Jimmy Blue arrives home after a late night tryst with his girlfriend Angel to find that his boss and lover, Luca, whom he has sworn to protect, is waiting for him. It seems that while Jimmy Blue was out, Tommy Sorla, an old friend and confidant of Jimmy Blue's, has been involved in a botched takeover attempt against Luca. Not believing that Sorla could be involved in this mess, Jimmy Blue vows to find out the truth, but as he hits the streets for answers, he gets word that Angel might be in trouble.

Knowing that Sorla's life is on the line, but worried about Angel, Jimmy Blue goes to his girlfriend's apartment. Once there, he finds her apartment ransacked but no sign of Angel. He discovers her young son, Johnny, scared but alive, hiding in a bedroom closet. Jimmy Blue takes him to Pop Robinson, Johnny's surrogate grandfather, who owns a liquor store a few blocks away. He tells Pop that he'll find Angel and bring her back, but just then Luca calls, wanting to see him. Jimmy Blue meets Luca at Sorla's club and is grilled about his whereabouts. Luca lets him know that he's put Manito, an enemy of Jimmy Blue's, on the case. Ignoring Luca's orders, Jimmy Blue returns to the motel where he had been with Angel, and finds her there - beaten to death. Jimmy Blue makes a call to Nick Corsetti, a police officer on Luca's payroll, and asks him to take care of Angel's body and keep everything quiet. Nick agrees.

A call from Al, Luca's driver and cousin, lets Jimmy Blue know that all is not right with Luca either. When he goes back to Sorla's club, Jimmy Blue finds that Luca has given Manito the club and put a hit on Sorla. Disgusted and feeling betrayed, Jimmy Blue and Al go to Sorla's house. When they get there, a shoot-out erupts; Jimmy Blue discovers Sorla and his bodyguard murdered, execution style. Recognizing the hit men are some of Manito's boys, Jimmy Blue is suddenly convinced that Manito was the one planning to knock off Luca all along. Jimmy Blue tells Luca his theory but Luca dismisses it, instead reminding Jimmy Blue that he is his savior. But Jimmy Blue, scared for Johnny and Pop, won't tell Luca about Angel and in return discovers that Luca has not only given Manito more territory but has also put Corsetti onto Manito's payroll as well.

Realizing that Pop and Johnny are in real danger, Jimmy Blue goes to the store and finds Pop sitting alone in the kitchen with a sawed-off shotgun in his hands. Jimmy Blue asks Pop where Johnny is, but all Pop will say is that he is gone. As he realizes that Pop has been shot and is dying, Jimmy Blue begs Pop to tell him about Johnny, but instead Pop talks about a daughter he has in Mississippi. Believing that Manito has Johnny, Jimmy Blue heads for Manito's hideout.

At Manito's place, Jimmy Blue shoots his way through one room after another until he finds Manito, Corsetti and a henchman named The Kid waiting for him. Manito tells Jimmy Blue that he killed Angel and Johnny and is going to enjoy killing him too, but Jimmy Blue is able to get Corsetti's gun and shoots Corsetti and The Kid. As Manito is about to shoot back, a stray shot from the dying Kid kills Manito.   When the weak protégé calls Luca, Jimmy Blue realizes that Luca was always in control.

Jimmy Blue, shot and unable to walk, gets picked up by Al and Luca.  As they rush him to safety, Jimmy Blue demands that Luca let him go. He heads all the way to Mississippi, where he finds Pop's daughter and discovers Johnny, alive and well. But as he and Johnny have a tearful reunion, Jimmy Blue is unaware that from a distance, Luca watches.