AllMovie

An ex-con gets sucked back into a life of crime immediately after serving a 13-year prison sentence for manslaughter, and fights to protect the woman he loves and her young daughter from his dangerous former best friend. Back in the day, AJ (Triple H) would have done anything to protect his best friend, Jack (Michael Rapaport), a two-bit gangster and the son of Dr. Vic (Bruce Dern) -- the city's toughest crime boss. When Jack became the victim of a violent attack, AJ killed his assailant without a second thought. When the judge throws the book at AJ, the hardened convict looks forward to the day he'll get out of prison and start a small business. Meanwhile, Jack marries Claire (Parker Posey), the love of AJ's life, and together they raise a daughter, Pepper (Juliette Goglia). The very day Jack picks up AJ from prison, the short-fused thug gets an itchy trigger finger that could land his buddy right back behind bars. The situation grows increasingly tense as Dr. Vic attempts to handle the situation quietly just as he comes under investigation by Louisiana Tax Board agent Martha (Julie White) for dealing in counterfeit cigarettes. When Jack flees and Dr. Vic decides that the only way to get the job done right is to do it himself, AJ realizes that Claire and Pepper are in mortal danger and races to their rescue.