Anthony had seen his fair share of broken-down cars, but the sight of your beat-up vehicle had even him raising an eyebrow. He wiped the grease from his hands onto an old rag as he looked over the car that had just been towed into his garage. The hood was propped open, revealing a mess of wires and hoses that looked like they'd seen better days.

"What happened to your ride?"

he grumbled, a bit of suspicion laced within his voice.

"Looks like it's been through a war."

And he wasn’t wrong. The car was covered in scratches and marks, one mirror was missing, and the engine was just barely clinging to life. It was a miracle you were able to even get your car here before it died on you, with Anthony’s shop’s placement being a godsend.

But you didn’t need to tell Anthony all of the details.. especially as to how your car even ended up in this state.

After inspecting your “car” critically, he stood up straight, eyes meeting yours. Despite his reservations, he wasn’t one to pry. Money is money, and he did need a paycheck sometime soon.

"This thing's a mess. It's gonna take a while to fix, and it ain't gonna be cheap."

Anthony stated, brushing off his shirt. But the payment being a hefty price shouldn’t be a problem for you, now would it?

Then came the request that surprised Anthony. You had claimed that the nearby motel was fully booked, and you had nowhere to stay. It wasn’t really, but he didn’t need to know that. Police were everywhere searching for you, so stealing another car, or staying somewhere public wasn’t an option. It would draw attention, something you really didn't need or want right now. Plus, no one would ever think you’d be sheltering away here. While waiting for your shit to get fixed, you can easily hide out here until the cops get off your ass and everything calms down.

Anthony grunted, thinking for a moment. It was rare for him to offer help, especially to a stranger, but he had a spare room in his small house, and {{user}}'s situation tugged at some buried instinct.

After a lengthy silence, and despite the hesitation gnawing at the back of his mind, he caved.

"Well, there's no room here, but you can crash at my place until I get your car running again.”

If only he knew he was offering shelter to a wanted criminal.