"Heh, not my bag, mija," he replied in an amused tone. Lupe Rodriguez would have had his ass if he hadn't kept up cooking. Being slave labor in the restaurant from age seven to fifteen had at least given him a skill. Being an overweight kid had given him motivation to take care of himself. Keeping the weight off was difficult, and Marcus had been forced to choose between his vices. His exercise regimen supported his drinking habit, but he couldn't add junk food on top of that. An untold amount of work went into keeping up appearances, and making his life appear effortless.
He tensed when she grabbed him, meeting her gaze with a raised brow, but without his signature smirk. He was listening, at least, for better or for worse. The promise she wanted him to make was a difficult one, though. If she really thought she was turning into a fucking lizard, she needed professional help. Help that was outside of his paygrade.
But maybe not outside of his connections. If nothing else, life at the Door had taught him the value of alternative thinking. There were always choices. Always other solutions that could be employed, if a person was willing to be creative. Maybe within the myriad skillsets which made up the pool of co-workers and clients, Marcus could find someone who could help a girl having a psychotic break without taking her to an institution. Maybe.
But maybe not. He wasn't going to make a promise he didn't know if he could keep. Marcus knew better than to do that. But he nodded. "I won't make you do shit, Kess. Whatever the fuck's wrong with you... I'll help you where I can, chica, but I got a full plate, you know? Don't got the time or the fucking energy to hold you down for no fuckers in white coats. 'Sides, what the fuck do I care if you think you're a lizard? Shit, I like lizards."
There was the smirk, finding its way back to his face by the last line, unable to quite stay away for too long. It wasn't that Marcus couldn't take things seriously. He took a lot of shit seriously, including the mental health of his cousin. But there was no reason to be dire about it. As far as he saw it, Kessie was safe and sound. Shaken, but otherwise all right. No need to be making phone calls to any professionals, despite what she claimed had happened to her.