Reign Over Me

By Rebecca Brochu

Spencer is stunned the day an older boy named Dmitri takes him firmly by the hand and intertwines their lives. Spencer hangs on Dmitri’s every word and order for years until the vicious lies of an outside party cause Dmitri to throw Spencer violently from his life. Heartbroken, Spencer is pushed almost to the breaking point until a mysterious stranger offers him the chance of a lifetime. With nothing left to lose, Spencer accepts.

Years later, the two are reunited and Spencer is forced to make a difficult choice. Should he continue on with the life he has fashioned and turn Dmitri away once and for all? Or should he take one final chance on the only man who has ever made his heart race?

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Jul 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781771112147

Book preview

Spencer is stunned the day an older boy named Dmitri takes him firmly by the hand and intertwines their lives. Spencer hangs on Dmitri’s every word and order for years until the vicious lies of an outside party cause Dmitri to throw Spencer violently from his life. Heartbroken, Spencer is pushed almost to the breaking point until a mysterious stranger offers him the chance of a lifetime. With nothing left to lose, Spencer accepts.

Years later, the two are reunited and Spencer is forced to make a difficult choice. Should he continue on with the life he has fashioned and turn Dmitri away once and for all? Or should he take one final chance on the only man who has ever made his heart race?

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Reign Over Me

Copyright © 2012 Rebecca Brochu

ISBN: 978-1-77111-214-7

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books Inc or

Devine Destinies, an imprint of eXtasy Books Inc

Look for us online at:

www.eXtasybooks.com or www.devinedestinies.com

Smashwords Edition

Reign Over Me

By

Rebecca Brochu

Dedication

For you as always

Chapter One

The first time Spencer sees Dmitri his life is changed almost beyond his comprehension. He’s nine years old and sitting out on the front stoop of his mother’s ratty apartment. He’s clutching the latest in a long string of bloody noses and busted lips when he sees the other boy walking in the distance. At first Spencer doesn’t think he’ll be anything special, figures he’ll be just like everyone else that has ever passed him by, but the closer he gets the more he sticks out. Even at his age, Spencer can tell the other boy’s clothes are good quality, the type of expensive that Spencer is practical enough to know he’ll never have. He likes to eat and have heat during the winter and often enough he can’t have both. It goes without saying that adding in a budget for clothes that don’t come from the corner Five-and-Dime or the people who hand out stuff at the local shelter is out of the question.

It doesn’t really matter though, because Spencer is smart for his age and tough so having some stranger pass him by without a second glance won’t hurt, it never has before. It does though, much more than it should have, the ache building up in his chest before the older boy is even level with his position on the stoop. Spencer glances up for a second, his eyes taking in messy spikes of black hair, the exact opposite of his own dirty blond and tangled mess, and bright blue eyes that put his muddied green to shame. He’s older than Spencer is, not by more than a handful of years, his face is still rounded with the sweet kiss of youth, but his frame hints at the sheer size he’ll achieve when he’s older.

He tucks his head back down quickly before the other boy can notice his interest. He knows that people don’t like it when he stares or sometimes they like it too much and either way he doesn’t want the trouble it will bring. Instead he just swipes at his nose and lip again, not really caring about the blood he’s smearing on his clothes since it’s not the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last either.

Are you alright? The voice comes out of nowhere and when Spencer jerks his head up warily his gaze locks with bright sky blue eyes and it feels as if his whole world has crashed to a halt.

I said are you alright? The other boy’s tone is concerned now, something that Spencer can identify but doesn’t really understand because he’s never really had anyone be concerned for him before.

I-I’m fine. His voice is feeble and shaky when he replies. He’s unsure about what the other boy wants since no one has ever simply stopped to check on him before, not without wanting more than he’s willing to give in return.

You don’t sound fine, and you’re bleeding. Do you need some help? The older boy is crouched in front of him in the blink of an eye, hand outstretched and Spencer can’t stop his instinctive flinch. He isn’t used to touches that don’t end in pain. He shakes his head no quickly in response. There’s a frown on the older boy’s face and Spencer has to remind himself that he’s tough and can take anything even as the sight of it makes him want to whimper an apology.

Suddenly there’s a hand gripping his wrist tight and he’s being tugged upwards and into the older boy’s arms and all he can do is gasp and squirm. A firm grip on his shoulder stops him short and once more he’s gazing upwards into the other boy’s face.

What’s your name? The blue-eyed stranger asks with a kind of authority that stirs something deep within Spencer that he doesn’t understand.

S-Spencer. He doesn’t even entertain the thought of not answering. It’s as if that possibility doesn’t exist where he’s at in that moment.

Hmm, I don’t like that. Spencer can feel himself visibly wilt at the proclamation. He’s nearly preening at the other boy’s next words though.

"How about I call you Spence? Would you like that? Would you like to be my Spence?"

It’s all Spencer—no, Spence now—can do to contain the strange joy he can feel bubbling up inside of him as he nods his agreement. He’s never been claimed before, never been given a nickname or been told that someone would like him to belong to them before. His mother seldom calls him by his name. Normally he can only tell by the tone of the curses she’s hurling around whether or not she’s talking to him. And never once has she ever willingly claimed him in such a way.

Y-Yes. Yes I would. His voice is low and serious, more serious than he should be capable of at his age but it doesn’t make it any less true.

Good, then. My name is Dmitri, Spence, and you’re coming with me. The newly introduced Dmitri doesn’t even wait for Spence’s reply before he’s tugging him down the street and away from the cold stoop he’d spent too many nights on already.

Spence for his part goes along without complaint, fascination warring with confused awe at the fact that this stranger has not only stopped but has apparently decided to claim him as well. It never crosses his