#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

rub my forehead. “Great, so there’s nothing. We haven’t done anything, and

for a full

trying hard not to freak out, especially not in front of Olivia, but it does sort of feel like

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

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

they find somewhere else to

pinched

“What?”

were here the other night didn’t look too pleased when

table.”

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

a reservation, and now he’s

He’s never gone easy on the people who’ve

The fact that I turned him away, in full view

get his revenge

was just the sort of

certainly has the

probably right,” I say. “Excuse

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

in here and mess with my business. I yank the phone

number

“Hello?”

me in touch with your Alpha.

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

I cross my arms over my chest and sit down in my office

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

to

ring, and I force

to my

His voice sounds a

“Karl.”

throat. “Are you

“I want to talk

expect you to change your mind so quickly,” he

thought it would

what you want,

me an address, and I put the phone down a little harder than necessary.

I walk back out,

I say.

She nods.

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