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

Ali chewed on his lip. “There’s a condition.”


“After last night, you want more conditions? Holy shit.”


Ali chuckled, then curled his fingers around Yazid’s wrist. “I’ve decided to donate,” he whispered, “but I want you to come with me.”


“Not that I’m saying no,” Yazid said carefully, “but why?”


“Because,” Ali said, and sighed. “Because you’re the only person who’s saying it’s up to me.Everyone else is saying that this would be the right thing, or that would be what they’d do. Nobody else is…nobody else is saying it’s my decision. Except you. And if I get there and I end up changing my mind last-minute, then…then I’ll need you to tell me that’s okay.”


Yazid put down the fork and squeezed Ali’s fingers over his arm.


“So if you come with me, I’ll donate.”


Yazid plucked Ali’s fingers free to kiss the knuckles.


Chapter 79