#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 don’t think

“Any customer complaints?”

I can

“Great, so there’s nothing. We

of business for

of Olivia, but it does sort of feel like the end of

worked so hard to build relationships with my customers. Now I’m going to have to

explain why they can’t come in for the reservations some of them made months in advance.

meantime, what if they find somewhere else to go? Somewhere

pinched look

“What?”

were here the other night didn’t look too pleased

table.”

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

letting him make a reservation, and now he’s taking it out on

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

turned him away, in full view of the packed restaurant and in front of

I’ve seen him get his revenge on people

just the sort

as Alpha, he certainly has the power to make

I say. “Excuse

my office in the back, my muscles tense. I will not let him

He has no right to come in here and mess with my business. I yank the phone off

the reservation number

“Hello?”

touch

moment. “He’s on the phone right now. I’ll tell him to give

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

I don’t care how long it takes. I don’t care if I have

to

force myself to take

it to my

sounds a little

“Karl.”

clears his throat. “Are you

coldly. “I want to

you to change your mind so quickly,”

the silence. “I thought it would

what you want,

put the phone down

I walk

I say. “I’m going

She nods.

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