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

“Yep,” Yazid said. “I cleaned out the bowl with my mouth.”


“Filthy,” Ali laughed, and reached up to pet that thick hair. “My kitchen hero,” he crooned mockingly, and kissed the corner of Yazid’s mouth when he scowled. “Crappy chef or not, you’re still gorgeous.”


“Flattery gets you everywhere,” Yazid said, and the affronted scowl vanished in the wake of one of those broad, wicked grins. “Want to get the brownies out? I can crack open the ginger beer and we can pretend we’re getting pissed again.”


“Not for you,” Ali objected. “You were plenty pissed this morning.”


“It was so worth it,” Yazid grinned, wriggling free and fetching glasses. “Wine glass or bog-standard?”


“Wine glass, let’s have some class.”


“Yessir.” Yazid offered the glass with a bow an Edwardian waiter would have been proud of, and Ali smiled.


“Thanks,” he murmured, his voice too soft.


Chapter 64