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

“Thanks,” Ali said. “I needed that.”


“Drink your tea, then, it’ll go cold.”


“I know I’m the hottest person on the face of the planet, but even I’m not that hot,” Yazid said easily, and drummed his fingers against Ali’s skin. “Just drink your tea and relax, yeah? Don’t freak about tomorrow until tomorrow.”


“And tomorrow you’ll see off anyone who tries to make me do it, right?”


“Sure. Big tough Yaz, that’s me.”


Ali laughed, and Yazid brought a hand up to stroke his hair. Ali drained the tea and passed off the empty mug before turning on his side and burrowing into Yazid’s shoulder. The room was still spinning, but Yazid was steady and the arm he kept around Ali’s back was tight and secure.


“I’m glad you threw a fit last time I came to Leeds and insisted on coming with me this time,” Ali said quietly.


“Can I record this? The great Alasdair Barraclough was wrong about something?”


Chapter 95