#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?”

“No, I don’t

“Any customer complaints?”

that I can

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

of business for a

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

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

why they can’t come in for the reservations

find somewhere else to

pinched look

“What?”

were here the other night didn’t look too pleased

table.”

talking about, then my hands curl into fists.

a reservation, and now

He’s never gone easy on the people who’ve offended him. His pride won’t

fact that I turned him away, in full view of the packed restaurant and in

seen him get his revenge on people before.

sort of

certainly has the power to make something

probably right,” I

in the back, my muscles tense. I

to come in here and mess with my business.

the reservation number

“Hello?”

“I need you to put me in touch with your Alpha. Tell him Abby’s trying

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

my arms over my chest and

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

going to

long for the phone to ring, and I force myself to take a calming breath.

to my

sounds

“Karl.”

“Are you ready to

want

doesn’t speak for a moment. “I didn’t expect you to change your mind

thought it would take a

you

put the phone down a little harder than necessary.

walk back out, my purse thrown over

you can go home,” I say. “I’m going to take

She nods.

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