His demeanor shifted more as she gave her version of events; eyes narrowing a little, his mouth -- so naturally inclined towards those easy smirks or grins -- ticking downward into an actual frown, albeit one that was quickly swept away. It wasn't that he suspected a lie. As far as he knew, she'd have no reason to lie. Certainly not to him, of all people.
The uptick in tension and distinct drop in temperature was because he believed her.
Not hungry, then. Not desperate. A woman who still had living family members. An active support network. At the very least, a father who gave a shit, sending her down with supplies for the brother. Granted, the man had sent her into dangerous territory, but she'd made it. Maybe she'd had help during the travel, but Marcus had a feeling she was able to take care of herself.
Being able to take care of oneself and being immune to petty fucking drama were too different things. As he shifted the enormous jug of water to more evenly distribute the weight as he walked, Marcus tried to tell himself that he didn't know what her situation had been. Maybe the father was a fucking asshole, despite sending gifts to a son. Maybe her brother was a misogynist pig. Having never been blessed with anything remotely like a supportive parent, however, and not knowing if any of his own half-siblings were still breathing, he had a hard time not seeing abandonment. It wasn't like he and his family had ever been close, and they'd sure as shit never been honest with one another... but if he found one of them out here... if he knew where any of them were, it'd take a lot to make him turn his back. Family was in shorter supply than water these days.
So what kind of woman bailed on blood to live with bikers? Maybe one who was rebelling against daddy. She didn't seem that young to him, but people did all kinds of shit at all kinds of ages. For all he knew, finding out the truth about the place would just give her a thrill and make her happier about her decision to come here.
"Tienes razón. It was all Marcus could think of to say. "It's fucked up... pero qué harás tú, no?"
After all, it wasn't like anyone else seemed inclined to set aside their differences. The apocalypse couldn't stop people from wanting to outright kill each other. Why the hell would it put a damper on sibling rivalry?