Under the opening titles, a man is seen crossing a bridge in London while carrying a package. He makes a brief stop at a florist to collect a bouquet before arriving at a modest rowhouse situated in a working-class neighborhood. Upon knocking on the door, he is greeted by a teenage girl in a school uniform named Jeannie, played by Zoë Nathenson. However, their meeting is abruptly interrupted by her mother, who storms out, shouting and cursing at him. The man retaliates, and their argument soon draws the attention of the neighbors, leading to a near altercation with one of them until he's rescued by his best friend Thomas, portrayed by Robbie Coltrane.
This man is George, enacted by Bob Hoskins. As we delve deeper into the story, we learn about George's checkered past; he’s a low-level gangster who spent seven years behind bars, likely taking the fall for someone else’s wrongdoing. That "someone else" is Denny Mortwell, a prominent figure in the local prostitution trade, played by Michael Caine. Believing that Denny owes him something for taking the heat, George searches for him but finds that Denny is currently out of the country. Instead, he is assigned by one of his lieutenants to serve as the driver and protector for a high-priced escort named Simone, portrayed by Cathy Tyson.
Initially, the relationship between George and Simone is frosty; her hostility stems from her perception of George as crude and unrefined, while he finds her to be pretentious. However, as the story unfolds, they begin to bond, albeit cautiously. Simone provides money for George to purchase a suitable outfit, but his choices disappoint her. Their connection deepens when they go shopping together, and they start to build a friendship, though it remains shrouded in some tension.
In their travels to King's Cross, a known area for solicitation, George observes girls who are around his daughter's age and feels an internal conflict. One encounter leads to a confrontation with a pimp, whom George physically confronts after refusing the advances of a young girl. Later, Simone opens up about her troubled past, revealing that she was once trapped in that world with a violent pimp named Anderson, played by Clarke Peters. Haunted by her past and the fate of her dear friend Cathy, who remains in that dangerous environment, she implores George for assistance in locating her.
As George juggles his duties, he meets Denny, who lectures him about the nuances of happiness, emphasizing the importance of life's small details. Denny instructs George to gather information on Simone's interactions with clients, presumably for blackmail purposes. Meanwhile, George strives to maintain a relationship with Jeannie, who remains unaware of the reasons for her father's lengthy absence, eagerly hoping to reintegrate him into her life.
Confusion arises as George tries to discern the truth about Simone, who lies about her activities with clients. Upon discovering implicating evidence in a video, George confronts her about the reality of her past life, leading to her revealing the unsettling truth about her history with Anderson. When danger comes knocking, with Anderson threatening Simone's safety, George takes action, engaging in a series of harrowing events to protect her and save Cathy from her dire circumstances.
As alliances and tensions escalate, the confrontation peaks when Simone and George find themselves on the run from Anderson and his men. The situation culminates in a fierce battle where Simone ultimately kills their assailants but turns the gun on George in a moment of panic. After a violent clash, George, now distanced from Denny’s criminal empire, finds solace in the company of his daughter Jeannie, who walks into his life, hinting at new beginnings and healing.
