Page 66 of No Small Sin

I dropped her small form into my waiting trunk.

Slamming it shut eased something within me. Shrouding her in darkness was preferable to bearing the weight of her lifeless eyes staring a hole through my tepid sense of right and wrong.

The drive to my girl’s apartment felt like a time warp, going by quicker than what seemed realistic. Perhaps because I dreaded what I was about to do.

Deep down, a part of me knew that she would be heartbroken at my decision.

I shoved my feelings on the matter far away.

It was too late now.

I carried the body through her front door and up the stairs, my ragged breathing and heavy footsteps the only sounds. I took a moment to adjust my grip before entering into the main living area.

I settled her tiny frame onto the carpet, trying to be at least somewhat reverent.

Sacrifices were being made, after all.

I quickly retrieved the remainder of what I would need from my car and got to work.

The kitchen was first. I soaked every square inch of it.

I doused the table and chairs, the act physically painful as I thought of the memories this place held for the two of us.

How fucking adorable she’d been with that goddamn sunflower tattoo.

Eating breakfast together — how enamored I’d been with her.

At the top of the stairs, I tipped the container over and emptied the remaining kerosene out like a waterfall, the contents cascading over each step and pooling on the floor at the bottom.

I carried the other jug over to the body, soaking every inch of her.

Her hair, her clothes, her skin — the thick carpet beneath her still form.

I’d made it a quick, easy death… mostly for my own selfish reasons.

But as I walked away from her to saturate the remainder of the house, I marveled at just how beautiful it all actually was.

So simple.Flawless.

Just as I’d needed it to be.

Perhaps Law was onto something with this way of doing things.

It was neat.Clean.

And I’d done everythingperfectlyfor my girl. She deserved no less.

I made my way to exit through the back, sparing the body one last glance before lighting it up.

Although she lived in a townhouse, she only shared a wall with one other neighbor andhewas long gone. I didn’t have to worry about damaging anyone else’s home in the process.

I climbed the steep incline of the hillside behind the homes, my boots sinking into the damp grass. I reached the top and collapsed there, a tad breathless. I settled in — a front-row seat to watch it burn.

I’d been thorough. There was no saving it. With the amount of fuel I’d used, it would burn hot and heavy.Fast.

Arson was nearly impossible to prove and I’d made sure the point of origin was at the body.

That would burn the longest.

---