The Muscle was originally a three part serial series and now it's combined into one full length novel with three parts, and that is how I read it. I met the main character Luca in Ruthless: Mob Boss 1 a few months back so I was happy to know that he got his own story! Now...here it is.
Luca was ready for a change and that is why he was in Miami. Away from New York and the life he was living except he still needed money and that is why he took this job. As a babysitter to a drug-lords daughters. He was the muscle that was needed to protect them from outsiders but once he met his boss and the sisters he was going to be taking care of, he knew it wasn't the outsiders he had to watch out for. It was Diego. His new boss. The brother that kept the girls prisoners in their own home. And what else made it more complicated was that he wanted the older sister that he was protecting. She was beautiful, strong, dangerous, and sexy. And the way she cared for her eight year old sister made her even more lovely. He knew he was in trouble from the moment he laid eyes on her. And that was before he knew who she was...
Isabel needed to escape but not without her sister. She hated that Diego had a hold on her. She lost hope of any kind of life outside of the house until she met him. Luca. Her new bodyguard. She shouldn't trust him but deep down she knew he could help her get away. But, Diego wouldn't just let her walk out the door. She would never be free if he used what he had against her. She was stuck but when things start to heat up between herself and Luca, hope of escape is also getting higher. Could she actually be free from Diego and his minions? Could Isabel, Luca, and Sofia leave everything behind and be together or will Diego be more ruthless than they thought?
I liked this story. It was suspenseful, sexy, and dangerous. Isabel and Luca definitely have some hot chemistry. They are both strong characters but together they are stronger. I liked that they didn't just backdown from Diego even when they knew it was dangerous. I do wish I felt more of a connection to the characters but I did feel some. I wanted them to find freedom and a life outside of the walls they are surrounded in.
Overall...it's a suspenseful, sexy, and badass story.
Quotes:
“And how does that feel?” she asked bitterly. “Knowing you’re keeping me prisoner.”
“Like shit,” he said.
“Pain is part of life, and I want to live it. I’ll take my chances with everyone else —hurt, love, risk. Then I’ll really be free.”
“I don’t try. I do.”
**** AND because I am a huge Wizard of Oz fan:
“Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Elia said.