When the sun began to rise again, they were exhausted enough to sleep. They had been up very early that day and the excitement and the planning took a lot out of them.

That day, Casey got her first good day of sleep since they were blackmailed. She laid on the couch with Lavinia, who curled around her protectively and draped a blanket over the two of them.

Lavinia kept her cool and Casey’s body heat warmed Lavinia. Together, they came to an equilibrium of ...