The Damsel by David Dixon

After a hijacking attempt damages their decrepit Black Sun 490 freighter, Snake and his boss are desperate for cash. Enter Carla, a gorgeous mercenary bad girl with a job offer that seems too good to be true. Unfortunately for him, while Snake is convinced she's stringing them along to their deaths, he's not the one in charge. The job gets dicey in a hurry, and it doesn't take him long to figure out a fatal blow is coming. He's just not sure if it will come from the pirates that haunt the nav lanes, knife-wielding goons looking for revenge, Carla herself, or the cheap vodka he drinks to stay sane. If Snake's going to make it out alive, he'll need every bit of his quick wit—and an even quicker trigger finger.

Adult • Science Fiction/Space Opera • Science Fiction

Content Warning: Swearing