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Crap, now I have to tell her something.

“I woke up in the middle of the night. I heard someone scream.” I twist the glass between my fingers.

“Scar?”

“Yeah.”

“The nightmares are back.”

“You know about them?” I look up sharply.

“He’s had them since … for a long time.” Nina sips her drink.

“Do you know why he has them?” I ask carefully. I feel like I’m treading on sacred ground. Like I shouldn’t be talking about this, but I’m too curious to hold my tongue.

“Yes.”

“Why?” I ask.

“That’s Scar’s story to tell. It’s not for me to say.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean … I wasn’t trying to …”

“It’s all right. He’s just very quiet about the time before he came to live with Winchester and me.”

“Was that your husband?”

“Yes. God rest his soul.” Her eyes glisten.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” Her hand quivers as she refills her glass.

“So, something bad happened to Scar before he moved in?”

“Very bad. A horrible man got a hold of him and did terrible things to him.” Her gaze narrows slightly. She cocks her head, studying me. “Are you interested in him?”

“What? No!” I inspect the contents of my glass as if I’m trying to divine the future. “I’m actually a little afraid of him.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“No. Not really.” I brush my hand across my neck and wonder if he left any marks.

“What does that mean?” she demands.

“He was out of it when I went to see if he was okay. He thought I was, well, I don’t know what he was thinking, but he sort of pinned me to the bed and tried to strangle me.”

“What? Oh, Julia, I’m so sorry. I should have warned you about him. I would never share his secrets without his permission, but you should know that he and his brothers suffered terrible abuse. Even I don’t know all the details. But the guys can be unpredictable and very violent. During the day, you’re safe. But if you catch one of them off guard or in the middle of a nightmare, then they’re capable of anything. They don’t know what they’re doing. They turn into animals fighting for their lives.”

“Animals?”

“Like I said, they went through something horrible before they came to live with me. I know bits and pieces, things they’ve let slip over the years, but I have a feeling the truth is far worse than anything I can imagine.”

“Poor Scar.” My heart aches for him, but I need to think about Max’s and my safety.

“Scar’s a complicated man. He needs someone who is patient. Someone filled with compassion and love. Someone who can handle his moods. And believe me, his moods are no joke.” Nina tosses back the rest of her drink.

I caught a glimpse of his “moods” earlier when he went from aggressive and angry to hurt and in need of comfort, and then back to feral and enraged in the span of a few minutes. He’s definitely messed up. I should run far, far away as fast as I can, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to leave him. However, I’m not the only one who’ll be in danger if I stay. Max is counting on me to protect him.