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

For a split second, Yazid’s instincts took over and he shrank back against the sofa, one hand coming up as if to shield the baby against his chest.


“Don’t you dare!” Ali shouted. The baby squirmed restlessly in Yazid’s arms, and he bent his head to shush it, breaking eye contact with Tony. His heart was thrumming in his chest, and he felt cold. The hairs on his arms were standing on end. He’d never seen a look that angry.


“Stop it, both of you!” Violet cried, but her voice was too high and weak against her sons combined. “This is Christmas.”


“You said he wasn’t coming!” Ali yelled.


Chapter 58