“Well, for the first few months they’d both sort of lay low, make love, and bond in a very tender way to go with the intensely violent, sexual bond they already formed. Her family would come back to see the guest house in ashes but no other sign of trouble — Madame Lambert would have seen that everything else is cleaned up — and Bastien is now in place. They met him before, knew he’d saved her life, knew she’d been only half alive since she left him, so they’d welcome him into their lives (though they’d be wary since he’s clearly a dangerous man with a dark past — but they’d know he loves her and that counts for a lot. Her brothers would be particularly protective). Bastien and Chloe might even go away for a time, to a remote Caribbean Island where they could be safe and quiet and just be with each other. She’d get pregnant in about a year, he’d become a carpenter (he’d need to do something physical and rewarding, and he has tons of money in a swiss bank account so a career is unimportant). He’d probably build them a house on the 320 or so acres her parents have — far enough away for privacy, close enough for family. Chloe would probably do free-lance translating for a New York publisher while she raises the babies, and no one will ever know that Bastien survived. He’ll have hellacious nightmares as he starts to come out of his cold killer persona, but she’ll be there for him, because, in fact, she is stronger than he is, at least emotionally. And they WILL live HEA.”

–Anne Stuart