see your people.”


“My people?” Ali echoed, and laughed. “Weirdo. No, you’re not listening. Mum said Tony isn’t coming this year.”


Ali used his best wheedling tone, and Yazid fixed his gaze very firmly on the coffee table. Ali had recently learned just how fucking powerful his eyes were, and looking him in the face would be to throw all sense out of the window. He’d be agreeing to getting married while skydiving in Latvia before he knew it.


Chapter 53