No, thank you.

Pause. Like she wasnt used to being turned down, and wanted to remind him that they were running out of time.

After a moment, she kicked up her chin. Very good, sir.

Which was her way of telling him to go to hell: With a whip around of the hair, she hipped her way off, swinging what was under that skirt like she had a cat by the tail and a target to hit.

Lane lifted his glass and circled the No. 15. Hed never been partic- ularly involved with the family business" that was the purview of his older brother Edward. Or at least, it had been. But even as a company outsider, Lane knew the nickname of the Bradford Bourbon Companys bestseller: No. 15, the staple of the product line, sold in such tremendous numbers that it was called The Great Eraser" because its profit was so { 14 }.

enormous, the money could eclipse the loss from any internal or exter- nal corporate misstep, miscalculation, or market share downshift.

As the jet rounded the airstrips for the approach, a ray of sunshine pierced the oval window, falling over the burled walnut folding table, the cream leather of the seat, the deep blue of his jeans, the brass buckle of his Gucci loafers.

And then it hit the No. 15 in his glass, pulling out the ruby high- lights in the amber liquor. As he took another pull from the crystal rim, he felt the warmth of the sun on the outside of his hand and the coolness from the ice on the pads of his fingers.

Some study that had been done recently put the bourbon business at three billion dollars in annual sales. Of that pie, the BBC was probably upward of a quarter to a third. There was one company in the state that was bigger" the dreaded Sutton Distillery Corporation, and then there were eight to ten other producers" but BBC was the diamond among semi-precious stones, the choice of the most discriminating drinkers.

As a loyal consumer, he had to concur with the zeitgeist.

A shift in the level of the bourbon in his glass announced the de- scent to the landing, and he thought back to the first time he had tried his familys product.

Considering how it had gone, he should have been a teetotaller for life.

Its New Years, come on. Dont be a wuss.

As usual, Maxwell was the one who started the ball rolling.

Out of the four siblings, Max was the troublemaker, with Gin, their little sister, coming in at a close second on the recalcitrant Richter scale. Edward, the oldest and the most strait-laced of them, had not been invited to this party"

and Lane, who was somewhere in the middle, both in terms of birth order and likelihood to get arrested at any early age, had been forced into the excursion because Max hated to do bad without an audience" and girls didnt count.

Lane knew this was a really poor idea. If they were going to hit the alcohol, they should take a bottle from the pantry and go up to their rooms where { 15 }.

there was zero chance of being busted. But to drink out in the open here, in the parlor? Under the disapproving glare of Elijah Bradfords portrait over the fireplace?

Dumb"

So yall saying you arent going to have any, Lame ?

Ah, yes. Maxs favorite nickname for him.

In the peachy glow from the exterior security lights, Max looked over with an expression of such challenge, the stare might as well have come with sprinter blocks and a starting gun.

Lane glanced at the bottle in his brothers hand. The label was one of the fancy ones, with the words Family Reserve in important lettering on it.

If he didnt do this, he was never going to hear the end of it.

I just want it in a glass, he said. A proper glass. With ice.

Because that was how his father drank it. And it was the only manly out he had for his delay.

Max frowned as if he hadnt considered the whole presentation thing.

Well, yeah.

I dont need a glass. Gin, who was seven, had her hands on her hips and her eyes on Max. In her little lace nightie, she was like Wendy in Peter Pan ; with that aggressive expression on her face, she was a straight- up pro- wrestler.

I need a spoon.

A spoon? Max demanded. What are you talking about?

Its medicine, isnt it.

Max threw his head back and laughed. What are you"

Lane slapped a palm on his brothers mouth. Shut up! Do you want to get caught?

Max ripped the hold away. What are they going to do to me? Whip me?

Well, yes, if their father found them or found out about this: Although the great William Baldwine delegated the vast majority of fatherly duties to other people, the belt was one he saved for himself.

Wait a minute, you want to be found out, Lane said softly. Dont you.

Max turned to the brass and glass beverage cart. The ornate server was an antique, as most everything in Easterly was, and the family crest was etched into each of its four corners. With big, spindly wheels and a crystal top, it was { 16 }.

the hostess with the mostest, carrying four different kinds of Bradford bourbons, half a dozen crystal glasses, and a sterling- silver ice bucket that was constantly refreshed by the butler.

Heres your glass. Max shoved one at him. Im drinking from the bottle.

Wheres my spoon? Gin said.

You can have a sip off mine, Lane whispered.

No. I want my own"

The debate was cut short as Max yanked the cork out and the projectile went flying, pinging into the chandelier in the center of the room. As crystal chattered and twinkled, the three of them froze.

Shut up, Max said before there was any commentary. And no ice for you.

The bourbon made a glugging noise as his brother dumped it into Lanes glass, not stopping until things were filled as high as the milk was at the dining table.

Now drink up, Max told him as he put the bottle to his mouth and tilted his head back.

The tough- guy show didnt last but a single swallow as Max barked out a series of coughs that were loud enough to wake the dead. Leaving his brother to choke up or die trying, Lane stared down into his glass.

Bringing the crystal lip to his mouth, he took a careful pull.

Fire. It was like drinking fire, a trail blazing to his gut" and as he exhaled a curse, he half expected to see flames come out of his face as if he were a dragon.

My turn, Gin spoke up.

He held onto the glass, not letting her take it when she wanted to. Meanwhile, Max was having a second and a third go of it.

Gin barely drew from the glass, doing nothing more than get her lips wet and recoil in disgust"

What are you doing!

As the chandelier was turned on, the three of them jumped, Lane catching the bourbon that splashed out of his glass down the front of his monogrammed PJs.

{ 17 }.

Edward stood just inside the parlor, a look of absolute fury on his face.

What the hell is wrong with you, he said, marching forward, grabbing the glass out of Lanes hands and the bottle out of Maxs.

We were just playing, Gin muttered.

Go to bed, Gin. He put the glass down on the cart and pointed with the bottle to the archway. You go to bed right now.

Aw, why?

Unless you want me to kick your ass, too?

Even Gin could respect that logic.

As she headed for the archway, shoulders hunched, slippers sloppy over the Oriental, Edward hissed, And use the staff stairs. If Father hears anything, hell come down the front.

Lanes heart went into full- thunder. And his gut churned" although whether it was the getting caught or the bourbon, he wasnt sure.

Shes seven, Edward said when Gin was out of ear shot. Seven!

We know how old she is"

Shut up, Maxwell. Just shut up. He stared down Max. If you want to corrupt yourself, I dont care. But dont contaminate the pair of them with your bullshit.

Big words. Cusses. And the demeanor of somebody who could ground the both of them.

Then again, Edward had always seemed like a grown- up, even before hed made the leap into the teenage world.

I dont have to listen to you, Max shot back. But the fight was already leaving him, his tone going weak, his eyes dropping to the rug.

Yes, you do.

Things got quiet at that point.

Im sorry, Lane said.

Im not worried about you. Edward shook his head. Its him I worry about.

Say youre sorry, Lane whispered. Max, come on.

No.

Hes not Father, you know.

Max glared at Edward. But you act like it.

Only because youre out of control.

{ 18 }.

Lane took Max by the hand. Hes sorry, too, Edward. Come on, lets go before anyone hears us.

It took some tugging, but eventually Max followed along without further comment, the fight over, the bid for independence dashed. They were halfway across the black and white marble floor of the dim foyer when Lane caught sight of something way down at the end of the hall.

Someone was moving in the shadows.

Too big to be Gin.

Lane yanked his brother into the total darkness of the ballroom across the way. Shh.

Through the archways into the parlor, he watched as Edward turned to the cart to try to find the cork, and he wanted to yell out a warning for his brother"

As their father entered, William Baldwines tall body blocked the view of Edward.

What are you doing?

Same words, same tone, deeper bass.

Edward turned around calmly. With the liquor bottle in his hand and Lanes nearly full glass front and center on the cart.

Answer me, their father said. What are you doing?

He and Max were dead, Lane thought. As soon as Edward told the man what had been going on down here, William was going to go on a rampage.

Next to Lane, Maxwells body trembled. I shouldnt have done this, he whispered"

Wheres your belt, Edward countered.

Answer me.

I did. Where is your belt.

No! Lane thought. No, it was us!

Their father strode forward, his monogrammed silk robe gleaming in the light, the color of fresh blood. Goddamn it, boy, youre going to tell me what youre doing here with my liquor.

Its called Bradford Bourbon, Father. You married into the family, remember?