Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 1981

"That little bastard needs to die!" Maurice finally exploded, unable to contain his rage any longer as he shot to his feet with a thunderous roar.

He slammed his palm down with such force that boiling waves of energy erupted outward, sending the two Shadow Division operatives flying backward as blood sprayed from their mouths.

The desk in front of him shattered into pieces.

Scarlett's lips moved, her face turning pale. "Dad, you… should calm down. This isn't the time to lose your temper."

Maurice snapped, "How could I not be angry? That bastard has already killed two of the Driscoll family's top men. Even if I skin him alive, it still won't make up for our loss."

Scarlett's voice dripped with hatred. "At this point, it's him or us. But that bastard is strong. To kill him, we'll need a martial saint on our side."

Maurice forced himself to rein in his fury and said in a low voice, "You two, get out and tell Franklin to come see me."

The two Shadow Division men, relieved to be dismissed, hurried out.

A moment later, the bald Franklin walked in. He said, "Praise the Eternal Eclipse, Mr. Driscoll Senior. You asked for me?"

"Hell, I'm in no mood for your fake holy man routine right now. We've known each other since we were young, and I can tell what kind of crap you're planning just by the way you move!"

Maurice's words grew sharper until they were little more than verbal blows. Scarlett was startled. Franklin was no ordinary man. He was a martial saint and Gabo Creek's number one fighter. Even though her father was one of the Three Titans, speaking to Franklin like this was shockingly bold.

Yet, what left her even more stunned was Franklin's reaction. After a moment of silence, he grinned, and the air of a virtuous monk vanished instantly, replaced by something sly and dark.

Franklin chuckled. "Maurice, you really are my brother in vice. You know exactly what's going on in my head. A gentleman loves wealth, sure, but us monks? We love it too. That's just human nature, isn't it?"