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Matt's expression, his eyes, were furious as he glared down at the child. Oh, Mandy was a crafty little one, all right. Still, he couldn't believe it. He never would have guessed in a million years that the little brat would've called Amy. And from the hotel phone, no less, while he'd been in the bathroom! The little imp was going to make him pay through the nose with a damn expensive hotel bill! And that was to say nothing of the possibility of the call being traced.
He'd wrenched the phone from her tiny hands, pacing himself as he'd hung up. But he couldn't believe how angry he was, and with such a tiny person.
"I *told* you not to touch anything, Amanda!" he yelled, his face reddening. He didn't care that the child was basically cowering from him. She'd disobeyed him, and that was the only thing he could focus on right now. "Shame on you - you're a bad girl!"
"I only called my Mommy," Mandy said, her eyes again promptly filling with tears. She was scared of this man now - he wasn't nice and loving like her real daddy. She wished her *real* daddy were right here with her so he could save her and take her away from him.
"Who gave you permission to do that?!" Matt demanded, gesturing with his hands. "You don't do things when I tell you not to do them! Do you want me to punish you?"
Tears rolled down the little girl's cheeks. He was so mean to her!
"I want my Daddy!" she wailed.
The elder Hardy's eyes widened. He couldn't believe how feisty and defiant this kid was - but then, he knew she took after her bitch mother.
"Shut up!"
Mandy couldn't stop crying. She knew she was in bad trouble and that she should have listened to Aunt Trish... She should never have gone off, not even with this man named Matt whom she'd once thought was her daddy. The only people she should *ever* go anywhere with were Mommy, Daddy - her *real* Daddy, or people her parents *told* her to listen to and stay with. Her mom had not said anything to her about Matt picking her up or anything. She did something dumb. It made her cry even harder thinking that her Mommy and Daddy were probably mad at her right now.
"I *said* shut up!" Matt shouted, this time actually raising his hand to the little girl. He stopped himself as she cowered away from him, almost curling into herself. He wouldn't hit her, at least not like *that*, but damn it, she was pissing him off! "Do you want me to tie you to the chair?"
Amanda shook her head furiously, gulping gasping breaths as she kept crying. She'd never been so scared in her whole life.
Suddenly, the ringing of his cell phone startled Matt yet again. Annoyed, he looked toward the device, assuming Amy was calling him yet again. Or maybe it was that bastard Adam.
Moving over toward his cell phone, the dark-haired man put a finger to his lips as he eyed the child, shushing her. She couldn't seem to stop crying, and she wasn't being quiet about it, either.
Hell... He grabbed the phone, not answering just yet as he then grabbed Mandy by the arm. As she continued to cry her little heart out, he dragged her to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Only then did he answer the call. He didn't even bother taking notice of the number on the display.
"Hello?"
There was a beat of silence, and then a voice spoke.
"Matt... What the hell are you thinking, man?"
It was his younger brother. Damn it, he knew he shouldn't have called Jeff. His brother might have been weird, but he was definitely not stupid.
"Jeff..." Matt said with aggravation. He rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he went on. "... *What* are you talking about?"
"Come on, Matt - you *know* what I'm talking about!" the younger man cried, incredulous. "Everyone knows you kidnapped Mandy - *everyone*! Me, Adam and Amy, Trish and Jay... Even the police."
The elder brother's brows rose as that last word.
"Give her back, man... Give up while you're ahead."
Matt pressed his lips tightly together. His younger brother had long been a burden on his back, and now was certainly no exception. It was one of those times when he wished he were an only child.
"Suggestion, Jeff - *fuck off*!" he shouted. Then, not bothering to wait for his sibling to respond, he
hung up.