Luca let out a short, dry laugh. "Let them talk. If they see a 'golan,' they leave us alone. It’s a shield, little brother. In this world, if you aren't the wolf, you're the sheep."
But the mask slipped later that evening. As Luca walked home through a shortcut alley, he found a young boy shivering near a dumpster, clutching a broken accordion—his only means of making a few lei for dinner. Without a word, Luca reached into his pocket, pulled out a thick roll of bills, and handed the kid enough to buy a new instrument and ten hot meals. Fratii Peste Zice lumea ca-s golan
Luca didn't walk; he swaggered. With his collar popped and a leather jacket that had seen more late-night deals than daylight, he played the part perfectly. To the neighbors, he was the trouble they whispered about over morning coffee. To the authorities, he was a name on a list they could never quite pin down. Luca let out a short, dry laugh