Rio (Redcars Book 3) by RJ Scott

Rio may have almost killed the hacker named Lyric to protect his family, but now with a tentative trust he is feeling the need to protect the man instead. Lyric doesn't need a protector, just help to stop the constant contracts issued for his death, and maybe find out if Rio will allow Lyric to control his strength instead of hiding behind it.


From the blurb:

Hunted by killers. Protected by a monster.

Lyric Thornwood is on the run, his name stamped on a kill order flooding the dark web. Someone inside the system wants him erased—and Marcus Kessler, the billionaire who twisted Lyric’s stolen code into the murderous AI LyricNight, is hunting him like prey.

Desperate and alone, Lyric follows a ghost contact to a rundown LA garage. What he finds there isn’t safety—it’s Rio Villareal. Rio doesn’t care about code, firewalls, or ghost signals. He knows fists, loyalty, and the kind of violence that keeps his found family alive. When Lyric crashes into his world, Rio should walk away. Instead, he claims the stranger as his responsibility—and maybe something more.

Rio is a dark, explosive story of found family and recovery scarred by violence. With a hunted hacker, a fighter built for blood, and an AI hell-bent on revenge, survival comes at a cost—and only obsession might be enough to keep them alive.


SNik's review:

Third in series (Redcars), best if read in order. Hurt/comfort. Found family. Slow burn. Dual POV. Heed content warnings. 

Rio has been a fighter all his life, and he will do anything to protect his found family, and he certainly doesn’t trust the hacker that knows a little too much about the men of Redcars and their enemies. Lyric has been on the run and in survival mode for a long time, he doesn’t need or want a protector but he’s run out of time, so Rio and the group at Redcars may be his last hope. 

This story remains entrenched in the overarching plotline that began with Robbie’s terrible past and the men of Redcars attempting to take down a list of bad guys. Lyric can help with his hacking knowledge and he and Rio slowly begin a tentative truce where they are able to see deeper parts of the other which leads to a quickly forming bond. I do wish there was more time spent with just Lyric and Rio getting to know each other, but the found family aspect was strong with the same supporting characters throughout the series. I enjoyed Lyric and Rio together and look forward to another (perhaps the last?) book in the series.


Rio is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription