At the Circle Club in East Lost Angeles, owner and bartender Jake Bozman ejects Ruben, a young Hispanic man, for starting a fight. Jake spends the night drinking with his friends, Pedro and Tom, while his ex-stripper wife, Teresa, complains about the cost to their struggling business. The next day, Father Dominguez advises Teresa to be patient with her alcoholic husband, but she believes the marriage is doomed. Ex-convict Tony Montero offers his services as a handyman, and although Teresa discourages him, Tony returns to the bar that night, hoping to see her again. When the band’s drunken singer passes out, Tony volunteers to replace him and wins over the sparse audience. Impressed with Tony’s performance, Jake offers $250 per week, as well as room and board if he does chores around the club. The following day, Tony and Teresa make love while Jake is out fishing. Ruben returns to the club that evening, accompanied by his friends, Ramon Martinez and Carlos. Jake threatens Ruben, prompting Ramon to come to his defense. Tony dissuades Ramon, reminding him that he is on probation, and an assault charge could land him in prison. By the end of the evening, Jake is happy about the new clientele Tony is attracting, unaware of Teresa’s infidelity. In the morning, police lieutenant Dennehy offers Jake the opportunity to sign a complaint against Ramon Martinez, but Tony discourages him, claiming it would generate negative publicity for the club. Sometime later, Tony asks Teresa to leave her husband, but she refuses to abandon her thriving nightclub. Unwilling to share Teresa, Tony quits his job, prompting Jake to consider selling the club. Teresa goes to church, asking God to solve her dilemma. Tony follows her and they make love in a pew as Father Dominguez looks on in shock. Teresa decides to elminate Jake, and convinces Tony to trick Ramon Martinez into committing the murder. Convinced that Jake intends to sign a complaint against him, Ramon and his comrades attack Jake in the alley behind the bar, stabbing him repeatedly. Lt. Dennehy arrests Ramon and suspects Tony as an accomplice, but the singer insists he has risen above his criminal past. While Jake is hospitalized, Tony and Teresa redecorate the nightclub, and increase their clientele by hiring percussionist Pancho Sanchez. Father Dominguez confronts Teresa about her affair, warning that God will punish her. Upon his return from the hospital, Jake informs Teresa that he no longer feels safe in the city, and has decided to sell the club to finance their new home in a desert community. Desperate to retain control of the Circle Club, Teresa reveals her intention to kill Jake while confessing to Father Dominguez, forcing the priest to keep her secret. Late the following night, Tony pushes the inebriated Jake down a flight of stairs, making his death appear accidental. After the funeral, Tony and Teresa make love on the beach while Lt. Dennehy photographs them from a distance. In the days that follow, Teresa is wracked with guilt, trying to convince herself that Jake’s death was the will of God. Lt. Dennehy presents the couple with photographs of their tryst on the beach and their tape-recorded voices planning the murder. He demands the $35,000 they received from Jake’s life insurance in exchange for his silence, and the couple reluctantly complies. Afterward, Teresa and Tony reopen the Circle Club with the goal of financing a long vacation. However, Ramon escapes from prison and stabs Tony for exploiting him. Teresa comes to her lover’s defense and shoots Ramon, then prays for Tony’s life as he dies in her arms. She continues to operate the nightclub, renaming it “Café Teresa.”