And you will be left to wonder whether she just hides things automatically, by reflex, or whether she had something from the past that she is embarrassed to share, or whether she has something going on now that she wants to keep from you.

And that basically summarized the whole situation, right? She can be very loving, but she can also plant seeds of doubt. And so I see two questions for you to consider: first, of course, is which do you believe more--the loving you get from her or the doubts? And second, since you can't be sure where she is with you, how much risk are you willing to take?

I could see her being "terrified" of going back to that neighborhood. Possibly she does actually fear what he might do if were drunk and he saw you two together. But aside from that, it is legit in my view to fear his power over her. He sounds like he might be a type of addiction for her, and many who break their drug habits have a visceral fear of getting anywhere near that previous lifestyle.

Thank you very much for your kind words!