Page 13 of Oath of Protection (Blood Oath Bargains #1)

THIRTEEN

REVELATION

The photographs spread across Matt's desk like evidence at a murder trial. Bank records, wire transfers, timestamped surveillance footage—all pointing to the same impossible conclusion that made Nico's chest feel tight with something between rage and grief.

"How long?" His voice came out steady despite the hurricane building inside him.

He adjusted his glasses, the gesture buying him time he didn't want to take. "Financial records go back six months. But the pattern suggests longer. Maybe a year."

A year. Twelve months of Tony feeding information to the Kozlovs while sitting at family dinners, while planning security protocols, while watching Nico nearly die twice and expressing nothing but concern.

"The security layouts from last night's intel?" Nico asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Tony's electronic signature on the access logs. Downloaded three days ago, uploaded to an encrypted server that traces back to Kozlov financial networks." His voice carried exhaustion, like a man watching everything he'd believed in fall apart. "He's been selling us out, Nico. Piece by piece."

He stood by the office windows, alert despite the compound's security, his presence a steadying weight in a world suddenly tilted off its axis. He hadn't said much since the call had dragged them back from the surveillance operation, but Nico could feel his attention like a physical thing.

"Where is he?"

"Private dining room with your father. They're discussing operational security for tonight." His mouth twisted with bitter irony. "Tony suggested additional patrols around the compound perimeter."

"Jesus Christ." Nico pushed back from the desk, needing movement to process what felt like physical pain. His brother. His blood. The man who'd taught him to drive, who'd covered for him when teenage rebellion got out of hand, who'd stood beside him at Marco's funeral talking about family loyalty.

"There's more," he said quietly.

Nico's hands clenched into fists. "What else?"

"Vincent Torrino wasn't the original leak.

Tony recruited him as backup when he realized we were getting suspicious about security breaches.

" He slid another photograph across the desk—Tony and Vincent meeting in a parking garage, the timestamp showing two weeks before Marco's death. "Tony's been planning this for months."

The room went silent except for the tick of the grandfather clock and the distant sound of compound security making their rounds. Normal sounds in a world that had just revealed itself to be completely insane.

"Planning what, exactly?" Cam's voice cut through the quiet, professional and controlled.

"Succession." He pulled out another file, this one thicker. "Bank records show payments from offshore accounts tied to Kozlov operations. But there's money going the other way too —Tony's been investing in properties, businesses, establishing financial independence."

"He's positioning himself to take over when the Kozlovs eliminate me."

"That's my read, yes."

Nico felt something cold settle in his stomach, spreading outward until his whole body felt numb. This wasn't just betrayal. It was patricide by proxy, using Russian bullets to clear a path to the throne that Tony had always believed belonged to him.

"Does Pop know?"

"Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first."

"Loyal to the end." Nico's voice came out rougher than he intended. "Even when loyalty might get you killed."

His expression was grave. "Loyalty's all we have, Nico. Without it, we're just criminals."

Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside—confident, familiar, approaching with the easy stride of someone who belonged here. Tony, coming to check on their intelligence gathering, to offer strategic insights about defending against an attack he'd helped orchestrate.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

Nico looked at the photographs again, seeing a year of careful planning, systematic betrayal, family dinners seasoned with lies.

Tony laughing at Sofia's stories while counting Russian money.

Tony offering tactical advice while selling compound layouts.

Tony standing at Marco's grave talking about sacrifice while knowing exactly who'd pulled the trigger.

"I want to hear him say it."

The door opened without a knock—Tony's privilege as underboss, as family, as the brother who'd never learned to respect boundaries.

"How'd the surveillance go?" Tony asked, settling into the chair across from Matt's desk like he owned it. "Get anything useful?"

"Useful is one way to put it." Nico kept his voice level, watching Tony's face for tells. "We found Kozlov operational plans, weapons inventory, assault timelines."

"Good. That'll help us prepare defenses." Tony's expression showed nothing but professional interest. "What kind of timeline are we looking at?"

"Tonight. Full assault, multiple entry points, enough firepower to level the compound."

"Shit." Tony leaned forward, the picture of concerned family. "We need to get everyone to safe locations. Move the women, double the perimeter guards?—"

"We also found evidence of inside information being shared with Kozlov forces."

The words hung in the air like smoke from a gunshot. Tony's expression didn't change, but something shifted behind his eyes—calculation replacing concern, preparation replacing surprise.

"Inside information?"

"Current security layouts. Updated patrol schedules. Even architectural plans showing emergency exits and safe room locations." Nico watched his brother's face, looking for some sign of shame, regret, anything human. "The kind of information only family would have access to."

"That's..." Tony paused, choosing words carefully. "That's disturbing. We'll need to review everyone with security clearance, figure out how this happened."

"We already did."

Nico slid the bank records across the desk, watching Tony's face as recognition hit. For just a moment, the mask slipped—surprise, calculation, then resigned acceptance.

"Well," Tony said finally. "I guess we're having a different conversation than I expected."

"I guess we are."

Tony sat back in his chair, studying Nico with new assessment. The pretense was gone now, the careful performance of concerned brotherhood replaced by something colder and more honest.

"How long have you known?"

"About an hour. Matt's thorough when he wants to be."

"Matt always was too smart for his own good." Tony's voice carried no anger, just professional evaluation. "I told them you'd figure it out eventually. You're too careful, too paranoid. It's one of your better qualities."

The casual admission hit Nico like a physical blow. Not denial, not justification—just acknowledgment of facts that meant their relationship, their family, their entire world had been built on lies.

"Why?"

"Because you're not ready." Tony stood, pacing to the window where Cam watched with predatory stillness. "You think like a businessman instead of a boss. You negotiate when you should eliminate. You show mercy when strength is required."

"So you decided to eliminate me instead?"

"I decided to create an opportunity for better leadership." Tony turned back to face him, expression matter-of-fact. "The Kozlovs were always going to move against us eventually. Better to control the timing, minimize the damage."

"Minimize the damage." Nico's voice was deadly quiet. "Marco's dead. Vincent Torrino nearly got me killed twice. How is that minimizing anything?"

"Growing pains. Necessary sacrifices to establish new management structure." Tony's tone suggested they were discussing quarterly projections instead of murder. "The family needs leadership that understands how power really works."

"And you think that's you?"

"I know it's me."

He shifted, barely noticeable unless you knew to watch for it. Nico had learned to read those signs. Preparation, assessment, the kind of focused attention that meant violence was seconds away.

"Here's what's going to happen," Tony continued, settling back into his chair like he was chairing a board meeting. "You're going to choose between the family and your pet bodyguard. Send him away, accept my leadership, and we can salvage this situation."

"And if I don't?"

"Then the Kozlov assault happens as planned. You die defending the compound like a hero, I assume leadership to avenge your death, and the family emerges stronger under more appropriate management."

Tony spoke about murder like a business transaction. Complete erasure disguised as heroic narrative.

"That's your offer? Submit or die?"

"That's reality." Tony's voice hardened. "You can choose the family, or you can choose him. But you can't choose both."

Nico looked at the photographs scattered across Matt's desk, then at Cam standing alert by the windows, then at his brother who'd just threatened to murder him for the crime of thinking like a human being instead of an animal.

"You're wrong," he said quietly.

"About what?"

"I can choose both. I choose loyalty that's earned instead of inherited.

I choose competence over birthright. I choose people who would die for me instead of people planning to kill me.

" Nico stood, feeling something settle in his chest that might have been relief.

"I choose both, Tony. And that's not negotiable. "

Tony's expression shifted through surprise, anger, and finally something that looked almost like respect.

"I was hoping you'd see reason."

"I am seeing reason. For the first time in a year, I'm seeing everything clearly."

"Then you're choosing war with your own blood."

"No. I'm choosing war with a traitor who happens to share my DNA." Nico walked to the door, then paused. "Matt, call security. I want Tony confined until this is over."

"Nico—"

"And Matt? When you make that call, tell them Cam's authorized to make security decisions in my absence. Full authority."

He nodded, already reaching for his phone. Tony watched the exchange with growing understanding, his politician's instincts recognizing the transfer of power happening in front of him.

"You're making a mistake," Tony said.

"The only mistake I made was trusting you." Nico opened the door, then looked back at his brother one last time. "The Kozlovs are going to be very disappointed when their inside information turns out to be useless."

As they walked away from the office, he kept pace beside him, silent support in a world suddenly rearranged around new loyalties and harder truths.

"You okay?" Cam asked quietly.

"No. But I will be." Nico felt the weight of leadership settling on his shoulders, heavier now but somehow cleaner. "We've got a war to win."

"Together?"

"Together."

Behind them, Tony's voice carried down the hallway, calm and controlled even in defeat. "You'll understand someday, Nico. When mercy gets you killed, you'll understand why strength matters more than sentiment."

But Nico was already walking away, choosing his own path forward with the one person who'd never asked him to choose at all.