Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 9 – Shut Down
Abby

I stand with my hands on my hips, watching a group of law enforcement officers pour into my

restaurant.

One of them approaches me, a stern expression on her face. “Mam, you need to shut down this

restaurant immediately and straighten out your practice.”

“Pardon?” I say, looking around with wide eyes. I can’t believe my ears.

“The restaurant needs to be closed for the month.”

I lower my hands. “Please, I can’t do that,” I say. “I have customers with reservations, and regulars that

are expecting to be seated. I can’t just close for a month.”

Just the thought of doing so makes me feel a little sick. The last thing I want is to let my customers

down, and who knows what negative effects it could have on my business long term.

“Please, officer–” I start, but she waves me off. She looks completely unmoved by my pleas.

“You have a food safety problem here.”

“No.” I shake my head. “That can’t be right. We’ve gotten an S+ in sanitation every time.”

The officer rises to her full height, that stern expression unwavering. “If you disobey the order again,

the police department will detain you.”

I stare down at the cease-and-desist notice, desperately trying to wrap my head around what it means,

but even holding it in my hand doesn’t make it seem real. How can this be happening? I’ve never failed

a health inspection. Now my restaurant is closed for a month and there’s nothing I can do about it.

“I can’t think of anything that would warrant this,” Olivia says. She’s the only one I didn’t send home

after the police raided the place.

“Can you think of any recent hygiene problems?”

She thinks for a moment, then shakes her head.

“Did we offend any regulators?”

I

“Any customer complaints?”

I can

“Great, so there’s nothing.

for a

out, especially not in front of Olivia, but it does sort of feel like the

with my customers. Now I’m going to

can’t come in for the reservations some of them made months in

find somewhere

pinched look

“What?”

man and woman who were here the other night didn’t look too pleased when they couldn’t get

table.”

to register who she’s talking about, then my hands curl into fists. Karl.

reservation, and now

He’s never gone easy on the people who’ve offended him. His

in full view of the packed

him get his revenge on people before. Shutting

just the sort of

as Alpha, he certainly has the power to make something

right,” I say.

muscles tense. I will not let him get

to come in here and mess with my

number his

“Hello?”

I say. “I need you to put me in touch

on the phone right now. I’ll tell him to give you a call when he’s

can respond. I cross my arms over my chest and sit down in my office chair.

leaving here until he calls. I don’t care how long it takes. I

going to

to ring, and I force myself to take a calming breath. I pick it

to my

His voice sounds a little

“Karl.”

“Are you ready

“I want

a moment. “I didn’t expect you to change your mind so quickly,”

the silence. “I thought

you want, isn’t

and I put the phone down a little harder than necessary. Olivia’s

when I walk back out, my purse thrown

you can go home,” I say.

She nods.