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

“Nope,” Ali mumbled. “C’mere.”


“Yeah,” Ali said. “Noooo,” he complained when Yazid untangled himself.


“Tea,” Yazid said, cupping Ali’s face and kissing him on the forehead. “I’ll make a brew, then bring tea and chocolate and a cuddle. Yeah?”


“Can’t we start with the cuddle?”


“Not a chance, gorgeous, minute you start your hugging routine there’s no getting away.”


“Like you can talk,” Ali mumbled, but let go.


Yazid pecked him on the forehead and wandered back to the kettle, humming. “Yaz, hurry up. I feel dizzy again.”


“I’m beginning to think that’s an excuse.”


“Just get back here,” Ali whined. He felt achy again, and knew that really a hug wouldn’t help, but the ceiling was spinning and even if Yazid couldn’t shut up if he wasn’t asleep, he was like an anchor. A chatty one, but still.


Chapter 94